Newb Computer questions! Wireless network? How?

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 04:38 PM

Hi Guys,
I scored myself a nice laptop (thanks initial D) Its main use will be fordforums and ms office and it may be used to tune my car if I get brave . Im not much of a gamer.

I have cable on my home PC but its on the other side of the house. How would I go about getting a wireless network working so I can use the net through the cable modem? What would this cost me and where can should I buy these things? What do I need to buy?

Also, these snazzy LCD screens I see popping up everywhere, do they just plug in like normal old school monitors? I want one! Where is the best place to get one of them?

Thanks guys, Im a bit 'special' when it comes to this stuff.
Dan

EA2BA · 17-03-2005, 04:40 PM

If you go wireless make sure you secure it, so no-one goes using your bandwith for net surfing or worse

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 04:41 PM

care to explain how I can secure it?

EA2BA · 17-03-2005, 04:45 PM

Will depend what hardware you get, but basically it involves only alowing your devices to talk to each other and no-one else.

D-Link seem to have good bundles and not too bad prices for wireless.

LCD screens just plug in like a normal monitor, myer mega mart or harvey norman quite often have great deals on them.

RED_EL_XR8 · 17-03-2005, 04:51 PM

alternatively you can probably just get a WiFi card for your notebook and use a neighbors unsecured connection.

But I'd recoomend a WiFi Card and an access point to your existing setup most will have an inbuilt ethernet switch. You did get an ethernet connection to the cable didn't you?

Security is locking down your access point using WEP or WPA and setiing so only you notebooks mac address is allowed in.

parawolf · 17-03-2005, 04:56 PM

more then likely the easiest thing would be to get a Wireless gateway/router...

other than that but a pci wireless card and use some software to do the routing. but a wireless gateway would be easiest.

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 04:56 PM

Thanks for the replies guys,

Inbuilt ethernet switch-I have no idea?
Im not sure what an ethernet connection is either. So i dont know if I got one with my cable

Can I still have the home PC wired into the modem and just have the laptop as wireless?

EA2BA · 17-03-2005, 04:57 PM

I think this thread should be titled, i need wireless who can set it up properly for me ?

hehehehehehehee

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dellboy999

I think this thread should be titled, i need wireless who can set it up properly for me ?

hehehehehehehee

Hmm, maybe while your stripping my car you can set it up for me :nutsycuck

EA2BA · 17-03-2005, 05:02 PM

Yeah sure, when do you want the car reduced to a pile of parts anyway

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 05:03 PM

Is an ethernet connection the 10/100 network card? I have one of those which connects to the cable modem. The laptop has one as well with the PCMIC(or whatever its called) card.

Does this make it easier for me?

If all else fails I can get a mate to help me out. He has a wireless connection at his place but I dont want to waste valuable work time on the phone

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dellboy999

Yeah sure, when do you want the car reduced to a pile of parts anyway

haha it pretty much is already a pile of parts. Initial D did a good job last night.

Nah I would like to set this up myself so I know how. Im usually not too bad with these things but Ive never done one before.

After a little bit of reading on Ebay and what not does this sound right?

Ill need a wireless router or D-link access point to connect to the cable plus a connection point for the laptop.

Am I close?

EA2BA · 17-03-2005, 05:08 PM

yes, the other problem you need to assess, is that the router will talk via the same IP address to the cable modem or it may not work unless it can allow multiple connections.

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 05:12 PM

So the actual modem may not allow multiple connections?

Is there a way to network to the home PC and have that act as a host computer so I can access the net through that?

EFFalcon · 17-03-2005, 05:17 PM

ad hoc wireless :P
ie. 2 wireless cards and a bridged network connection.

parawolf · 17-03-2005, 05:19 PM

What you get is a router with a wireless access point and ethernet switch built in.

Something like this: http://www.dlink.com.au/Default.aspx?ArticleID=258

you plug the cable modem or ADSL modem into the broadband port, and your WIRED computers into the switch part, and your laptops and others use the WIRELESS.

ethernet is just technical name for a network, these days. It used to have some technical meeting which would indicate a difference in technology over competing brands... but eh... thats ancient history now.

DivHunter · 17-03-2005, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFFalcon

ad hoc wireless :P
ie. 2 wireless cards and a bridged network connection.

That would work, you wouldn't need to bridge it though just share the cable connection.

parawolf · 17-03-2005, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansedgli

So the actual modem may not allow multiple connections?

Is there a way to network to the home PC and have that act as a host computer so I can access the net through that?

You can, but then you have to have the computer on all the time, and security is a nightmare.

get a wireless gateway... it works like this:

{Internet}---<cable/dsl modem>----<wireless gateway>----[PC]
|----[laptop]

This means that your cable/dsl modem only sees the wireless gateway as the network connection point and it does all the security and trickery to make both the PC and the laptop work on the internet at the same time.

dansedgli · 17-03-2005, 05:27 PM

Ahh, that makes sense.
So I would need to wireless cards for both the laptop and PC plus the gateway which the cable plugs into.
What would something like that cost?

dansedgli · 18-03-2005, 10:20 AM

Thanks for all the help guys, I have decided to not go wireless and spend that money on an LCD screen instead or maybe even a cam for my car

Initial D is going to come over tonight and set it all up me, using old fashioned cables!

Big thanks to him again!

trueblue · 18-03-2005, 11:43 AM

ive been wanting wireless for ages... ive always been unsure what to get and ive always spent my money on somthing else... I usually run aa 30 meter cable around the house depending where im going..

bit dodgy i know... but works. LMAO

Tell me what you end up doing

dansedgli · 18-03-2005, 11:44 AM

I just wrote what Im doing in the post above yours.

trueblue · 18-03-2005, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dansedgli

I just wrote what Im doing in the post above yours.

oh, try ebay for a Cheap LCD screen

trueblue · 18-03-2005, 12:01 PM

wait, and also while we are on the subject of networking. Can you setup a wireless connection as P2P or does it always need a router and all the other junk that comes wiht it. Currently my network setup is P2P, its cheap and easier...

cheers

dansedgli · 18-03-2005, 12:08 PM

I think that is what I have done with my xbox, but its just 1 cable from the laptop network card to the xbox.

Works a treat. Not wireless though.