wifi hotspots?

[kaysixteen]

A computer question for the savants amongst us:

When I got this machine, I was able to access a free one hour Xfinity wifi pass, and that allowed me to sign up for wifi passes monthly.   I also have cable from Comcast, so I decided today to head down to the local Comcast office and see if I could bundle the two, perhaps save myself some money.   The young woman ended up offering me a plan that would have saved me maybe $20 a month.... but then the deal fell apart when she asked me whether I needed the modem with it, which would of course be extra.   Initially I said no, assuming that I must have one built into the laptop, else how would I have been using the net for the last four months here?   But talking with her, she tells me, and I think I believe her, that I do not have linked internet access (which is obviously true, no cable connects my computer to anything), so therefore I must be simply getting wifi access because my apt. must be part of some 'wifi hotspot'.   So I told her to forget the whole thing, because there was no cable/ wifi pass bundle option available.   As long as the wifi still works, which it clearly does, I guess I will just keep it as is, because I surely do need it.   Is she right, about this hotspot thing?   Obviously I am not paying for any hotspot access from anyone, only for the wifi monthly charge from Comcast/ Infinity, and I do not want to pay for cabled modem-ed internet access, unless I have to.   I have had no problems accessing any websites whatsoever, since I have been using the wifi service (May).

And one more question:
I felt like an idiot standing at the Comcast office next to a woman obviously young enough to be my daughter, who seemed to be frustrated that a guy like me, older than her but obviously not an elderly person who might be presumed not to know the answer to such a question.   But on reflection it was my fault... I did not snip at her, yell at her, etc., but I almost melted down.   And I am wondering something-- it is obvious to me (esp as I try to learn enough Zoom to do these free short-term courses for the older folks through the local foundation in my city, set to start in a week), that I am deeply ignorant of many if not most of modern computer stuff, including most of what my new computer and new phone, both dating to this spring, could do, and I am not someone who is likely going to be able to teach himself many of these techniques by watching youtube videos.   I am, for all the advanced humanities education and c. 2000-era aging MLS skills, really about the most mechanically-/ technically-disinclined guy I have ever met.  Thus, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to how I might get the skills I need here, something I could perhaps do myself without spending significant amounts of money I do not quite frankly have?  Also, has anyone taken advantage of things like computer skills classes at local public libraries, when/ if available, and what would any vets of such courses feedback be?  Thanks as always.

[polly_mer]

Take the courses offered at the public library.  Most of them are designed with relative novices like you in mind and generally are friendly places to ask the basic questions.

[nebo113]

I understand your feelings about your interaction with the Comcast rep.  Part of the problem is that, not infrequently, the Comcast rep is working from a script and lacks a true grasp of the company's options.  Comcast is an unpleasant company to deal with.  Ask me how I know......

[Vkw10]

Free public library courses are usually good. I find that the instructor often adapts to people attending, so if the class has several people struggling at a basic level, the pace will slow down. However, I also find that instructors are often willing to provide some individual help after class. And if you attend several, you may find you're recognized and get a bit more help, as library staff seem to reward effort.

[Hibush]

Your question is an extremely common one: "How can I get internet access without getting ripped off? I don't need to know the details of how it works."

That is a really difficult question to get answered.

[apl68]

Free public library courses are usually good. I find that the instructor often adapts to people attending, so if the class has several people struggling at a basic level, the pace will slow down. However, I also find that instructors are often willing to provide some individual help after class. And if you attend several, you may find you're recognized and get a bit more help, as library staff seem to reward effort.

It's been said that libraries "give nothing for nothing."  We don't usually have the staff to do it for you, but we can meet you halfway by helping you to figure it out.  Or sometimes even 3/4 of the way.

I understand the frustration of dealing with the cable company and feeling like an idiot for not being more tech savvy.  Try having to deal with the internet provider on behalf of a library that has staff and patrons depending on maintenance of service, in a region where the internet grid is atrocious!

