setting up wireless internet for laptop

[mikekazik1]

Hi, I just got a brand new laptop and I wanted to know how to set up a wireless internet connection. I already have dsl from verizon (768k dsl) and I have a westell 6100 modem that is hooked up to the desktop. What type of routher do I need to get in order to make sure that I can use that internet connection? My laptop card supports A/B/G. Also, would it be possible to print wirelessly? (printer does not have wireless features)

 

[Guest]

Any 802.11g (or better) standard wireless router designed for cable (I assume that's what your ISP is).

Printer hooked into an ethernet port on the router should work but setting up can be a little confusing -- I'd take it one steap at a time.

 

[mikekazik1]

Any 802.11g (or better) standard wireless router designed for cable (I assume that's what your ISP is).

Printer hooked into an ethernet port on the router should work but setting up can be a little confusing -- I'd take it one steap at a time.

Ok, I know that I need an 802.11g router. But I also need to find out how to hook up a printer. I don't want to buy a router that doesn't support printers. How would I go about setting the printer up?

 

[Guest]

If it's a printer with a network socket it should work as I described once you've loaded a printer driver on the PC as normal and selected print to network. I'd start by looking at Windows help files and the manual for the printer.

I'm speaking from experience only of using a wireless router with a parallel printer port to connect those printers which lack a network socket. It came with a setup routine for the PC and the PC had to already have the standard printer driver loaded.

 

[mikekazik1]

If it's a printer with a network socket it should work as I described once you've loaded a printer driver on the PC as normal and selected print to network. I'd start by looking at Windows help files and the manual for the printer.

I'm speaking from experience only of using a wireless router with a parallel printer port to connect those printers which lack a network socket. It came with a setup routine for the PC and the PC had to already have the standard printer driver loaded.

Ok, will a normal router cover my entire house? The wireless routers that I'm looking at can cover a distance of up to 400'. I live in a small two story house. Will I need to use a repeater or a CAT5e cable? Also, how important if encryption?

 

[Guest]

Depends on construction of house -- if it's modern with foil insulated dry walling or old with thick internal walls you may have dead spots.

Raise the wireless router above furniture and place is as centrally in the property as convenient connection to the master socket (first socket from phone line) permits.

You may improve signal by placing wireless router by a window on the same side of the house as the computers it is serving -- wireless travels better through air than walls. In that case always apply wireless security.

Cat 5 cable is always a quicker, more reliable and secure solution -- mix and match wireless and cable as needed.