in simple terms - networking @ home - how?

skintmostofthetime

Hi. I have a desktop and am thinking of getting a laptop so both husb & I can work @ same time on different things.

Can I presume my new laptop will connect to my main P.C. ?
EXACTLY what do I need to get both to work together?
Will my 5/6 year old P.C. connect to laptop? - & how do I find out before spending money on laptop to only find I've got to spend even more to get it all working?
I'm using Talktalk as ISP and they tell me I need a wireless router which they will charge me £30 for now or if I wait until November - something to do with renewals - I can have for free. I can prob wait but would like to know options now.
Is there anything I need to look @ NOW on P.C. to find out ......
Is there anything I need to be asking ? I sure there prob is but as I don't know - I don't know !!
There won't be any file sharing etc - it's prob just 2 of us on t web @ same time but I need to know what I need to be doing please.
Cheers.

thepearce

How do you connect to the internet currently?

Your PC needs to have a network socket (RJ45 socket) this can either be on the motherboard or a PCI card if it's really old. This would wire into the (wireless) router. Your laptop should have wi-fi built in and will connect to the router using wi-fi.

You might be able to set up a shared internet connection on your PC - that'd mean plugging a cable from it, to your laptop.....which is lot of faffing about.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

If you are not tied to TT, I would search around for an ISP who will give you a free wireless router, you will then be able to use the laptop wirelessly and connect Pc by ethernet cable, or maybe get a wireless dongle.

If you decide to switch ISP check out some of the cash back sites.

missile

Are you tied into a contract with Talk Talk? You might want to go to another provider, most will give you a wireless modem/router for free.

kwikbreaks

missile wrote: »

Are you tied into a contract with Talk Talk? You might want to go to another provider, most will give you a wireless modem/router for free.

From the sound of it they will too so long as she agrees to an extension to the current contract.

To answer the original question...

The standard way of setting up a home network is by using a cable or adsl router. These often also provide a WiFi connection in addition to ethernet. Connect the PCs to that and the internet will work more or less automatically. There is a wizard to set up home networking should you want to share data or a printer.

A 5-6 year old laptop may or may not have inbuilt wireless and/or an RJ45 ethernet connector so you'll need to check. If not then USB versions of both are available and assuming the operating system is Windows 98 or better should work without any problems.

skintmostofthetime

I'm on Xp, so hope okay - where will the socket be please?

skintmostofthetime

Also - if not file sharing - don't need to use wizard do I? - did say out of my depth. !!

Fellwalker

skintmostofthetime wrote: »

Hi. I have a desktop and am thinking of getting a laptop so both husb & I can work @ same time on different things.

Can I presume my new laptop will connect to my main P.C. ?
EXACTLY what do I need to get both to work together?
Will my 5/6 year old P.C. connect to laptop? - & how do I find out before spending money on laptop to only find I've got to spend even more to get it all working?
I'm using Talktalk as ISP and they tell me I need a wireless router which they will charge me £30 for now or if I wait until November - something to do with renewals - I can have for free. I can prob wait but would like to know options now.
Is there anything I need to look @ NOW on P.C. to find out ......
Is there anything I need to be asking ? I sure there prob is but as I don't know - I don't know !!
There won't be any file sharing etc - it's prob just 2 of us on t web @ same time but I need to know what I need to be doing please.
Cheers.

Even if you get a new wireless router, you still need to be able to connect to it from both of your computers. I don't think it is likely that your 5/6 year old PC has wireless capability inbuilt, but it may have wired capability. The laptop probably does have wireless. To check in Windows XP, click on Start, Control Panel and open "Network Connections". It will show if you have a Local Area Connection (wired) or Wireless Network Connection.

A wireless card is reasonably cheap - £15 to £20 but make sure it has "802.11 g". For future proofing there is another faster option but before then you will want to change your PC.

Wireless Cards can be internal or usb.
For the internal you need to take the PC case apart and plug it in. Your PC needs the right type of slot for the card, but at the age of your PC it could have one of two types. Probably "PCI" which is now the common connector.
USB is usually easier if the PC supports it, as you don't have to take the computer apart. Again, cards can be found around £15 to £20.
Search one of Martin's recommended shopping comparison sites for wireless card or usb wireless card.

If you download or wish to transfer a lot of stuff, or stream videos between machines, you will be better with a wired connection using what is called ethernet cable, which again needs a card if its not supported by the PC or laptop. A PCI ethernet card for internal fixing is under £10. You can even get a usb ethernet connector if you are scared of opening the PC. A cable (with end connectors also known as RJ-45 and perhaps with the addition of the description "Cat 5e") is no more than £5.

Without a new router, internet connection sharing means connecting both computers. Normally that is done by ethernet, in which case you are back to needing to have both of them with ethernet connectors, which may need cards. THen you need a CROSSOVER cable to join them, rather than a normal one.

At home, I have a wireless router, but it also has 4 ethernet connectors on it. My main PC is wired, becasue it sits near the broadband connection, and my wife's laptop and our common printer are wirelessly connected. I think from its web site the TalkTalk router does have the capacity for wired connections.

Freddie_Snowbits

skintmostofthetime wrote: »

I'm on Xp, so hope okay - where will the socket be please?

next to the place where the misses does the ironing

skintmostofthetime

Oh how sexist - obviously you haven't worked it out - I am THE MISSIS,
and I don't do ironing - HE DOES !!

HE has even less of an idea on where the socket would be than I have - he can manage to switch it on now - just about !!

kwikbreaks

I misread your original post and thought you had a 5-6 year old laptop which is why I was wittering about USB

As was said already it most likely will not have WiFi but may well have ethernet. The standard place for the ethernet connector on an ATX motherboard is sat on top of a couple of USB connectors at the back of the machine. Do an image search on RJ45 to see what these connectors look like.

How do you connect currently? If it is a USB modem then you must be close enough to the phone socket to use wired ethernet which is simpler and more reliable than WiFi so you should probably stick with that for the desktop.

Virtually any new laptop will have the choice of wireless or wired.

Internet connectivity should "just work" as the defaults will ensure that each PC gets its own IP address etc. from the router (which will default to being a DHCP server for the client PCs).