computer question...

so here's my question. i recently bought a laptop and i want to be able to get the internet in my house. i'll need to have a wireless connection. our house is a new one with a "smart center" so our desktop gets its high speed internet through a cable outlet in the wall. so would i be able to plug in a router to the outlet on the wall and be able to get the wireless internet??? any help would be appreciated!

I would still think you need a Internet providers modeum... Then you plug the modem to the cable connection, then the router into that...



Todd Z

If I understand correctly,,,



You have cable (as in Cable TV) coming into the home, then to a modem, correct?



If so, then yes, very easy to do. Go buy any wireless router and simply follow the instructions. They are EASY to install if you follow the instructions that come with it.



Once you get it done, you may want to choose to put a password on it or at the VERY least, change the "Administrative" password that comes with the router as they all come with the same default password. This will help to stop others from using the network and will stop them from accessing your system using the default password...



Very easy to do though...



I assume your laptop has an internal wireless connection, if not, you will need to buy a PCIM card or a USB wire device..

You just connect the router to the ethernet cable from the cable modem. You then plug your PC into the router. The router becomes your firewall. The router will essentially be your gateway to the internet.





Tom

i do have the internet servicve proviers modem, the thing is that we have a GE Smart Center in our house. it is my understanding that the modem is housed in this "smart center" and that our desktop computer is getting its internet connection through an outlet that is on the other side of the house, yet connected to the smart center box. so i guess what im trying to say is does the router HAVE to be connected directly to the modem ( because the desktop isnt connected directly to the modem) or can it be ran through the extra outlet that i have next to the desktop? sorry for the confusion, i am confused myself!

Ryan - you just need a wireless router to be plugged in where you would plug in a network cable. Make sure you configure the security and you would be go to go.

Bottom line is,,, if you have internet coming out of your wall, all you need it the router, it does NOT have be connected directly to the modem (By that, not right next to it).



You will be going from the wall, to the router, then to your PC. The router will send the signal for your laptop...

cool, thanks for the responses. i was pretty sure that it could be done, but i went to circuit city and the guy i talked to made it seem as if it was rocket science to connect the router, set everything up, and a bunch of other junk that i "needed" to buy with it. he was basicaly trying to get me to bite on the $200 wireless connection set up that they do. so after that run in i needed to be sure that it was as easy as i previously thought it would be. thanks you guys!

Nope, pretty easy...



Really comes down to how much you want to spend on speed and signal strength..

My linksys router is connected directly to the modem and the desktop computer that I configured the router with is plugged into the router. I think he will have a problem if one of his computers is connected to the modem and not the router. Maybe not. I have two laptops and two desktops and none is connected directly to the modem.

I think we have missed one very important issue here. Your house may be internet ready with modem and all, but do you have an Internet Service Provider(ISP)? If you don't the only connection you can get is a wireless one if you have a wireless receiver built into your notebook and a neighbor who has an unprotected wireless signal strong enough for you to access and this would be done without your house system.

Oldtimer, i do have an ISP. i wish i could just be able to get a neighbors internet signal, but i can only pick them up from the front of the house and they are locked. im on a budget of around $100 for this project. i dont need blazing fast speed but i also dont want to be at dial up speeds either. all ill be doing is checking email and school work ( i wont be playing any computer games or anything that would need crazy download speeds). any suggestions as too a specific brand/ model of router i should get?

I'm not familiar with a smart center, but here's a question....If you have an internet connection through a plug in the wall, are there others in another room? Seems like if someone went through the trouble of wiring a house with internet, there would be more than one available port, which would require a router. If that were the case all you would need is a wireless access point plugged in somewhere else. Just a thought.

the only two i have found are in the "computer hutch" that was built with the house. there are no other outlets like that that i can find. i think that our cable company actually installed those outlets there (our cable company is also our ISP).

I would get alinksys router, About 45-50 bucks new... IF the house has a built in modem, then all you need to do is plug the router in the wall at the computer center and your done...



That means your paying for Internet already, I assume thats how your getting on here..



Where is the home computer plugged in to for the Internet ??



Todd Z

Ryan,

If your modem has an internal router,what you need is a wireless access point. It takes your wired internet signal, and broadcasts it to the wireless network card in your computer. I tried 3 different routers before finally being told about getting one. Seems the routers had a conflict with the modem's own router.



Mike

That's not necessarily true, if you know what you're doing. I'm running a cable modem to a hardware firewall, then a voip adapter with a router built in, then a netgear router.

I bet your 'smart center boxy thingy' has a port built in for you to connect your wireless router. The cable modem has to be in there somewhere and you need a line from the modem to the router.

Todd Z, the computer is plugged into one of two "cable" internet ports (both on the same outlet). we have the little black internet modem- free internet! , JK. no we are paying for internet, im pretty sure that the outlet was installed by the cable company when we got our internet put in. Silvertrac '03, that is a good point, ill have too look into that possibility. Me, i am currently looking for the key that opens the smart center, but i would rather be able to get it hooked up from the wall by our desktop because that is closer to my room, and the signal strength will be stronger ( the box is at the opposite end of the house ). i am going to go ahead and buy the router this week, when i get paid and hope that it works! thanks for the help! ill let you guys know how it turns out.