Right, been on mobile broadband via dongle on my laptop. I'm a bit new to this stuff soooo i can see other wireless networks in my local area, some secure some not. Now will my connection show up on thiers and will it be secure?.

Not sure if connecting via dongle is secure or not or if i have to install a security password or something to stop folks surfing my connection and having access to my system?

Also on a second note, i am still connected via cable on my desktop pc, we got the laptop to replace the desktop pc soooo how do i make my laptop recieve the emails etc that my desktop gets and transfer pics, docs etc over.

Any thoughts would be great.

Your dongle is a receiver – not an access point. Other people will not see your connection.

You will need to set up your email client on your laptop if you want to replace your desktop. Depedning on the client app, there are ways of exporting settings and mail archives etc.

Other data files can be moved by copy pasting using data sticks etc or networking the two computers/mapping drives if your OS can do it.

my laptop is windows vista home premium but my desktop is windows xp service pack 2 or 3??

So my dongle provides a secure connection then?

If i copy my email options off the desktop and add them to my laptop , should that do it email wise?

I will in future possibly be after getting a wireless router for my cable connection as it will be faster than my dongle at home, although to be fair the dongle seems to work well with reasonable speed, certainly quicker than our wireless work pc.

try not to confuse the different things going on.

Your dongle connects your laptop to the mobile phone network. Your dongle is ALSO acting as a wireless receiver for wireless networks (not mobile networks) – but as I said, there's probably one inside the laptop anyway. Your mobile broadband package probably bundles wireless access in certain locations for free as well.

Your desktop is connected to the fixed line (telephone) network via the adsl modem box.

Your laptop almost certainly could also connect to your fixed line service if you upgraded your adsl modem to a wireless one.

setting your email up depends on what you use to access it and where your mail is hosted. If you have the same client software on both PCs then the easiest method is to copy the settings on one.

I may be wrong, but if your adsl modem is also a router you could connect your laptop to it and then map a drive on the desktop to your laptop and then copy the files across you want, but Im not an IT boffin so cant be sure or explain quite how it works – only that Ive done something like it here at home.

The wireless networks showing up are wifi based networks.You can't see 'dongle connections'. In that sense they are secure. For extra peace of mind disable wifi on your laptop.

Having said that dongle connections are still wireless and not sure they are at all encrypted so I wouldn't use it for sensitive stuff.

Stonr – Niether am i lol.

Basically all i wanted to do was have mobile broadband AND replace the aging desktop we have at home.SWMBO doesn't like PC in the corner of our bedroom anymore…..apparently technology has provided an alternative in the form of laptops lol.

Firstly i was concerned/confused about the security of my connection via dongle. Not desperately concerned about using the desktop programs or anything , just wanted to keep the docs and pics saved on it.

Vrapan- that was my concern, i do a lot of internet banking and purchasing etc. Not sure of the security of a dongle connection.

Laptop came with a trial of McAfee but that has finished .

Banking and online purchases are being encrypted however you access them.

At home if your broadband modem – cable or ADSL – is connecting to your computer via ethernet -not USB- then even if it is not a router it self you can connect it to a wifi router and connect your laptop to it through WiFi. That connection can be encrypted via WPA – modern decent routers can do that nearly automatically.

Thanks for the helpful info.

That sounds good as I be going to be using a dongle next year and was wondering if I could plug it into my Airport.