Using wireless router (?) to get internet in other rooms?

dervish

Hi there , can anyone techy help with this please?

I have a computer with interent (Virgin cable) modem upstairs.

Is it possible to somehow get a wire;ess router (I am not sure what they are!) to divert the internet signal downstairs so my wife can use the laptop (it has a wifi card in it already)?

I am hoping the solution is simply to connect the modem into a wireless router, use a cable to connect the wireless router to the PC (as it doesnt have a wifi card in) and then it will broadcast our internet connection downstairs?

Sounds simple but is it a goer?

Any help please?

d900

yes indeed as u say.

if the wireless signal is naff (and it often is unless you dont have any walls in your house) then you can always get something like this with your router:

http://www.digitalera.co.uk/catalog/Devolo-93-1.html

JimmyTheWig

Yes, it is as simple as that. You can still use a wireless router with a wire, which would connect it to your PC then your wife could use her wifi card to pick up the signal.

How long have you had your Virgin internet? If it is some time (>12 months, maybe?) then you could try phoning them up and asking for a free wireless router.

When my BT wired router went belly-up I phoned BT and (after messing around with engineers) they said they would replace it like-for-like. I asked about going wireless and they said I would have to pay full price for a wireless router. I wanted the cost of a wired one taken off so I was put through to some sort of customer retentions. They gave me a free wireless router! My point is I think they would have done this whether my old one was broken or not, just because I was a "good customer". It's worth a try.

DCFC79

dervish wrote: »

Hi there , can anyone techy help with this please?

I have a computer with interent (Virgin cable) modem upstairs.

Is it possible to somehow get a wire;ess router (I am not sure what they are!) to divert the internet signal downstairs so my wife can use the laptop (it has a wifi card in it already)?

I am hoping the solution is simply to connect the modem into a wireless router, use a cable to connect the wireless router to the PC (as it doesnt have a wifi card in) and then it will broadcast our internet connection downstairs?

Sounds simple but is it a goer?

Any help please?

Im on virgin cable BB myself and i have the same setup as to what you have described, i have my broadband going into the modem then going to the router which broadcasts a wireless signal so i can access the internet on a laptop, the only thing i can see a problem with is the thickness of the ceiling/floor which if theyre thick they might block the signal, how old is the house,

i have one of these http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?quicklinx=2HZ6

or as jimmy says ask virgin if they would give you a free wireless router

TechyExpert

You should be able to simply connect a wireless router to your modem and main PC and then your laptop would connect to the wireless signal that the router sends out. I would recommend that you enable the wireless security setting (WEP/WPA)on the router so that only you can access it, otherwise people within range of the router could connect to your network.

Here are a couple of good places to get routers by the way:

PowerDrive Computers
Scan Computers
Play.com

Note: a wireless signal can in some cases get weaker when going through certain object such as walls, in which case a Wireless Network Range Extender would be needed to boost the signal. Doesn't happen alway just in some cases.

Also make sure you get the right router as some are designed for ADSL (BT etc), some for Cable (Virgin Media etc) and others for both.

dervish

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Yes, it is as simple as that. You can still use a wireless router with a wire, which would connect it to your PC then your wife could use her wifi card to pick up the signal.

How long have you had your Virgin internet? If it is some time (>12 months, maybe?) then you could try phoning them up and asking for a free wireless router.

When my BT wired router went belly-up I phoned BT and (after messing around with engineers) they said they would replace it like-for-like. I asked about going wireless and they said I would have to pay full price for a wireless router. I wanted the cost of a wired one taken off so I was put through to some sort of customer retentions. They gave me a free wireless router! My point is I think they would have done this whether my old one was broken or not, just because I was a "good customer". It's worth a try.

I have been with Virgin (Telewest) for about 7 years so I sshould be a 'valued customer'!

If I ask them for a wireless router does this replace the Modem I already have or do i still have to plug the modem into the router?

dervish

DCFC79 wrote: »

Im on virgin cable BB myself and i have the same setup as to what you have described, i have my broadband going into the modem then going to the router which broadcasts a wireless signal so i can access the internet on a laptop, the only thing i can see a problem with is the thickness of the ceiling/floor which if theyre thick they might block the signal, how old is the house,

i have one of these http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?quicklinx=2HZ6

or as jimmy says ask virgin if they would give you a free wireless router

My house is about 20 years old and of poor build quality so I am hoping for no problems. We can pick up next doors wireless router all the time on the laptop but sadly it is encrypted...!

isofa

If your current wired router is on ethernet, then you can just add a Wireless Access Point (WAP) to it, which means you retain your old router but add another box providing the wireless.

But if you want an all in one solution, the get a Wireless Router as described in the posts above, but ensure it's a Cable router not ADSL one.

BUT! Be sure to secure the wireless connection properly, follow the guides on the main Tech forum. Essentially ensure you use a WPA/WPA2 encryption key (not the very insecure WEP), hide the SSID / set to no broadcast and password protect the router/WAPs settings at a minimum. You can also add MAC address filtering, read the guides to get your head around it!

DCFC79

dervish wrote: »

My house is about 20 years old and of poor build quality so I am hoping for no problems. We can pick up next doors wireless router all the time on the laptop but sadly it is encrypted...!

you might be ok then,

d900

being able to see a wireless connection and actually being able to use it as a reliable web connection are 2 different things
i can "see" 11 wireless devices from my front room.
6 are "Open" i can connect to 1 of them and that has the least signal ..
i have 2 wireless routers in my house one just acts as a hub but provides wireless for downstairs

totalsolutions

> hide the SSID
No point. Zero benefit. Cons: Can't see it if you need to.