Laptop only - Household Connection to Broadband

[nick348]

My father, a youthful 80 something, fancies the idea of buying a laptop so that he can surf the net around his bungalow. 

Dad really hasn't got a clue about computers nor I have I for that matter but what would be the best solution for running a laptop within the home as a stand alone computer with internet access.

I'm thinking along the lines of an ADSL router creating a wireless system or would a usb broadband dongle be the way to go.

The system needs to be versatile giving a speedy wireless connection through out the home but not cost him a fortune.

Any ideas?

[LEE]

Personally I'd get a Wireless Router and make sure the Laptop has bult-in Wifi capability.  It's cheap and reliable technology now.  Means he's not tied to one room.

[GruB]

Seconded.  I have a wireless router that runs the Wii and the Nintendo DS consoles.  The job laptop that I now have on the kitchen table does not have wireless so I put a cable through from the computer room.
With the puppy, I find myself sitting a lot in the kitchen and keeping him company so this has been a godsend.  Also, I have the kitchen door open and I'm only a short distance away from the TV, not in sight however, and can still hear what is going on.

[LEE]

Seconded.  I have a wireless router that runs the Wii and the Nintendo DS consoles.  The job laptop that I now have on the kitchen table does not have wireless so I put a cable through from the computer room.
With the puppy, I find myself sitting a lot in the kitchen and keeping him company so this has been a godsend.  Also, I have the kitchen door open and I'm only a short distance away from the TV, not in sight however, and can still hear what is going on.

Wifi for £11

[DaveJ]

Personally I'd get a Wireless Router and make sure the Laptop has bult-in Wifi capability.  It's cheap and reliable technology now.  Means he's not tied to one room.

Thirded.

A laptop with built in WiFi is going to pick up the wireless signal from the router much better than a wireless dongle (much bigger aerial).

Dave

[Biggsy]

Fouthfited.

You don't want something sticking out of the laptop when you can have it built in.  DELL laptops, for example, have wifi built in, and a router can be bought for less than £20.

[LEE]

I mentioned the WiFi dongle for Grub whose Laptop doesn't have Wifi built in

[GruB]

Lee,
I tried a USB cable with a dongle on the end, same sort of price from Tescos I think - it was a name brand and it was also rubbish