Is a LAN necessary to use cable internet w/ laptop?

Do I have to have a desktop connected to the WAP or router in order t
connect my laptop to the cable internet connection in my home?
Or, can I connect a WAP or router to the cable modem then use the WiF
card in the laptop to connect without having a desktop at all?
Sorry if this seems elementary but I've been searching the net an
forums and can't seem to find an answer

--
Ronindv
http://forums.speedguide.ne

Ronindvm wrote:

>
> Do I have to have a desktop connected to the WAP or router in order to
> connect my laptop to the cable internet connection in my home?
> Or, can I connect a WAP or router to the cable modem then use the WiFi
> card in the laptop to connect without having a desktop at all?
> Sorry if this seems elementary but I've been searching the net and
> forums and can't seem to find an answer.

There's no need for a desktop if you want to connect a notebook to a
wireless router.
I curious: what made you think you may need one?

Thomas

I've never worked with wireless networks before and when I came home t
visit my mother she has one set up. Hers has her wireless route
hooked into her desktop and she and the person who set it up for he
were under the impression it was necessary for the laptop to functio
on the wifi. Then when I was looking up wiring schematics for interne
sharing no one shows one with just the router and the laptop; althoug
there were some showing the router before the laptop and desktop.
Thanks for the answer

--
Ronindv
http://forums.speedguide.ne

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 01:35:26 -0500, Ronindvm
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Do I have to have a desktop connected to the WAP or router in order to
>connect my laptop to the cable internet connection in my home?

No desktop required. My guess(tm) is that you were looking at a
system that uses Microsloth ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) to
provide the wireless router function from a desktop. A PC running ICS
is used in place of a $30 router. This is common where the DSL modem
is on a PCI card or uses USB, instead of the more versatile ethernet.
I haven't seen it with cable modems, but it is possible.

In my never humble opinion, this is a lousy way to share a connection.
It would be better to replace the USB or PCI DSL modem with an
ethernet DSL modem and to use an ethernet router, instead of the PC
with ICS.

>Or, can I connect a WAP or router to the cable modem then use the WiFi
>card in the laptop to connect without having a desktop at all?

Yes, that's sorta the way it's normally done. However, you still need
a router with NAT (network address translation) to share the
connection. If you just connect a WAP (wireless access point)
directly to the cable modem, you will get exactly one wireless
connection and no more. You need the NAT services to share the
connection, which is why you need a router somewhere in the system.
Therefore, you need either a wireless router box, or as I prefer,
seperate boxes for the ethernet router, and the WAP.

>Sorry if this seems elementary but I've been searching the net and
>forums and can't seem to find an answer.

No problem. I prefer to answer the easy questions and leave the tough
ones for others to deal with.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

Ronindvm <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I've never worked with wireless networks before and when I came home to
> visit my mother she has one set up. Hers has her wireless router
> hooked into her desktop and she and the person who set it up for her
> were under the impression it was necessary for the laptop to function

My cable modem ISP is set up to recognize a single MAC address.
The installing technician will want to connect one computer directly to the
cable modem and do the configuration.
If there's a desktop, of course that will be used. If there's a router
already connected, it might work, since the tech will type in the IP
address of the registration page. A laptop would certainly work just as
well as a desktop.

The technician might want to connect the computer directly to the modem and
not use the router.

If the technician installs with the router, then no particular machine will
be required after that. The router will be registered. If you want to
change the registered device, that is possible. You can also "clone" the
registered device MAC address onto most routers so that they can be used on
a cable modem that has a single PC registered on the system.

Some cable systems don't have MAC restrictions, some do.
Some can be "trained" to use a new MAC address, some require registration.
The technicians seem to be cable TV techs for the most part.

--
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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5