using dial-up and wireless

I have two computers, a desktop and a new laptop. Both are running Windows
XP. We are not able to get a high speed internet connection in my rural area,
so I only have dial-up service. I'd like to network these two computers and
be able to share an internet connection. The laptop has a wireless card. The
desktop is relatively new, less than five years old. I keep getting different
answers to my question. I've been told it isn't possible and then I'm told it
is with a router.
Please tell me the basics. Where do I start? What hardward to I need? Where
do I buy it? Step by step.
Please, please in simple terms - I'm technology challenged.
--

--
nb

"blackmon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:01E07C58-C41B-4FAF-830F-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have two computers, a desktop and a new laptop. Both are running Windows
> XP. We are not able to get a high speed internet connection in my rural
> area,
> so I only have dial-up service. I'd like to network these two computers
> and
> be able to share an internet connection. The laptop has a wireless card.
> The
> desktop is relatively new, less than five years old. I keep getting
> different
> answers to my question. I've been told it isn't possible and then I'm told
> it
> is with a router.
> Please tell me the basics. Where do I start? What hardward to I need?
> Where
> do I buy it? Step by step.
> Please, please in simple terms - I'm technology challenged.
> --
>
> --
> nb

Been there done this, and to save you some time here goes; I was brand new
to all of this also until I got a new laptop for Xmas.

I have a linksys wrt54gc router and have it connected to my desktop (host)
using the cable the router came with. I assume you have an ethernet card in
your desktop. Connect from that to one of the ethernet ports on the router,
not the internet port.

A disclaimer here: I live in the middle of 10 acres so I am not concerned
about anyone picking up my wireless connection. I am not able to use the
security settings on the router, but have Zone Alarm for my firewall.
Someone will probably jump in and let me know that I am at risk.

It is a simple process of setting up tcp/ip on the host and client PC, I
never could get internet connection sharing working on the desktop, so
downloaded a proxy server from www.analogx.com
I can now share my internet connection with the laptop(client) as well as
files and printer.

Another great find I made is second copy for synchronizing files between the
two. I tried briefcase that comes with WinXP, but never could get it to work
for me, and to motivated enough to spend the time to figure it out.

If you need more help with setting up TCP/IP let me know.

The wireless card in the laptop also lets me use the network connection at
work.

There was a thread on 1/13 started by Ron, he said he talked to Linksys
about a dialup connection using a Linksys router and it took about 15
minutes to get it setup. Not sure if he was using the internet port on the
router and used an ethernet port like I did.

I imagine that most routers will work the same way that mine does.

Bob