Wireless home internet

xzibit

Hi peeps, hope you all had a good weekend.

I have a qeustion for you. At home, we have a oldish pc running xp on broadband with tiscali. (I know don't start, mother set it up!)
Anyway, the pc is fine for browsing the net, but it's quite slow, and has a small hard drive etc, so not much good for me.
I want to get myself a laptop, that I can use for my programs, and photo's, music etc that I can use on the net too.
So I wanna set up a wireless connection.

Is this easy to do? Do you just need to buy a wireless router? Does it need to be done preffesionally? I know it needs to be secure.

Any advice welcome. The laptop I'm looking at it an Acer Aspire with wireless 802.11b/g if that make any difference.

moob_2

There is a sticky thread on this topic near the top of the board mate.

albertross_2

you need a wireless adsl router, and if your existing pc has an ethernet card in it, you can also use that on the net at the same time (with a wired connection). You can do it yourself, come back for help if you get stuck.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471408&postcount=37

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471410&postcount=38

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=121274

Any of these should do the job..

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopSearch.asp?CategoryID=80

in answer to your next question.. Netgear.

xzibit

Thanks for that. What I meant to ask, which I couldn't find the answer to is;

Can I have the current pc running wired broadband (ie as it is now) and just have wireless for my laptop?

So basically, I buy a laptop, buy a netgear router, and can set it up myself? Take it that it comes with security software!

albertross_2

If you have an ethernet card in the PC, yes, if not, they only cost a few quid from ebuyer.

They come with security disabled, see the links I posted for how to secure it. (It can be done in IE through a web interface, or sometimes the setup procedure runs through the steps).

xzibit

albertross wrote:

If you have an ethernet card in the PC, yes, if not, they only cost a few quid from ebuyer.

They come with security disabled, see the links I posted for how to secure it. (It can be done in IE through a web interface, or sometimes the setup procedure runs through the steps).

Ok thanks, yes I think it has an ethernet card in, so should be ok. Well, off to buy a laptop and a wireless router then.

Thanks.

albertross_2

make sure you get an adsl model.. usually cheaper on the web, or reserve on the web for PC world etc to get cheaper prices..

Blacksheep1979

as everyone has said get a wireless router with built in modem - don't get an acer laptop have seen loads and loads of problems with them.

espresso

Blacksheep1979 wrote:

don't get an acer laptop have seen loads and loads of problems with them.

Ferrari use Acer and there is nothing wrong with them!

:rolleyes:

xzibit

Blacksheep1979 wrote:

as everyone has said get a wireless router with built in modem - don't get an acer laptop have seen loads and loads of problems with them.

Every make of laptop has problems. My dad bought a £1500 sony vaio, and it went wrong to the extent of having to send it back to be fixed. Acer laptop comes with a years warranty, good enough for me.

moob_2

espresso wrote:

Ferrari use Acer and there is nothing wrong with them!

:rolleyes:

Apart from the battery life in their low-end systems...1.5hrs!