[kaysixteen]

I am thinking I will sign up for a library class like this, as soon as such classes again become available in my area.   And I will also be able to get access to some Zoom assistance as well.   I am going to  try to man up and deal with Zoom for the volunteer thing I am supposed to start doing next week, based largely on the very limited amount of effective assistance the foundation that I am doing it for has been able to provide.   Sadly, that is not very much.  I had hoped to be able to go there and interact with an actual human being ftf, but no such luck.  The older woman who runs the foundation does so herself, and has admitted in the mass emails sent out to the lot of us that we are in untested waters here, especially since all the students are 50+ folks, some quite a bit older than that.   The board of the foundation only decided to go Zoom about 6 weeks ago, and is more or less winging it.

I share nebo's deep underwhelmedness with Comcast, and assessment of the sales rep I was working with.   Obviously I am ignorant, but it probably would have been nice had she been more able to deal with things, but yes, 'working with a script' sounds about right.   I am probably stuck with this until something better arrives-- a follow-up question would thus be, 'if Comcast is the local cable tv provider in my area, which of course it is, are there any other companies which would be able to sell me internet access in my apt, and would that be different from 'wifi hotspot' access?   No other firms have ever sent junk mail to my house here, offering such.

[Puget]

I share nebo's deep underwhelmedness with Comcast, and assessment of the sales rep I was working with.   Obviously I am ignorant, but it probably would have been nice had she been more able to deal with things, but yes, 'working with a script' sounds about right.   I am probably stuck with this until something better arrives-- a follow-up question would thus be, 'if Comcast is the local cable tv provider in my area, which of course it is, are there any other companies which would be able to sell me internet access in my apt, and would that be different from 'wifi hotspot' access?   No other firms have ever sent junk mail to my house here, offering such.

The wifi signal has to come from someplace, and it can come from essentially two places:

1. Option 1: Cable. You buy a plan from your cable company. The physical set-up consists of your cable wire, connected to a cable modem (smallish box with flashing lights), which is then connected to (or integrated with) a wifi router (another smallish box, this one with one or more antennas sticking out). When the Comcast person asked if you had a modem and router, she was referring to these -- you can either own your own or rent them from Comcast or whoever your cable company is. Generally renting is NOT a good deal (you end up paying much more over the life of the product than if you just bought it).

2. Option 2: Cellular data. You buy a data plan from your cell phone company. The physical set-up is a small device that receives the cell signal and transmits it as a wifi signal (similar to how the router takes the cable signal and transmits it as a wifi signal). You may also be able to use your cell phone itself as the transmitter (e.g., on iPhones you can turn your phone into a mobile wifi hotspot).

There are pros and cons for each, but a lot comes down to pricing and what is available in your area. If Comcast is the only cable company in your area and you're not happy with them, you might want to consider bundling with your cell service rather than your cable and see how that compares.

And actually there is option 3 if you only need occasional access and don't need high speeds, which is seemingly what you've been using so far-- find an open wifi hotspot from someone else's router and use that. The Xfinity hotspots are set up by Comcast as part of the deal if you buy their internet service, but I don't know if they have any plan that lets you use them without having cable internet through them. Of course, many businesses, and public places, have open wifi networks for customers to use. It's important to keep in mind that that open networks are not secure, and are prone to be slow and break down from time to time, so you shouldn't rely on them if you need internet for work or sensitive tasks.

[Hegemony]

Comcast/Xfinity has hotspots all over the U.S. Generally you only have access if you have Comcast cable or if you pay specifically for the hotspot, but for the pandemic, they have been made free. So this may be where you are getting your wifi access, if you happen to be within an Xfinity hotspot. One caveat is that it will make your data more vulnerable if you're doing banking online and things like that; other people using the hotspot can "listen in" on your transactions and passwords. Apart from that, free is good.

[pigou]

You can buy a modem for $50: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N7QK8Z5/

I can't imagine doing a Zoom call via one of those free wifi hotspots. Anything on WiFi seems to lead to choppy video/audio -- and the problem is that the person talking never realizes how choppy they are to everyone else. WiFi is great for browsing the web and even video streaming, since that's pre-loading the data before you play. But anything that requires real-time performance suffers greatly. This is true even if you have a router at home.

Buy an ethernet cable for $5 and plug your laptop directly into the modem. Or if you want your own WiFi signal, buy a router, plug that into the modem, and plug your laptop into the router. Physical cables will always be faster than anything that travels through the air, even in the very best of conditions.

