Making my desktop wireless enabled

[harrypalmer5]

Pretty simple for all youwho know about these things. I have a desktop pc an HPPavilion as it happenes..and for my sins am still on a dial up connection to internet. It seems that upgrading to broadband is problematic as the modem would be too far away from the phone socket (I have relied on extension cables so far which worked ok for dial up but dont for broadband). So the solution I am told is to wireless enable my desktop so I can sign up for broadband that way....how the hell do I do this -make my desktop wireless compatible? And when I do what implications if any for when I sign up with a broadband provider (I intend to switch from AOL)

[BillyNoMates]

You need a wireless modem or wireless router for starters - Dlink and Netgear are reputable makes.

You need an ADSL flavoured type - not cable. You will also need a wireless card for your PC.

If you are going broadband - get that up and running first by placing the PC close to the ISPs modem and running it via a wire connection. Then go wireless. Those are the basics.

[Sammy Snake]

I bought a D-Link wireless router and USB adapter for my desktop from PC World last week and it cost me about �70. I set it up using the cable and then once it worked, removed the cable and am now totally wireless although I did have broadband to start with.

[BillyNoMates]

I'd recommend going Ethernet vs USB - less overhead on the PC.

[Sammy Snake]

Wow Billy, straight over my head!! I wasn't recommending anything, merely telling what I bought last week after being advised by the nice chappy in PC World.

Mine came with a USB dongle (?) in the box with the router and also an ethernet cable. I set it up using the ethernet cable but the cable was about 2 ft long and the PC was about 20ft from the phone socket/router so you can see the problem. Now have removed the ethernet and am using the dongle wirelessly.

What do you mean by ethernet 'would be less overhead on the PC?' - please bear in mind I am not a PC expert!

[WoWo]

A USB connection needs software to run and handle the communication, an ethernet card does this in the hardware.