help needed..i have never used a router

First of all i apologize if this is the wrong forum for my question.

I only have one computer in my house and will be getting my very first notebook in a couple weeks.

I have no idea about routers and what type I will need in order to use my laptop and go on the net.

I have a 9 yr old dell dimension 4600

I will be getting a MBP

All I need is to know is what is the router I need, how to hook it up so I can use the internet with the laptop.

I have roadrunner also.

This is probably very basic stuff to most of you and I know I am very behind the times but I sure would appreciate your help.

 

Do you plan run both computer wireless or just laptop?
Any wireless g router shound have 4 port for wired client like you desktop so don,nt need add wireless card to it

you laptop will most like have builten wireless g or n

any wireless g or n router will work


wireless g 54 meg
wireless n 150 meg

 

hi andy and thanks for your reply. i only need the laptop to be wireless. what is a wireless card? I assume my dell 4600 does not have one? thanks again.

so i hook up the router to my desktop? once it is hooked up do i need to do anything else?

I forgot to say that i just remembered i did actually have a router once. it was bought so my kids could do wi fi with their ds. i think it was a dlink. i had all kind of problems with it and then it just didn't work at all and i have never had a router since.

I am just fearful that when i get my laptop home i won't even be able to use it.

 

For wireless you need wireless router winch broadcast you internet wireless

and reaciver

you also need card in each computer you want to connect to the router wireless


this is pci card if you want to connect desktop
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/directron_2014_75504234

most laptop now day already have builten wireless

 

You can pick up a 802.11b/g PCMCIA card that should work in a notebook for wireless for $50 (or less if used). As said, most recent notebooks build it in. A wired PCI ethernet card for a desktop is only about $15 these days, wireless not much more.

 

oh gee i am so confused now.. so are you saying all i need for my laptop to use the internet would be a wireless card that comes with it (getting a mbp by the way) and I don't need a router or do I need both? i know i must sound incredibly dumb but as i said i have never owned more than one computer and never had a laptop

also when i buy my mbp (also getting applecare) will apple help me set it up?

 

Most Wireless Routers have a few (usually 4) ports for wired connections. If the range is OK, you can plug the desktop into one of those ports (wired) and connect the notebook wirelessly. It kind of depends on where the router is in relation to the PCs. Too far from the desktop and you'll have unsightly blue, green, or yellow cable. Too far from the notebook and you'll have weak (or no) connectivity.

You may want some help setting up the router and the wireless. Folks here can probably talk/write you through it.

 

thank you aka,
as soon as i get my laptop and router i will come here for sure if i need help hooking it up. thanks again. i am very glad for these forums.

 

still need help as I got my new laptop yesterday. I was able to set up my airport extreme with my mbp but not the desktop and was told by apple i need to conact roadrunner/cable service to get a second ip address for the desktop. I don't need the dt to be wireless but i do need it to have internet along with the mbp at the same time. i disconnected my roadrunner from my desktop and connected it to the airport extreme so the mbp is good to go, now how do i get internet back on the desktop as well? thanks.

 

You need a router or a switch to be able to share the single IP address your ISP provides you among multiple PCs and devices. A facility called DHCP will assign an internal IP address to each individual device and manage the traffic inbound/outbound through the ISPs MODEM (and the ISPs single external IP address).

Whereas your external IP address could be almost anything, the internal IP addressess are almost always of the 192.168.xxx.xxx form.

If your existing setup already has wireless, it may also have DHCP and be able to do this. That is the manufacturer and model of your existing ISP-provided Modem/Router device?

 

thanks for your response. I finally figured out how to get internet on both. All I needed to do (which is what some of you were telling me was connect a ethernet cable from my desktop to the Airport Extreme.

Thanks again

 

Glad it is working for you