Do I need an access point?

I have just bought a laptop which is wireless enabled (802.11g) and I want
to network it to my desktop computer so that it can use the internet
connection and share files. I am looking for the cheapest solution possible
at the moment. Can I just stick an 802.11g card into my desktop and have
them talk to each other? Or do I really need an access point even though
there are only two computers? Someone told me you only need this if you are
trying to connect more than 2 devices but I am not sure.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Neil Jeffrey.

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 13:34:27 -0000, Neil Jeffrey spoketh

>I have just bought a laptop which is wireless enabled (802.11g) and I want
>to network it to my desktop computer so that it can use the internet
>connection and share files. I am looking for the cheapest solution possible
>at the moment. Can I just stick an 802.11g card into my desktop and have
>them talk to each other? Or do I really need an access point even though
>there are only two computers? Someone told me you only need this if you are
>trying to connect more than 2 devices but I am not sure.
>
>Any help greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Neil Jeffrey.
>

You can stick a wireless card in your desktop, and set up what they call
an 'ad-hoc' network. You can even add more wireless computers to this
network. An access point is only needed when connecting wireless
computers to a wired network.


Lars M. Hansen
www.hansenonline.net
Remove "bad" from my e-mail address to contact me.
"If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?"

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 13:34:27 -0000, "Neil Jeffrey"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have just bought a laptop which is wireless enabled (802.11g) and I want
>to network it to my desktop computer so that it can use the internet
>connection and share files. I am looking for the cheapest solution possible
>at the moment. Can I just stick an 802.11g card into my desktop and have
>them talk to each other? Or do I really need an access point even though
>there are only two computers? Someone told me you only need this if you are
>trying to connect more than 2 devices but I am not sure.
>
>Any help greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Neil Jeffrey.
>
Put a wireless card or wireless USB adapter on the desktop in "ad-hoc"
mode, then on the desktop machine turn on Internet Connection Sharing,
and "share" the connection that goes to the Internet.

That will cause the desktop to act as a router and assign an IP
address to the laptop whenever the laptop is turned on.

Note that with this setup the laptop will only be able to get to the
net when the desktop machine is on and connected.

I did this for a year or so until I bought a router, worked fine.

Mike
Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

Thank you Lars and Mike. Your help is much appreciated.