Help! Wireless connections!

[Sammy Snake]

I have just purchased a Laptop and already have a desktop PC. I explained to the bloke in the shop that I wanted to create a wireless network and he sold me the kit.

I can't connect it! Even the cable they supplied with the kit isn't long enough to reach the PC from the phone socket anyway so I am having to use my desktop as it was and the Laptop is unconnected to the internet.

Can anyone talk me through in simple terms how it should be connected and what kit I should have?

[bobjim1705]

There's 2 ways you could be connected:

1) The internet cable is plugged directly into the back of your desktop computer. The internet goes through this computer, and is transmitted via a wireless USB attachment. (This means that the desktop would have to be on for the laptop to recieve wireless signal.)

2) The second way is having the internet cable go into a wireless router before it goes into the computer. The router is plugged into the desktop, so the internet is then available to the connected desktop computer. As well as this, the wireless signal will be broadcast for the laptop to recieve (regardless of whether or not the desktop is on.)

[Sammy Snake]

Sorry to appear thick.

Option 2 seems best as I have a wireless router. At present I have a USB cable from my desktop to my modem and then a cable from the modem to the phone point. How do I connect it all? The diagrams in the booklet with the router are not clear at all. The ethernet cable supplied with the router has the wrong connections on the end to fit in the modem, are other types available and do I need one?

[bobjim1705]

The internet should come in through the wall socket, and go into the modem.
From here, the modem should be plugged into the router (usually with an ethernet cable.)
The desktop can then be connected to the router, either by an ethernet to USB cable, or a plain old ethernet cable.

Do you know the make/model of your router?

[CheekyChops]

Its an D-LINK DSL-904 54MBPS WIRELESS ROUTER AND USB ADAPTER BUNDLE (sorry, copied straight from PC world website!)

My modem has two ports, one for the phone cable part and a USB one to connect it to the PC. I take it that the modem still has to be connected to the PC as well? What about the USB dongle thing that came with the router? None of this sounds very wireless to me, I wish I'd never bothered!

[Fitzer]

Looking at the spec for the DSL-904 it has a modem built in, so you plug the phone line into the router and plug the USB adaptor into your laptop. Your problem seems to be that you haven't got any way of getting wireless to you desktop (unless your lappy has Wi-Fi built in, in which case plug the USB dongle into the PC)

A rough setup guide is here http://www.dsl-warehouse.co.uk/product.asp?pr=DSL-904

[CheekyChops]

I plugged the dongle into the desktop last night and it did pick up a wireless network which appeared to be a neighbours so this bit appears to work! The laptop is wifi enabled already. So basically i don;t need my modem? I will have another go when I get home, thanks!

[CheekyChops]

Sorry, just realised that my user name for work and home are different, but I am the same person who asked the original question!

[bobjim1705]

You should still need your modem (although technically, you could connect to your neighbours wireless network using the dongle in the desktop.)
However, it would appear that you don't need your USB dongle, if the laptop is already wirelessly enabled.

Are you sure there's no ethernet port on your modem? I thought most modems came with both a USB port and an ethernet one.

[Fitzer]

Bobjim, the specs for the DSL-904 say it has a modem so he shouldn't attempt to use his current one, especially as it seems to be one of the USB only ones that come bundled with a lot of broadband sign-up deals.

[Sammy Snake]

Thanks guys, have now got desktop up and running wirelessly using the dongle thingy (without my old modem). Still having a problem getting the laptop to pick up the wireless network and have posted a new question about this.