Wireless Network newbie help (laptop to PC connection)

[Smoot]

I do apologize if what I'm asking has been asked before (I searched, but didn't see anything), but here goes:

I have a desktop running Win XP Pro, still clunking along with a 56K external Zoom modem. I do plan on getting cable or DSL in the long-term (i.e., two years or so from now, in my area), but I have to keep using Dial-up for right now. I just bought a laptop with a built-in Orinocco (Agere) 802.11b wireless min-card. I'd like to be able to share my Dial-up internet access with my desktop machine with some kind of wireless networking solution.

What equipment will allow me to do this, at the lowest price (yeah, I know, the best performance for the lowest price)? Some miscellaneous network equipment I have at home (NOT installed, though) includes a Linksys 1 MB/s home phoneline networking kit (never used it . . . bought it new for like $5) and a generic ethernet card.

I would appreciate any information that you folks can provide. One thing (not sure how important it is), though . . . my wife uses the dialup modem to direct connect via PCAnywhere with a work computer. Eventually, this work computer will be "online", but right now, she uses the old point-to-point connection. Thus, whatever I install cannot jeopardized this modem-to-modem capability for the wife.

Thanks again, for any insight and suggestions.

 

[sassy1]

Smoot,

All you should need is a wireless 802.11b* card or USB adapter for the desktop machine to share the internet connection; just install the card or adapter, then run the XP network setup wizard on the desktop machine. Make sure to manually determine your connections - this is REALLY important. Do not let it creat a network bridge. Depending on the OS on the laptop you can either run the network setup wizard (with XP) directly or use the netsetup.exe disk you created on the desktop PC using XP.

On the desktop machine you need to go into your network connections folder, right click on your dialup connection, go into the properties and enable internet connection sharing.

I just did all this ten days ago so it's pretty fresh in my mind. I also had the conflict of two active network connections on one machine rather than an internet connection running through an access point or router, but the folks at Microsoft told me how to do an end-run around it and get the connection sharing working

Sassy

 

[Smoot]

Thanks for the help, Sassy.

So, if I get something like, say, a Netgear MA101 Wireless 11 Mbps USB Adapter (or similar product) for my desktop computer running XP Pro, configure ICS in Windows XP to select my desktop Dial-up connection as the internet source, and then have Windows XP detect (or me manually select) a 802.11b wireless network (between my new USB wireless adapter and the laptop's wireless PC card), I can then share a 'net connection? Sounds good.

Is it not possible to connect my desktop PC to a wirelss router? My ignorance here, but all routers I see are Cable/DSL. How does a regular modem plug into one? Furthermore, can I install a 10/100 Ethernet card (I have one lying around) in my desktop, connect that to a wireless router, and then have a setup to enable the laptop to "share" the 56k Dial-Up net access with my desktop?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm trying to "fiscally" plan on what to buy. If anyone has any suggestions on what specific equipment to buy (what's better, etc.), I'd love to hear it. I've already glanced at a few items on the "Hot Deals" forum.

Thanks, everyone.

 

[JackMDS]

Some of the Routers has Serial port that would work with your external Modem, and later will work with Cable or DSL.

SMC Barricade 7004AWBR is one example.