Topic: connecting 2 computers to 1 internet connection

[manicscousers]

is there a way of doing this, we're with virgin, any tips, you computer geniuses, ta  ;D

[Fork]

Is a wireless router the answer?

[manicscousers]

 ??? ???
words of one syllable, please, but thank you  :)

[ACE]

The router here is showed wired, if you have a wireless connection it is the same just ignore the wires. Unless you have a really cheap and nasty router there should be enough sockets in the back to plug two computors in

[keef]

I layman terms...

Do you have a wireless connection from you PC laptop, or a wired connection?

If its wireless you'll have a box with flashing lights connected to your phone line (called a wirelss router), and thats it. Your PC connects to it using a wireless radio link.
You "should" just be able to setup another pc to connect to the same box. I say "should" but you may have to setup other things like a special security key on your laptop, plus other more technical things...

If wired, you will have a different kind of box with flashing lights connected to your phone line (a router), and then another connetion between the flashing light box and your PC. In this case the flashing light box may have a spare conection on the box for another PC. Again you may have to setup some things in the router to get it to work. If there are no spare connections, you'll have to buy another router.

[manicscousers]

thank you, men, I've turned it over to the more technically minded person, he's going to look at it  ;D

[Paulines7]

I asked my OH and this is his reply:

I assume Virgin is cable.  If so you can buy a combined modem router which plugs into the telephone line and each of your computers, but when you buy it, make sure that it is compatible with cable (not BT line). 

[manicscousers]

ta, will make enquiries, not sure if we have to pay more  :)

[grawrc]

Virgin is cable. You need to connect a router to your modem. It's not that hard to do (even I have managed it  ;)) The  only thing you have to make sure of is that the router will work with your setup i.e. your Virgin modem and your wired PC/ wireless laptop (no point having the laptop if it can't be wireless). You also need to make sure that any peripherals like printer/scanner etc will work with the router.... I think  :-\ :-\ ;D Only kidding!

If you go to PC world or equivalent and tell them what you need they should have some suggestions. You don't need to buy there if you don't want to!

[grawrc]

You don't have to pay Virgin any more. You'll just split the bandwidth which doesn't really matter unless you're downloading movies and suchlike. You will have to buy the router.

[Sinbad7]

I'm with Virgin but my connection is through my phone line not cable.

They supplied me with a Netgear router, it does the job fine.  But is made easy as my laptop is Wi-Fi and automatically picks the signal up, so no wires or anything else needed on my laptop.

On my old laptop that didn't have Wi-Fi I had to buy a plug in router, for the laptop this just plugged into one of the usb port's on the laptop.

[manicscousers]

right, will go to pc world when ray can move outta the house  ;D
meanwhile, I get the broadband  ;D

[martinrowe]

Is your modem connected to the phone line, or to a point in the house with a thick cable?

If you have a thick cable going to a point in the house, you need to buy a router.  Virgin modems did not use to be wireless, so you may need to connect the modem to the router by using a cable and then connect the computers to the router by using cables if the computers do not have wi-fi.

If the computers have wi-fi, you will need a wireless router, if not you will need an ethernet router (a cable from each computer connects to the router).

I would recommend a Linksys router.

[manicscousers]

thanks, martinrowe, yes, the modem is connected to a thick cable, not the phone line..both the laptops have wi fi but we don't use it  ???
thank you , everyone, for making it  easy for us to understand..ray just wants to go on you tube to see the funnies people keep putting on the watershed..'specially while he's ill  ;D
off to look at a linksys router

[melann]

cheapest and easiest way ive used was to buy a ethernet card and a ethernet lead
add the new card in the computer thats taking the lead from the broadband modem then add the ethernet lead from one commy to the next thats the old way if its wireless just but a wireless dongle from ur nearest commy shop to pick up the wireless modem as im doing at the moment
only problem here im picking up 4 diferant signals