Wireless options for dialup?

[bobogs]

Trying to get the in-laws to want a computer...talk about a tough customer! Even the idea of doing webcam chats* or emailing their children or seeing pictures of their grandchildren doesn't seem to phase them.

One of my concerns is their utter lack of reasonably-prices options for broadband where they live (between Lake City and Fort White, FL...dirt road and all). Comcast cable...no dice. Bellsouth DSL (any flavor)...no joy. Alltel (Windtream) DSL...nope. DirecTV satellite...sure, but WAY too expensive for the speeds offered.

So we're stuck with dialup, which is better than nothing (some might dispute that statement). It'll probably be Bellsouth over Earthlink, due to their use of Bellsouth for home phone and long distance.

What are my options for setting their home up with a wireless network, given a dialup connection? Since the modem will most likely be inside the computer (which will probably be an iMac...can you get a modem inside one of them, or an external modem connected to it?), what kind of device can connect to the iMac to share it's connection wirelessly? Would it require an ad-hoc wireless connection between my XP Pro laptop and the iMac, then the iMac would dial out? Should I just forget about the idea of wireless in this situation and connect the laptop to a phone line and use its modem?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Gary

*: Any comments on whether a webcam video chat is worthwhile on a dialup connection? It would be broadband on our end.

[bobogs]

According to Apple.com:

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

Communications
* Works with 56K V.92 Apple USB Modem (sold separately)

[Super Warrior]

Dial-up....gahhh....Its 2007, going to be 2008 soon. Time to standardize high-speed and have horrid dial-up go the way of the betamax.

Especially since more and more websites are being designed with high-speed in mind, with those annyoing flash ads, tons of images, etc. Making surfing them on dial-up impossible.

Unless you're willing to try and navigate such sites with all forms of flash and image loading disabled.

[stiltman]

Maybe something like a Netgear RM356 with a NetGear wireless hub connected to one of the LAN ports might work

[bobogs]

Thanks for the suggestion of the Netgear device. It looks interesting, but also expensive. I guess I would just hook up the laptop to the phone line when I want to use it. However...

I signed up for Bellsouth dial-up service and tried it out from my home tonight. In short, it is an absolutely horrible, annoying, slow, completely unusable internet experience. I wouldn't subject my in-laws to that experience. My modem connected at 52k, and it took a good 15 minutes to download and play a 1.9mb wmv video from my hosted site. If I'm expecting to share family videos and pictures with them, dial-up just won't be sufficient.

I'm glad I haven't bought them a computer yet.

Gary