wireless networking troubles

Having a traumatic time trying to set up wifi, basically I have a desktop
top and bought a laptop recently with wifi enabled. I bought a belinkin
wireless adpater. Tried connecting it all up and no luck.

Does my desktop have to have something special to make it use wifi or will a
normal network card with ethernet do ?

The guy at pc world told me to this that it will work, arse!

I have no idea what else to say, can anyone be kind enough to lend me a hand


So basically I have a desktop, a laptop, a broadband modem which says dsl on
the back, a wireless belkin router and adapter and want to have wireless net
access on my laptop in a nut shell. I installed in the router on my desktop
along with supplied software and tried it connecting the latop to it no joy,
then I tried installeding the belkin adapter on the laptop to see if it
needed it as I didn't think it did as it was wifi enabled and it says
limited service in the lower right of windows xp.

the modem is connected as it normaly would, there is no ether net port on
it, I have connected the supplied ethernet cable to the back of my desktop
in the network card I think it is, basically lights up orange and green when
in use, then the other end into the router in one of four ports whch I chose
number one. I then have nothing no cable as it is says to put into the
internet port on the router ?

I hope thats of help description wise, any further info please let me know.

On 25/02/2007 in message <UeKdnbXtR44S-(E-Mail Removed)>
tishtash wrote:

>Does my desktop have to have something special to make it use wifi or will
>a
>normal network card with ethernet do ?

You need a wireless adaptor of some sort if you want to go wireless on the
desktop.

>The guy at pc world told me to this that it will work, arse!

Being an idiot is a requirement to work there!

Broadly you need to connect the broadband modem to your new wireless
router (take the cable that connects the modem to your desktop out of the
desktop and plug it into the new router). Then plug the desktop into the
new router and set the IP addresses up to be in the same range as your
modem. When that's working do the same for your laptop(assuming that has
built in WiFi) - when the laptop is working set up some security, at least
WEP and restrict access on the wireless router to specified MAC addresses.

I put some notes together for another group which may help:
http://www.jgaines.eu/html/networkin...computers.html

--
Jeff Gaines Damerham Hampshire UK
There are 10 types of people in the world, those who do binary and those
who don't.

"tishtash" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:UeKdnbXtR44S-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Having a traumatic time trying to set up wifi, basically I have a desktop
> top and bought a laptop recently with wifi enabled. I bought a belinkin
> wireless adpater. Tried connecting it all up and no luck.
>
> Does my desktop have to have something special to make it use wifi or will
a
> normal network card with ethernet do ?
>
> The guy at pc world told me to this that it will work, arse!
>
> I have no idea what else to say, can anyone be kind enough to lend me a
hand
>
>
> So basically I have a desktop, a laptop, a broadband modem which says dsl
on
> the back, a wireless belkin router and adapter and want to have wireless
net
> access on my laptop in a nut shell. I installed in the router on my
desktop
> along with supplied software and tried it connecting the latop to it no
joy,
> then I tried installeding the belkin adapter on the laptop to see if it
> needed it as I didn't think it did as it was wifi enabled and it says
> limited service in the lower right of windows xp.
>
> the modem is connected as it normaly would, there is no ether net port on
> it, I have connected the supplied ethernet cable to the back of my desktop
> in the network card I think it is, basically lights up orange and green
when
> in use, then the other end into the router in one of four ports whch I
chose
> number one. I then have nothing no cable as it is says to put into the
> internet port on the router ?
>
> I hope thats of help description wise, any further info please let me
know.
>
>
>
>

"tishtash" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:UeKdnbXtR44S-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Having a traumatic time trying to set up wifi, basically I have a desktop
> top and bought a laptop recently with wifi enabled. I bought a belinkin
> wireless adpater. Tried connecting it all up and no luck.
>
> Does my desktop have to have something special to make it use wifi or will
a
> normal network card with ethernet do ?
>
> The guy at pc world told me to this that it will work, arse!
>
> I have no idea what else to say, can anyone be kind enough to lend me a
hand
>
>
> So basically I have a desktop, a laptop, a broadband modem which says dsl
on
> the back, a wireless belkin router and adapter and want to have wireless
net
> access on my laptop in a nut shell. I installed in the router on my
desktop
> along with supplied software and tried it connecting the latop to it no
joy,
> then I tried installeding the belkin adapter on the laptop to see if it
> needed it as I didn't think it did as it was wifi enabled and it says
> limited service in the lower right of windows xp.
>
> the modem is connected as it normaly would, there is no ether net port on
> it, I have connected the supplied ethernet cable to the back of my desktop
> in the network card I think it is, basically lights up orange and green
when
> in use, then the other end into the router in one of four ports whch I
chose
> number one. I then have nothing no cable as it is says to put into the
> internet port on the router ?
>
> I hope thats of help description wise, any further info please let me
know.
>
>

Which model "belkin wireless router" did the chap in the shop sell you?

