how can i network my laptop to my home PC?

edmond

how can i network my laptop to my home PC?
i have a home PC nothing flash, 1.6 - Win XP - broadband through phone line,
no wireless progammes.
I have also just purchased a 2nd hand Dell Inspiron 8000 Notebook.
which has Windows 2000 and a Modem and Network Card.
i need to know what i need to get the two talking,
i am always on the internet and my wife would like to access it as well,
this is why i have bought the laptop

any advice would be great.

wonka

I would suggest a 2-port or 4-port network hub, you can get one of these new for around a tenner. You may also need to buy a PCI ethernet card for your home PC, probably get one for a fiver.

If the laptop has ethernet built-in then you should be up and running pretty quickly.

Just out of curiosity, how much did you pay for your laptop, and where from? I'm on the lookput for a 2nd hand laptop myself...

-TangleFoot-

A crossover cable would suffice, but if you want to share your internet connection between two or more machines you'd be better off with a router. You could use a hub or switch instead, but this would necessitate configuring your main PC as a gateway using software such as Microsoft's Internet Connection Sharing.

The wiring diagrams on this page should give you a good idea of what's involved.

edmond

the main reason i want to network the two is for the internet.
i just need to do this as cost effective as possiable.
but i do need it to be wireless

Wonka
bought the laptop from ebay paid £105 including delivery, has not arrived yet but very pleased at the cost

steve!_10

edmond: A wireless router is what you want. A Netgear DG834G is one of the most popular and you can get one for around £50. If you shop around you can get different makes and models for about ~£30. Crucially you need one that supports 802.11b/g, has a couple of Ethernet ports (sometimes known as a switch).

xplo5iv

Just to clarify - you need an all in one modem & wireless router, not just a wireless router, assuming you have a USB modem at the minute (which will be of no use with a router). You'll also need a PCMCIA wireless card for the laptop. Or a USB dongle.

Jonathan

albertross_2

If you get a dg834G (for BT phones, not cable) or similar, then the laptop and PC can be used wired (assuming both have an ethernet card built-in). If the laptop has wireless, that is all you will need, if not, buy a usb or pcmcia wireless adapter for it.

Meeten

i was in a similar dilema, and unsure (till a week ago).

I had a desktop, and it was connected to the a broadband modem (Telewest). I got a laptop, with a wireless card pre installed, and wanted to use it around the house.

Bought a Linksys router from PC World (ordered on line and collected it in store to save £5 on the shop price) - strangely enough it was cheaper there than I had seen on e-bay.

Anyway, followed the instructions in the box, and was up n running in 5-10 mins ....

hope that helps ...

edmond

i have nildram broadband with a usb modem,
so i need a router
my laptop has
2 USB Drives,
Modem and Network Card,
Printer Port,
Mouse/ Keyboard Ports,
S Video Port
3 other Ports although their application is unknown

do i need anything else?

Alechjo

Using a router has an advantage that either of the computers can directly connect to the Internet. Wi-fi router is more expensive (and you need wi-fi on both computers), but you need no wires. The cheapest option is crossover cable (I use one) but you have to install a proxy software (I use freeware) on home computer and configure the laptop to use proxy. The disadvantages are that laptop connection would be a bit limited (web, e-mail are ok, but something like ICQ would be tricky to configure) and you would need to have home computer on and connected to be able to access the net from the other.

Answering you question, you need a network port on home computer as well.