A question on wireless setup

  • Thread starter Thread starter D.K.
  • Start date Start date
D

D.K.

The situation:

Thw computers:

A rather old Celeron/Win98 desktop that is connected to cable
and does not have wireless card.

A new PentiumM/WinXP laptop with wireless capability that came
with an access point (it was one of those free offers).

I thought it is easy to connect the access point so that
I and my wife/kid could share the cable Internet connection.
That is, without making the desktop wireless.

Such a possibility, however, is not mentioned in the access
point's installation guide and I cannot find any pointers.
Is it at all possible? If yes, then where should I look
for the basic instructions?

We do not necessarily need a real netwrok between the two
computers and I'd rather not buy a wireless card for the old
desktop.

Any clue for the clueless? Thanks!

DK
 
The situation:

Thw computers:

A rather old Celeron/Win98 desktop that is connected to cable
and does not have wireless card.

A new PentiumM/WinXP laptop with wireless capability that came
with an access point (it was one of those free offers).

I thought it is easy to connect the access point so that
I and my wife/kid could share the cable Internet connection.
That is, without making the desktop wireless.

Such a possibility, however, is not mentioned in the access
point's installation guide and I cannot find any pointers.
Is it at all possible? If yes, then where should I look
for the basic instructions?

We do not necessarily need a real netwrok between the two
computers and I'd rather not buy a wireless card for the old
desktop.

Any clue for the clueless? Thanks!

If you started with a cable modem and a pc with a single network card, that
free wireless access point isn't going to be enough to add your laptop to your
home network.

Three solutions:

- add a second network adapter to your desktop system, connect the wireless
access point to that second adapter, and enable Win98's connection sharing.

- buy a router, stick that between your cable modem and your desktop, and plug
the wireless access point into a second LAN port on the router.

- give the free wireless access point to someone who can use it, then buy
yourself a combination router/access point, and install that between your
cable modem and the desktop system.

/daytripper
 
If you started with a cable modem and a pc with a single network card, that
free wireless access point isn't going to be enough to add your laptop to your
home network.

Three solutions:

- add a second network adapter to your desktop system, connect the wireless
access point to that second adapter, and enable Win98's connection sharing.

- buy a router, stick that between your cable modem and your desktop, and plug
the wireless access point into a second LAN port on the router.

- give the free wireless access point to someone who can use it, then buy
yourself a combination router/access point, and install that between your
cable modem and the desktop system.

Thank much for the reply! I'll consider all three options. The first one
seems to be cheapest and the third one is the most expensive (true?).
What about performance/other things to cosider between them? If I opt to
add an $20 ehternet adapter (option 1 above) - will I be much worse than
if I'll go with cable router with wireless support?

DK
 
Thank much for the reply! I'll consider all three options. The first one
seems to be cheapest and the third one is the most expensive (true?).
What about performance/other things to cosider between them? If I opt to
add an $20 ehternet adapter (option 1 above) - will I be much worse than
if I'll go with cable router with wireless support?

DK

Yes, 1 is the cheapest to build. Not necessarily the cheapest TCO over, say,
the first year, depending on how many hours your desktop system is powered-up
just so you can reach the internet from your laptop.

3 is likely to be the most expensive, but not by a whole lot verses 2. But in
any case, unless you can't find a wired-only router for less money than
wired/wireless combo routers, option 2 makes the most sense to me for you
situation. See my other reply in this thread.

Performance should not be an issue with any of the three options provided,
unless the desktop pc is a total bowser (I mean, a pre-Pentium or pre-K5
doggy). NAT doesn't take much horsepower to service a handful of clients,
never mind a single laptop. And there's the long latency/skinny pipe on the
other side of the modem that'll be the throttle under almost any circumstance,
anyway.

All in all, I'd go (and have indeed went ;-) with option 2...

/daytripper
 
Thank much for the reply! I'll consider all three options. The first one
seems to be cheapest and the third one is the most expensive (true?).
What about performance/other things to cosider between them? If I opt to
add an $20 ehternet adapter (option 1 above) - will I be much worse than
if I'll go with cable router with wireless support?

DK

Yes, 1 is the cheapest to build. Not necessarily the cheapest TCO over, say,
the first year, depending on how many hours your desktop system is powered-up
just so you can reach the internet from your laptop.

3 is likely to be the most expensive, but not by a whole lot verses 2. But in
any case, unless you can't find a wired-only router for less money than
wired/wireless combo routers, option 2 makes the most sense to me for you
situation. See my other reply in this thread.

Performance should not be an issue with any of the three options provided,
unless the desktop pc is a total bowser (I mean, a pre-Pentium or pre-K5
doggy). NAT doesn't take much horsepower to service a handful of clients,
never mind a single laptop. And there's the long latency/skinny pipe on the
other side of the modem that'll be the throttle under almost any circumstance,
anyway.

All in all, I'd go (and have indeed went ;-) with option 2...

/daytripper
 
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