Soooo Everyone Loves Wifi...

[amarie24]

Because wifi means FREE.

I can surf the Internet and do other things on Bleepy as much as I please for free so long as I have a wifi. I can play with Bleepy until she needs to go to sleep (translation: until she needs to be charged). So that's what wifi is all about...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...


/Amarie is poor and has never had a smartphone before, much less a laptop...I don't even have a wireless computer. My computer is a desktop with a cord.



-Amarie

Comments

[amarie24]

Yes it is! And Bleepy is such a fine name indeed!

But, uhh...Red? Could you take the time out of your supremely busy life real quick to help me with this wifi? I can't...understand what I need to do with the home password. Like, I know you're supposed to choose the wifi option with the most bars. And you can tap into your wifi on your smartphone by tapping into whatever, err...cable/internet service you have at home. But when I tried that (we have Xfinity/Comcast), it just didn't work.

So I tapped one of the home wifi options, but it needs a password. And I have no idea how to access the password. OMG, this is embarrassing.

Uhh...help pretty please?

[redsixwing]

Sure, can do. :)

So: troubleshooting involves a lot of questions that are gonna have you giving me the side-eye like I up and turned into Zuko...

- your router's a wifi-capable router, right? (It or its documentation will say something like Wireless B/G or have a wifi symbol on it, if you're not sure. This is the real side-eye inducing question but I've got to ask it, because if the answer is "no" then none of the rest of this will help.

- assuming it is - and you've obvs got internet because you posted this and I got it - do you know how to get to your router's configuration? If not, you can open up a command prompt if you're using Windows and type ipconfig /all, and then put the gateway IP into your browser's URL bar - that'll probably work. You'll need the router's username and password. (If you don't know it, your favorite search engine can point you at the defaults for your model and once you have it? Please, pretty please, CHANGE IT if the default lets you in, because those things are public and attacks on routers are becoming common - write it down if you need to but don't leave it on the default password.)

- Once you're in config, there should be a place to turn wifi on and set the home password.

EDIT: You'll probably also get several options for security/encryption. What you want is WPA2. If that's not there, use WPA. WEP is a broken protocol and trivially easy to hack - please don't use it! (End edit. I'd be no kind of help if I set you up to get breached later on.)

When the router gives you the all-clear and says it's turned on its wifi...

- ...then you put the wifi name, security type, and password that you just set into your phone, and 90+ percent of the time it works right out of the box. :)

[amarie24]

Uhhh...actually, YOU are going to side-eye the crap out of ME like I'm Zuko.

Red, I am so, so, so, SO sorry. I've been trying all night and all day today and...I'm lost. Completely lost. Oh my goodness, this is mega embarrassing.

I tried to follow your instruction, but I haven't gotten very far. Here is where I'm at/what I've done:

1. Went into my computer's Start menu, typed in "command prompt". A pop up with a black background & white writing came up. I typed in "ipconfig /all" and hit "enter.

2. What came up when I hit enter...well, there was no "gateway IP" anywhere. The closest things I saw were "IP Routing Enabled" (and that had a "no" beside it) and a "WINS Proxy Enabled" (and that had a "no" beside it, too). Uhh...that's all that I can find that's close enough to it.

3. Then, on my phone, the wifi networks that I have offered are:

-xfinitiy-wifi (It tells me it's connected, but when I try to log into the browser, it won't let me. So I'm not touching my phone in case I use up more GB & charge my mom more.)

-Two that have "HOME" in their names & they say "Secured (protected network available)" & it has a lock on it. They both have a lot of bars.

-Another one with the same amount of bars as the "HOME" ones has a "NETGEAR" in its name. It's also secure & has a protected network available. The last ones have little to no bars.


Uhh..otherwise, I'm so lost. :(

[silveradept]

Let's start with the really basics. When you look at your computer, there should be a cable running out of it that has a plug on it that looks a little like what corded telephones plugged into. If you have a router, you should be able to trace from the computer to one object, and then from that object to the cable modem (which has the cable coming out of it that looks like the cable you plug into a cable box or TV). Is that how you're set up? If you can gave from computer to cable modem, then you have no router and need to get one.

[amarie24]

-nods- Oh yes, that's how I'm set up! I have a modem (?) with a cord to it that keeps the Internet up and running!

...And so this means I have no router (for wireless Internet, which is wifi?) and I need to get one? : /

[silveradept]

So your computer is directly connected to the cable modem, then? You're going to need a router - they're quite inexpensive, and you can sometimes get them from a thrift store, with the correct power adapter, for very little, indeed. Then we can set up WiFi so that Bleepy can feed off that while you're home.

[amarie24]

A router! I shall search for one for my darling Bleepy! And I am oh-so happy to find that they're relatively cheap. Thanks, Silver!

Also, the latest ATLA thread is going again. Pebble & I are talking about sexuality & romance in regards to Aang & Katara. Please feel free to pop over and pitch in! I...kinda just left a wall of text that was more speculative than anything.

[silveradept]

I went looking for the wall of text and did not find it. Maybe I just do not know which thread to go to.

[amarie24]

Oh shoot! Sorry, Silver! It was in my "First Smartphone Ever" thread! Here you are, friend! http://amarie24.dreamwidth.org/36398.html

[redsixwing]

OHOHOHO I am too late :3
It looks like you're all squared away with needing a router.

[amarie24]

Aww yeah, it's okay Red! I thank you all oh-so-so much for your help, though! I do thank you! :D

And hopefully it'll be this weekend when I get a router and a phone cover (the plastic one that comes with my Bleepy is coming off. Gaahhh! Gotta protect Bleepy's screen!!!)

[redsixwing]

You're welcome, wish I could've done more. :)

Protect the Bleepy! \o/

[amarie24]

Oh no, no, you're fine! Mom is taking me tomorrow to get a router and hopefully a phone cover for Bleepy! YAY! So I'll most certainly need your help again soon, if you don't mind! :D

Protect the Bleepy, yes!!

[redsixwing]

Not in the least!
If it'd be less belabored to do this by chat or by phone, we can work something out - PM me if you'd prefer one of those?

\o/ Hooray for new router and phone case!

[amarie24]

Oh, I'll definitely PM you to see about working something out! Uhh...the router & phone cover have been delayed until hopefully this coming Tuesday, though. The fucking inhaler money took it. -_____-

I declare that breathing clearly is not as important as wifi. -_____-

[redsixwing]

Graaaaaaah. D: No rush, I'll be here later too.

Yup. All the hugs, all of them.

[amarie24]

Yeah, you're right. You're right. No rush. Noooooo rush. And hugs! All the hugs, thank you! :D

[redsixwing]

Sorry it's taken me this long to reply! orz

OK, so:

- Did you, or anyone at your home, set up one of those networks?
- If yes: We can figure out how to get that password out of your router.
- If no: We need to figure out if your router can do wifi.

Something that's asking you to log in is a) successfully connected and b) password-protected - so you can make contact but it won't give you anything.