More tech support?

[mamculuna]

This time I really need advice. I have the new laptop. It has a wireless card, etc. I have cable access to the internet via my ISP (Earthlink). I have an older desktop that I use with this cable access. The Earthlink tech support says that I can hook up the router (Netgear) and the cable modem (v.old Surfboard), and that will allow me to get wireless access on the laptop and cable access on the desktop. But that was all they were willing to say.

I hate having to deal with several different companies--none is willing to tell me everything I need to know. Does anyone foresee any problems with what I describe above? The Netgear info shows me how to hook it all up, but doesn't talk about what happens if only one of the computers has wireless capability.

Answers will not be in vain! And will be greatly, greatly appreciated.

Comments

[gleefulfreak.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming the Netgear router has wireless capability?

Anyway, it's not a big deal, assuming your router also has LAN ports (most do) - my husband and I have this setup, where his laptop is wireless and mine's connected to the router with a LAN cable.

You hook the router to the cable modem, and then you configure your router, from either computer, with the settings it needs to play nice with the cable modem (which, really, is next to nothing, and the router's instructions should be fairly self-explanatory)

Most wireless computers are pretty much ready to sniff out any wireless signal that may be floating around, so if your laptop is in range of the router, the router should assign it an IP address and connect it to the net. You connect the desktop to the router with a LAN cable, and the same should apply - both computers should now be surfing.

Does this help/make sense?

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

It does! It's pretty much what it looked like might happen, but just got afraid I'd screw up the access I do have and wind up totally disconnected (as if I'm not already...)

And an extremely happy birthday to you. A more formal greeting appears shortly.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I asked my son, who wrote:

Almost all wireless routers have ports on the back where wired computers
can connect as well. The two types of connections coexist peacefully,
and should indeed work for her.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks, so very much. I think I'm brave enough to try it.