[dismalist]

Apologies, I first read this thread as wife hotspots! :-)

[kaysixteen]

Hmmm... more of my being an idiot here....

1) I am not paying for the cabled internet access, which I refused to do, esp since I would have to either rent or acquire a modem, and the deal bundled with cable wasn't that great.

2) But I am obviously able to access the hotspot with this computer, which I am indeed using right now.   I am paying a monthly fee for the pass, and the only free pass I was able to get, back in May, was for one hour only.  I tried then to get more time free, but I had to pay.   And keep on paying now.

3) I am not that motivated to buy a cable, get a modem, etc., just to perhaps improve my Zoom performance for a 6 week long volunteer thing I am going to get paid precisely nothing for.   Perhaps later on, if I find myself in need of serious Zoom access, but not now.   Question here, I have never done Skype for anything, but am I correct to assume it pretty much requires the same tech and is essentially similar to Zoom?

4) As to why this is a hotspot, I do have cabled Comcast tv.  I also have a cellphone, but am not paying for it myself, merely having been added to a relative's plan (relative does not live in my city).   I shall have to ask her about what is and is not available with it/ its plan, the next time I see her.   The phone itself is some sort of Samsung thing with a Verizon plan, so this is different from Comcast, right?  I am definitely buying the computer wifi pass through Xfinity.  But would the phone plan also be able to be added onto the computer?

Boy I am a tech naif.  I am going to have to enroll in such a class as soon as the library can offer one.  I will ask the librarian their plans for such the next time I go in there to return books, next week.

Thanks again to all.

[Puget]

Hmmm... more of my being an idiot here....

1) I am not paying for the cabled internet access, which I refused to do, esp since I would have to either rent or acquire a modem, and the deal bundled with cable wasn't that great.

2) But I am obviously able to access the hotspot with this computer, which I am indeed using right now.   I am paying a monthly fee for the pass, and the only free pass I was able to get, back in May, was for one hour only.  I tried then to get more time free, but I had to pay.   And keep on paying now.

3) I am not that motivated to buy a cable, get a modem, etc., just to perhaps improve my Zoom performance for a 6 week long volunteer thing I am going to get paid precisely nothing for.   Perhaps later on, if I find myself in need of serious Zoom access, but not now.   Question here, I have never done Skype for anything, but am I correct to assume it pretty much requires the same tech and is essentially similar to Zoom?

4) As to why this is a hotspot, I do have cabled Comcast tv.  I also have a cellphone, but am not paying for it myself, merely having been added to a relative's plan (relative does not live in my city).   I shall have to ask her about what is and is not available with it/ its plan, the next time I see her.   The phone itself is some sort of Samsung thing with a Verizon plan, so this is different from Comcast, right?  I am definitely buying the computer wifi pass through Xfinity.  But would the phone plan also be able to be added onto the computer?

Boy I am a tech naif.  I am going to have to enroll in such a class as soon as the library can offer one.  I will ask the librarian their plans for such the next time I go in there to return books, next week.

Thanks again to all.

2) So, you are paying to use the Comcast hotspots, which means you'll have wifi so long as you are in range of one of their routers, which it sounds like you are at home. That may be good enough for your modest demands.

3) Yes, in terms of bandwidth needed, all video conferencing software is going to be about the same.

4) Not sure what you're asking in the last question-- are you asking if you can use your phone for internet access on your computer?  If you have an unlimited data plan you may be able to use your phone as a hotspot. However, it may be too slow for Zoom, or video streaming, so depends on what you are trying to do. Many cell companies now also offer home internet service (as I described before) which would be faster and which you may be able to bundle with your existing phone plan at a discount.

[polly_mer]

For the Zoom meeting, find out if someone is projecting slides or other visuals so that you would need video over internet. 

Many of the telecons are a much better experience by just calling in with a regular phone as a conference call  and skipping the video entirely.  A foundation that wants you to participate as a new volunteer may be willing to email slides so you can flip through them on your own computer while listening on the phone.  We've been doing a lot of telecons that way recently.

[Hegemony]

Just to mention that generally, unlimited data plans do not allow you to use your phone as a hotspot. They specifically hinder that, for the predictable reasons.