Help with my first wireless network

Hello everyone. I'm ready to set up a wireless network for the new dell inspiron 640m I bought.

Here's the situation: my router is downstairs and it is connected via USB to an ancient Windows ME computer which doesn't have ethernet. I plan to use the ethernet connection from the modem to the router. So, I won't have a wired machine on the network. The only machine I'll actually have on the network is my laptop and it will be wireless. I guess my first question is - is this possible?

My ISP uses DHCP and I've gotten as far as that in Linksys' included CD Rom installation thing. I'm not sure what my host name and domain are - should I contact my ISP for this? What do i do after that?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is my first network, so please be gentle.

 

What router are you using? What wireless adapter are you using?

 

I'm using linksys compact router

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...825655&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

My 640m has a intel centrino card.

 

Connect your modem to your router. You may have to call your ISP and give them your router's MAC address.

To configure your router, you need to connect your laptop to the router via ethernet cable. You do not need to use the install CD. Once you configure your router (change the password, set the SSID, turn off SSID broadcast, set up WPA2 wireless security, etc), you can disconnect the laptop.

On the laptop, you need to set up the wireless card. It will need the same SSID and WPA2 information you used in the router.

That's it.

 

OK. I can configure all this stuff via internet explorer or firefox, correct? Isn't it 192.168.1.1? What's a MAC address and will I need to DHCP information from my ISP?

Thanks for your help, kegobeer.

 

Check out the wikipedia for the definition of MAC address.

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

You can get the MAC address from the router. You don't need to get any DHCP information from your ISP. Open a DOS window and type "ipconfig /all". You'll see the DNS servers - you'll enter that data in your router's config. Your router will assign IP addresses to every computer connected to the router.

Yes, you use IE/FF/any browser to access your router's config section. Linksys is 192.168.1.1.

 

thanks! I'll give that a shot when I have time.

 

I don't see why you couldn't do it ,but 1st as kegobeerr said you'll have to conect to an ethernet cable.

Do you have Bellsouth DSL? I went through a long process trying to figure out how to configure my Westal router to my Linksys router.

If so...

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/9688

 

no, i'm in canada. i have rogers.

 

This is probably obvious to most of you, but is a router required for two laptops or a desktop and a laptop to share files, share internet, and set up a wireless LAN gaming connection?

 

Well, how else should I do this?

The network is up and running now. the only problem is that my router turns off the ethernet port when the usb port is in use. I have both my desktop and laptop using the internet simutaneously.

 

jhu, you need to install a NIC in your desktop and connect it to the router via ethernet cable.

 

Can i use one of those USB adaptors? I don't want to have to open the box up.

 

technically, no... you could have two NICs in a desktop, one wireless and one ethernet. hook the ethernet to your internet connection, and then create an ad-hoc wireless network between the two computers. you'll either need NAT software for the computer hooked directly to the internet (Windows ICS? I don't know if it does NAT,) or else you could just bridge the two connections. If you don't have a NAT-capable device, your ISP will have to give you two IP addresses, which they may not do.

Anyway, a router/gateway is by far the easier option.

If you mean something like this, then yes.
http://search.ncix.com/displayprodu...NG-USB-ETH&manufacture=NGEAR TECHNOLOGIES INC.

 

Trust me, it's not hard to install a NIC. It's cheaper than a USB adapter, and will perform better. It's worth turning a few screws.

 

Thanks guys