>
>

"David Wade" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed). uk...
>
> "tishtash" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:UeKdnbXtR44S-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Having a traumatic time trying to set up wifi, basically I have a desktop
>> top and bought a laptop recently with wifi enabled. I bought a belinkin
>> wireless adpater. Tried connecting it all up and no luck.
>>
>> Does my desktop have to have something special to make it use wifi or
>> will
> a
>> normal network card with ethernet do ?
>>
>> The guy at pc world told me to this that it will work, arse!
>>
>> I have no idea what else to say, can anyone be kind enough to lend me a
> hand
>>
>>
>> So basically I have a desktop, a laptop, a broadband modem which says dsl
> on
>> the back, a wireless belkin router and adapter and want to have wireless
> net
>> access on my laptop in a nut shell. I installed in the router on my
> desktop
>> along with supplied software and tried it connecting the latop to it no
> joy,
>> then I tried installeding the belkin adapter on the laptop to see if it
>> needed it as I didn't think it did as it was wifi enabled and it says
>> limited service in the lower right of windows xp.
>>
>> the modem is connected as it normaly would, there is no ether net port on
>> it, I have connected the supplied ethernet cable to the back of my
>> desktop
>> in the network card I think it is, basically lights up orange and green
> when
>> in use, then the other end into the router in one of four ports whch I
> chose
>> number one. I then have nothing no cable as it is says to put into the
>> internet port on the router ?
>>
>> I hope thats of help description wise, any further info please let me
> know.
>>
>>
>
> Which model "belkin wireless router" did the chap in the shop sell you?
>
>>
>>
>
>

belkin wireless G

Jeff Gaines wrote:
....
>
> Broadly you need to connect the broadband modem to your new wireless
> router (take the cable that connects the modem to your desktop out of

But didn't the OP say the modem had no ethernet port?

> the desktop and plug it into the new router). Then plug the desktop into
> the new router and set the IP addresses up to be in the same range as
> your modem. When that's working do the same for your laptop(assuming
> that has built in WiFi) - when the laptop is working set up some
> security, at least WEP and restrict access on the wireless router to
> specified MAC addresses.

I'd not advise either of those. WEP doesn't provide other than casual
security (eg against accidental connection by a stranger). Go for WPA or
WPA2 and use a long random passphrase. If you have proper security, you
don't need to filter on MAC addresses anyway - this is a real pain when
adding new kit, and MAC addresses are easily spoofed, so the protection
is minimal.

If you're unclear what you're doing, it might be easier just to buy a
wireless adsl modem/router - this combines the modem, router and wifi
access point functions. I would certainly advise reading the manual
carefully (several vendors put these online, so you can check /before/
buying).

--
Please use the corrected version of the address below for replies.
Replies to the header address will be junked, as will mail from
various domains listed at www.scottsonline.org.uk
Mike Scott Harlow Essex England.(unet -a-t- scottsonline.org.uk)

On 26/02/2007 in message <LLxEh.25885$(E-Mail Removed)> Mike
Scott wrote:

>>when the laptop is working set up some security, at least WEP and
>>restrict access on the wireless router to specified MAC addresses.

>I'd not advise either of those. WEP doesn't provide other than casual
>security (eg against accidental connection by a stranger). Go for WPA or
>WPA2 and use a long random passphrase. If you have proper security, you
>don't need to filter on MAC addresses anyway - this is a real pain when
>adding new kit, and MAC addresses are easily spoofed, so the protection is
>minimal.

I did say 'at least' :-)

I think also that security depends on circumstances/location. I am happy
with WEP/restricted MAC addresses because anybody trying to hack into my
wireless network would have to park within range and would be noticed
immediately. People living in more congested surroundings may need to
think differently!

--
Jeff Gaines Damerham Hampshire UK
There are 10 types of people in the world, those who do binary and those
who don't.

Jeff Gaines wrote:
....
> I think also that security depends on circumstances/location. I am happy
> with WEP/restricted MAC addresses because anybody trying to hack into my
> wireless network would have to park within range and would be noticed
> immediately. People living in more congested surroundings may need to
> think differently!
>
Agreed. I've been using WEP till the last couple of weeks, delaying
upgrade until I could risk messing with (and flashing) a
WEP-only-as-sold belkin bridge. Took me a while to work out how, with
the factory setup, I was getting full internet access on the box
connected to the bridge. Of course, belkin in their wisdom not only ship
out APs with the security off, their bridges have a default SSID of
'ANY' (and security off :-( ). And there are of course a couple of
totally unsecured networks visible here. Very confusing symptoms all in
all. (Life's getting congested here - iirc there are, off and on, two
unsecured networks and three secured, as well as my own.)

--
Please use the corrected version of the address below for replies.
Replies to the header address will be junked, as will mail from
various domains listed at www.scottsonline.org.uk
Mike Scott Harlow Essex England.(unet -a-t- scottsonline.org.uk)