wireless network help please

albalad

have taken the plunge and bought a "micra digital 802.11g wireless cable/dsl router"
now i know this should be simple , but i'm just not getting it
the problem is , i have absolutely no idea how to connect it !

The desktop i'm trying to connect from (dimension 8200) has a speedtouch modem...which connects via a usb 1
The laptop i'm trying to connect has in built wireless (acer travelmate)
and the router has 5 sockets on the back , 1 no WAN and 4 no LAN's
I also have one "cat 5 ethernet cable " which came in the box

Does my desktop pc need to be wireless enabled ?or network enabled or should i be able to connect the router directly ..... so it's only the laptop that's wireless

any help greatly appreiciated

theCapt

you should be able to connect the router into your dell syystem using the cat 5 cable, from there you should be able to configure your router for internet access, I am guessing this router has built in modem because the make you give I cannot seem to find. once you have setup the router for internet access then tackle the wireless connection for your laptop.

have a look through the sticky threads they should help.

albalad

thanks for the quick reply thecapt , unfortunately cannot connect cat 5 cable directly into pc , it is bigger (cat 5 plug) than the socket in back of my pc.

micra direct is sold by tesco :cool: i bought it in the early hours of this morning in my excitement

espresso

albalad wrote:

thanks for the quick reply thecapt , unfortunately cannot connect cat 5 cable directly into pc , it is bigger (cat 5 plug) than the socket in back of my pc.

You really need to fit a network card which won't exactly break the bank!

Tallymanjohn

You need a different modem (one with ethernet output) or a combined modem/wireless router. As the router you mention is for cable/adsl I'm guessing it is purely a router, no modem (cable & adsl are different technologies). Once you have the correct modem/router, or modem & the router you already have, then you connect the PC using the cat5 cable into a network card (you'll need to add it if your pc hasn't got one (I think you may be looking at the dial-up modem where the socket is too small)). Once that's set up you can set up the wireless side of your laptop.

Toxteth_OGrady

If you are on ADSL via your phone line you've bought the wrong type of modem/router.

:cool:

TOG

albalad

thanks for replies ......... so if i was to buy a router with inbuilt modem would i still need to buy a network card ?
Only i'm trying to get this up and running today , and not sure that tesco will sell a network card , but i'm sure they sell a router/modem combination.

Thanks again

espresso

It is best to have one PC connected to the router using Ethernet. Some wireless routers may allow set-up using wireless but it would depend on if the wireless is ON by default i.e. does not require to be switched ON using the routers configuration screens, connected via Ethernet.

Toxteth_OGrady

albalad wrote:

so if i was to buy a router with inbuilt modem would i still need to buy a network card ?

Yes. The UK version of the Dimension 8200 doesn't have one fitted.

Buy a pci ethernet/network/nic for under a fiver, then set up as described by espresso in his last post.

:cool:

TOG

theCapt

Thats a bit tight of Dell usually their systems come with one regardless of the model. I haven't even seen a motherboard recently that doesn't have a NIC built in to it.

Toxteth_OGrady

Yep - I thought it was unusual but I checked here.

:cool:

TOG