PCA Forums

I'm a noob when it comes to wireless internet stuff so I have a question or two. My wife wants to get get a laptop for working at home, so I need to get wireless net setup. I know I need a router, and that's about all I know. I want to be able to keep the speed on my main rig for online gaming and downloads, so can I keep direct connect with that and also have wireless just for the laptop? And how to do I keep it secure? Anything else I need to know? Good router brand?

TIA

Get a Linksys WRT54G Enable WPA and you should be good to go.

eGo

I assume you are directly connected to the modem right now? Buy a wifi router like the Linksys Ego recommend (good router). It simply connects between your PC and the modem (modem connects to the WAN port on the router, PC connects to one of the four switch ports.

If you're not using PPPOE then there's no configuration to perform. Just power cycle the modem (power off and on) and turn on the router. You should have internet. Don't even bother running the software that comes with the router, it will only install crap you don't need.

If you have a DSL modem that connects using PPPOE then you do need to configure the router for PPPoE and give it the username and password of your account. You can do this via the router's configuration menu manually or use the wizard on the installation CD.

The wife's lappy will just detect the router and get on line automatically usually - or you may need to open the wifi icon in the taskbar and select the access point.

This is all you need to do if you're not concerned about security. HOWEVER if you live in the city, and yhour neighbors are close, you will probably want to lock down the access point with encryption to keep others from using it. The installation CD can walk you through that as well.

what everyone else said....I have set up a couple of the linksys with no hassle at all.....sitting on the front porch at the beach on my lappy atm via a linksys I installed last year.....

oh another question, I assume it is, but with both computers be networked automatically or is there something else I have to do?

Both computers will be on the same network, but you'll still need to configure shares and Windows won't automatically see the other system unless you set them both to the same workgroup.

If you need it, here's a link to file & printer sharing basics: http://www.homenethelp.com/web/howto/net.asp