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Hi all

we are going to buy another pc so will have two, both dell and both to use with broadband, could someone please explain the wireless connection/ network stuff needed to do this.....  ???

many thanks

Quote from: greenscrump on September 16, 2007, 18:48:01
Hi all

we are going to buy another pc so will have two, both dell and both to use with broadband, could someone please explain the wireless connection/ network stuff needed to do this.....  ???

many thanks

How strange, a similar question has just been asked on the Antiques Forum.My reply can be seen here.

What a brilliant computer site - thanks blue  :)

In short yes, in theory most home routers will accomodate up to 256 computers but I wouldn't recommend that.
Lets make som assumptions. Both computers are wireless i.e. they will not connect to the router via a physical cable. If thast true you need to set up your router to use WPA security. The details on this depend on your make (make and model and I may be able to help) and MUST be done initially while connected to the router vai an ethernet cable.
Cghanging the wirless connection while connected wirelessly is a little dodgy.
Once you have done that you can then unplug your cable, go to the garden and get windows to connect wirelessly to the router once you have supplied the WPA "passkey" that allows you to connect securely. It will remember teh passkey so that next time you don't have to type it in.
Few security tips.
DON'T use WEP encryption. Its now relatively easy to crack.
Create an adminitrator password on your windows PC. It helps prevent people getting access to your computer.
Change the default password on your router. One of my neighbours hasn't done this and I can tell you its username is "admin" and the password is "password". Somebody could lock them out of their broadband...
Any questions just shout up...
Use the windows firewall, simple but it helps.
If you are a low volume user think about turning the worelss router off when not in use.
Always use WPA or WPA2 encryption. Sorry but can't stress that enough.

hi woppa, thanks very much for your response, I'm afraid I didn't understand much of it  :-[. 
I will soon have 2 Dell pcs, one already set up for broadband using an external modem and the other new, so are you saying I will need a wirless router and an ethernet cable to get the new one connected also??  I have no idea what WPA is.......  ???

hi,we recently went wireless (using a dlink router) it was dead easy to do

Back to basics but don't worry, we will get you there.
You say your current computer is connected to the external modem, can I ask is that a cable modem from virgin (ex ntl / telewest) or a modem from the like of BT/AOL/Carephoen warehouse.
How do you connect to this modem at the moment, a USB cable (flat at one end, square at the other) or by ethernet (large phone type plug on it)?
Do you want the second computer to be in a different room, and thus need wireless, or could you run a cable from PC2 back to where your broadband connection is?
By the sounds of it you will need to buy a router, all that we need to do now is decide if you need a cable or ADSL version and if you want wireless.
As grotbag said most consumer routers are dead easy to set up. We can discuss that once we have figured out what you need.
Hope this helps.
Woppa

thanks for getting back woppa and for the confidence boost grotbag  :)  It is a speedtouch modem on a BT phone line, isp is virgin, connected to the pc by a usb cable.  The other pc will be in a differnet room and running a cable will not be poss so I guess we need wireless.....

thanks again  :)

We are getting somewhere now. What you will need is whats called an ADSL wireless router. There are loads about. I use d-link, a friend used Linksys and another uses netgear and they are all good, reliable and simple to set up. Here are some links...
linksys
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/118662
d-link
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/114164
netgear
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/52244

for a simple guide to wireless have a read of this...
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=0&action=c3BlY2lhbHM=&special_uid=1324

If your PC2 doesn't yet have a wireless card some of the routers come with a  bundled USB dongle that gives you wireless capabilities on your PC2

thankyou sooooooo much  ;D will let you know how it all goes