Need Wifi Internet Connect Wired To Pc/ 2pc's

Good afternoon Geeks.

Because Virgin are lame they are making me wait over a monthy to sort my broadband so i need a temporary solution.

I've been looking into Mifi devices as pay as you go/ rolling contracts however most of the devices lack an ethernet port.

My question is can internet me transfered from the mifi device to my pc via a usb/ micro usb cable?

If yes, can i usb-usb my pc to a second pc so they BOTH have internet access.

A quick response would be beneficial.

Kind Regards.

 

Do both PCs have Wi-Fi?

 

Neither have Wifi. This is where my problem lies.

 

A MiFi device acts as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to which you can attach a number of devices.
Do you have a smartphone that allows tethering?

 

It depends on which MiFi device you get. But if me, I would get a USB WiFi adapter similar to this for you computers and be good to go.

 

Yea we both have phones that can tether. I did figure that was a possibility but it's not completely practical. Can you connect the phone to wifi and tether it with the same download speeds then?


And regarding Digerati's suggestion, is that a 100% compatible wifi adapter? Looks kinda cheap to be reliable.

 

You don't connect the phone to Wi-Fi - your phone acts as a Wi-Fi hotspot. The you use your phone's mobile connection to connect to the internet on your PC. But your PCs don't have Wi-Fi.

Using a USB cable means you can connect 1 PC.

That leaves Bluetooth. If your PCs don't have Bluetooth, a dongle (transceiver) for each PC is the answer.

The download/upload speeds will depend on your phone's modem.

 

That was an example. Notice I said, "similar to" that one. You can certainly spend more for one that does not "look" so cheap, like this, or with an external antenna like this.

But understand there is nothing proprietary or really that high-tech about wifi. And it is nothing new either. This means compatible, inexpensive adapters can easily be made and still be reliable. Those tiny ones are nice because you can just leave it in the USB port and not worry about it getting in the way of anything - especially nice with notebooks and other portable devices you might stuff into a backpack or carrying case. The ones with external antennas can be nice if range is an issue.

 

Sorry Digeratri i wasn't trying to put you or the idea down! I meant in general. You think something like what you linked would give good wifi access to a computer?

 

No worries! I did not take it that way.

People use WiFi "dongles" all the time for all sorts of devices (computers, "smart" TVs and other devices) that don't already have WiFi built in. In fact, for those devices that do have WiFi built in, it is basically an internal "dongle" they are using.

As long as you are not trying to access the WAP (wireless access point) from beyond 50 - 100 feet and through several floors, ceiling and walls full of wires and metal pipes, they work great!

And again, because these devices MUST comply with industry standard 802.11 protocols, compatibility is not an issue.

 

Final question, are they stable enough and have a good enough transfer to play online games happily? Because tethering mobile data gives about 0.5mb's.

 

Stability is not an issue but speeds are. I would definitely get one of the faster ones that support at least 300Mbps, or better yet, 600Mbps. But note maximum speeds are determined by both ends and more. If you get a 600Mbps 802.11ac adapter for your computer but the AP only supports 150Mbps, or 802.11g at 54Mbps, then you are limited by the slowest device.

And of course those are always "theoretical" maximums rarely ever achieved as other factors limit bandwidth too - including number of connected devices, interference, distance, and more.

 

Thank you both for the assistance. I'm getting a pair of wifi adapters and will find a good wifi pay as you go plan.

 

Just for the record, my cell phone does have the option to connect to wifi when it finds a wifi network. I do this all the time as it saves cell minutes and provides faster service for things like streaming Pandora over my phone. I can even then setup my cell as a wifi hotspot so others can connect other wireless devices to my phone and then out to the Internet through the first wifi network.

This might happen if only my cell is allowed access to a wifi network. I could access that wifi, then grant other devices access to my cell's hotspot so they could then get Internet access through the first wifi. It sure would be a round about way of doing things and I suspect the performance would be abysmal - perhaps only good for checking email or the like.

 

This is quite interesting, and some food for thought.
Thanks for sharing.