What hardware do I purchase?

I have a dell laptop that is wireless. So I have the wireless router working
with it. I also have a dell desktop that is not wireless. I am "assuming"
that I need to purchase the following:

1. Wireless card for the desktop
2. networking card for desktop
3. networking card for the laptop.

Before I spend all of that money, can someone confirm that's what I need?
Also, any suggestions on brand to buy?

Bobbee wrote:

> I have a dell laptop that is wireless. So I have the wireless router
> working
> with it. I also have a dell desktop that is not wireless. I am
> "assuming" that I need to purchase the following:
>
> 1. Wireless card for the desktop
> 2. networking card for desktop
> 3. networking card for the laptop.
>
> Before I spend all of that money, can someone confirm that's what I
> need? Also, any suggestions on brand to buy?

I'm not really sure why you think you'd need to purchase anything for
the laptop. Modern laptops come with a built-in ethernet port and you
say you have wireless already built in and the wireless router is
working.

For the desktop - if you want to connect it to the router with ethernet
cable, you need a network adapter card and a length of cat5e ethernet
cable. If you want the desktop to connect wirelessly, you need a
wireless network adapter card (or usb wireless adapter). You didn't say
what operating system the desktop is running. If it is an older machine
running Win9x, make sure it meets the system requirements for the
wireless adapter.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

I don't need a network card for both??

"Malke" wrote:

> Bobbee wrote:
>
> > I have a dell laptop that is wireless. So I have the wireless router
> > working
> > with it. I also have a dell desktop that is not wireless. I am
> > "assuming" that I need to purchase the following:
> >
> > 1. Wireless card for the desktop
> > 2. networking card for desktop
> > 3. networking card for the laptop.
> >
> > Before I spend all of that money, can someone confirm that's what I
> > need? Also, any suggestions on brand to buy?
>
> I'm not really sure why you think you'd need to purchase anything for
> the laptop. Modern laptops come with a built-in ethernet port and you
> say you have wireless already built in and the wireless router is
> working.
>
> For the desktop - if you want to connect it to the router with ethernet
> cable, you need a network adapter card and a length of cat5e ethernet
> cable. If you want the desktop to connect wirelessly, you need a
> wireless network adapter card (or usb wireless adapter). You didn't say
> what operating system the desktop is running. If it is an older machine
> running Win9x, make sure it meets the system requirements for the
> wireless adapter.
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>

I am confused. Can I network without a network card?

"Bobbee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:651A1818-A69B-4961-BACB-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am confused. Can I network without a network card?

The laptop already has a wireless network card built-in. You don't need to
purchase another one for it.

Tom Lake

The desktop should already have a NIC (network card), so you should be fine
unless you want to connect the desktop via a wireless connection - which
seems unlikely.

"Bobbee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:932858E8-56D2-44B1-BF9D-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have a dell laptop that is wireless. So I have the wireless router
>working
> with it. I also have a dell desktop that is not wireless. I am
> "assuming"
> that I need to purchase the following:
>
> 1. Wireless card for the desktop
> 2. networking card for desktop
> 3. networking card for the laptop.
>
> Before I spend all of that money, can someone confirm that's what I need?
> Also, any suggestions on brand to buy?

Tom Lake wrote:

> "Bobbee" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:651A1818-A69B-4961-BACB-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I am confused. Can I network without a network card?
>
> The laptop already has a wireless network card built-in. You don't
> need to purchase another one for it.
>
> Tom Lake

No, you cannot network without a network card. But you've told us you
have a modern laptop which has built-in wireless and I'm sure also
built-in ethernet. You haven't told us anything about your desktop. If
it is fairly new, it probably has built-in ethernet. If it is old or
doesn't have built-in ethernet, you'd need either a network card for
wired or a network card for wireless. Here is a link to information
about wireless/wired networking that may be helpful to you:

Linksys Learning Center - http://tinyurl.com/8ka4w

Of course you don't have to buy Linksys, but their Learning Center is
quite well done.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 09:35:06 -0700, Bobbee wrote:

> I am confused. Can I network without a network card?

No, but...

You already have a network adapter in the laptop computer. You already have
a network connection between that and the wireless router.

All that you lack is a network connection between the desktop and the
router. The desktop may, or may not have a network adapter built in. You
can check your Device Manager in System Properties for a network adapter.

So, on your desktop computer, what items do you have listed in Device
Manager? Locate the "My Computer" icon on your desktop; right click on it,
select the Device Manager tab. Look through the list for "Network
adapters", and expand the list. What devices are listed? One? More than
one? What description is given for the devices?

In my case I have the following:

Dial-up Adapter
HP EN1207D-TX PCI 10/100 Fast Ethernet Adapter
LapLink USB Network Cable

Let us know what you have, and we can take it from there.

--
Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

Thanks all! I am trying to connect the two computers wirelessly. My
Desktop is a Dell 844 purchased in January this year. I checked the Device
Manager on it and it says this:

Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controller

Seems to make sense to connect wirelessly, but now I am questioning the
intelligence in that. Ugh!

ooop...typo....my Dell is an 8400

"Bobbee" wrote:

>
> Thanks all! I am trying to connect the two computers wirelessly. My
> Desktop is a Dell 844 purchased in January this year. I checked the Device
> Manager on it and it says this:
>
> Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Controller
>
> Seems to make sense to connect wirelessly, but now I am questioning the
> intelligence in that. Ugh!
>
>
>