wireless network newbie needs help :S

D

dizzygirl

New Member
Hi everyone,

I'm moving house soon and want to set up wireless broadband in my new house. I've never done any thing like this before and I'm not very experienced with computers (I can do basic things like upgrading RAM, but get stuck with more difficult tasks). All the advice I can find about wifi is about setting up wireless networks - but this isn't what I want to do!

I have 2 computers (a laptop and a PC) which I want to connect to the internet. I do not want to have either wired up to the modem - I want BOTH connections to be totally wireless. However, I do NOT want to use both machines on the internet at the same time, and I do NOT need the machines to talk to each other.

How do I go about achieving this?
 
Okay, first off all you will need to make your computers wireless if they are not all ready, you will need a wireless card, or a wireless USB connector. The latter is more expensive and If you can upgrrade RAM then you should be fine fittign a wireless card in your machine, The laptop however (if its not wireless all ready) should have a slot on the left hand side(thats where mine is but some models vary I think) that will take an expansion card about the size of a credit card.

Once both your computers are wireless you will need a wireless modem/router or simply a router to go with your existing modem, these have to be compatible with each other, some are ethernet and some USB, some routers come with both ports.

If you post up which country you are from and let me know if your computers are wireless I will post up what you will need and where to get it, as well as tell you a little more about the setup.
 
thanks!

Thanks Hakka!

I really appreciate you taking the time out to help me!

I haven't bought ANY kit at all yet - my computers are still firmly wired up.
I live in England (for my sins...! :) )

So, let me check I've got it straight so far...

I get a wireless modem or a router and plug it into my broadband connection downstairs

Then I get a compatible USB connector or a wireless card for my PC and plug that in upstairs... and an expansion card for my laptop in the shed (don't ask!!)

Then, once I've twiddled with the settings in Windows XP, the modem downstairs will beam the internet upstairs to the PC and out to the shed (but not to both computers at the same time until I set up some kind of network!)

Is that right? :confused:

Thanks so much for your help!
 
yes, that sounds fine, XP has a built in wirleless manager which I use over the linksys one that came with my wireless adpator. I have set up 3 modem/routers in my time and they were all pretty simple, they all work on the same principles, from what you have posted you have a better understand than I did before i set up the first one. All the software I have used which comes free with the modem you buy has had a 'wizard' which guies you through the setup just fine. they are web based interfaces so you 'ping' the IP of the router, something like 192.168.2.1 (this varies from router to router) whilst you have a wired connection to the router via ethernet cable then you go through the setup, you enter stuff like you user name and password that you current you for your ISP a few other details and you shoudl be up and running, if you get the router below then setup is easy, you select you ISP and then it sets things up according to that ISP and you just need enter your user name and password, if you have BT internet you leave the password field blank.

Im from England as well, so its easy for me to reccomend.

You only need to configure the router once with one computer and then it will run both computers without any having to do anymore. Setup is via a wired connection and you get everything you need with the router.

modem/router
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=64619

wirless PC adaptor USB
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=37480

or the one below is better suited for laptops, plugs straight in the one above
has a short cable running from it

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=75646

or as I mentioned earlier you laptop should be able to and expansion card liek the one below which will make it wireless

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=46056

wireless PC card
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=41594

depending on the range you are wanting to send the cable over you might want to look at MIMO (mulitple input - multiple output) which is basically an advanced version of the above and cover a larger height and witdh.

heres a little more info on wireless technology that might give you a little better understanding

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm

http://malektips.com/wireless_internet_help_and_tips.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIMO

http://www.vicomsoft.com/knowledge/reference/wireless1.html

remember once you have the kit you need you can always post back here if you are having any problems with the setup, all I can say is its not as hard as it may seem. :)
 
dizzygirl said:
Then, once I've twiddled with the settings in Windows XP, the modem downstairs will beam the internet upstairs to the PC and out to the shed (but not to both computers at the same time until I set up some kind of network!)

Is that right? :confused:

Thanks so much for your help!
Click to expand...


just noticed the last bit, or should i say read it properly this time:) , once you have both computers wireless and the router configured you can connect upto 10 computers to the internet if you like, you only need to set up a home network (which is pretty easy with XP) if you want to share files and printers.

you can use both computers at the same time, That said and done I think some ISP only offer that networking option with some packages, Im sure i read with the BT 256kb broadband pack that it dosent cupport multiple computers, all packages above that will be fine though.
 
wow thanks!

Wow, thanks Hakka! You really know your stuff! :cool:

It's so nice of you to take the time to give me all this information. I feel a load more confident about setting it up now! :D I'm going to use set it up at the end of November when I have a week off, and if I have any problems I'll post here again for more expert advice!

And thanks for all the links too!
 
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