Network Questions

  • Thread starter BMW POWER
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BMW POWER

BMW POWER

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Hi there I have a few wireless network questions out there for you guys if you dont mind. I currently have a desktop PC which uses an ADSL internet connection with a USB modem, I also have a family desktop which simply shares the internet connection through a cable plugged into my computer. Now the other day I bought myself a laptop and Im planning on getting online with it using it's built in wireless adapter, but my question is how? I've got one of these:
http://safecom.cn/code/sub/category.asp?prdid=321&subcatid=41
lying around and was wondering if there was someway I could use it to connect my laptop to my shared internet connection?
Any help would be greatly appreciated, I've never really understood networking :dunce:
Cheers guys 👍
 
In a word, no. That device will allow a PC to connect to a wireless network, but will not provide a wireless network connection to another PC.

You need a wireless router, which would connect to your DSL. Get one with a built-in switch, i.e. a 4-port, then both wired PCs connect to the router, and the laptop connects to the router as well, but via wi-fi.

Wireless routers are not serious money at all, I got mine for under 20 bucks after rebate. Look for the rebates. They do rebates in the UK?
 
What wfooshee said. I recommend Dlink routers. I've had some issues with Linksys so I stay away from them.
 
To follow up, if DSL in the UK is like it is here, you're going to have to know some stuff about your DSL account to get the router connected. Somewhere on your PC in the properties of your DSL connection is a name and password, maybe some other parameters. Those will have to be configured in the router.

I wasn't going to name names, but my own router is a DLink. Couldn't say anything about what's there in the UK, as it's been 42 years since my last visit, and that was just a plane change in London, Pan-Am to something else to get into Germany. (Perhaps Lufthansa?) Not exactly a large cultural exchange, and it certainly predates TCP/IP, which incidentally was invented after I was out of college.

Yes, it's true. The Internet has not ALWAYS existed. Nor have CDs, DVDs, not even VCRs. Heck, I remember our first color TV! I've been through the 8-track vs. cassette debate, then laserdisc vs. DVD (which wasn't really much of a contest) and now Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD.

But I digress. That's something we old people like to do from time to time. Sorry. :indiff:
 
In my experience, the hierarchy of quality goes:

Linksys > Netgear > DLink

When you buy a Linksys device these days, you're basically getting a cut-down Cisco unit. Mine is now 2 years old and has never given me any trouble. Its predecessor also lasted two years, and was only replaced because I wanted G.
 
Maybe I just was unlucky and got 2 bad routers. In my experience, Linksys is good, but not good enough. It works, but then one day it decides not to. I did everything I could possibly think of to fix my issues and it never worked. Since I've had my Dlink, I've had zero issues.
 
I'd reccommend belkin: ours was pretty reliable for the first year or so. I over-used it though, so now it's been replaced by a Netgear (which is also pretty good). The small experience I've had with linksys was bad - it refused to open any ports, so anything from FTP to LFS was rendered useless.
 

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