How do I make a wireless newtwork?

Depends on what you are trying to set up. You can do an Ad Hoc connection similar to what Unicron is explaining. You will be sharing your internet connection with the desktop that has internet access. You can also transfer files between the two. The only issue is that you will have to have the desktop on in order to use the internet connection.

The other type of connection is an Access Point. This is where you purchase a wireless router. The router becomes the centerpoint for access. This means you can access any computer connected to the router, and you can access the internet without having to keep a desktop on. Keep in mind that this is the best setup if you are using broadband. This setup is pointless if you are using dialup (The Wireless Router hooks up to your broadband modem / adaptor). If you are using broadband, this is the best way to go. You don't have to share the internet connection, and the speed does not bottleneck in the cable (The slowest WiFi access point allows transfers of up to 11Mbps).

First thing you need to do is find out what WiFi standard your laptop uses. Is it 802.11B, 802.11G, or 802.11A? See here for differences http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wireless80211/a/aa80211standard.htm
Some cards are compatible with 2 or more standards

The most common are B and G...
B standard is nice and cheap..you get transfer speeds of 11Mbps, and you get a decent range. The only problem is if you keep it near a cordless phone or microwave, but we use it and have never had a problem.

G gives you the fastest speed (54Mbps), but is more expensive.

Oh...whichever way you go...make sure you use the security encryptions (Read the manuals). We recently taught a security class, and talked about "War Drivers". These are people that drive around, and pick up unsecure wireless networks. They can either abuse your internet connection, or do more malicious acts like getting into your computers.

I'll get a "B" solution since I don't need the extra speed. I'll only be using this to browse the net. The laptop has "G" and if IIRC, it is backward compatible. My DSL modem has two connections, a usb one to the PC and a standard phone socket to the phone jack. Do all routers, wireless or otherwise, have phone jacks or just LAN ones?? Also, can I use a wireless router to connect to the WiFi Laptop AND my desktop which lacks wireless capabilities? Thanks again

And to answer your question Unicorn, prices are pretty fair. True, only a fraction of the major venders have agents here (AMD has none, believe it or not ) so shops need to import but this is offset by the lack of taxes in Saudi Arabia....yep, you heard me right, we pay none It really all comes down to the parts you want. Also, we sometimeas get stuff here that you don't (E.g. LG sells laptops here while they don't in the U.S.). If you're looking for regular hardware (CPUs, Mobos...etc), you can get a good deal. I just bought a 478 P4E 3.2GHz for SR860 ($230) with a Gigabyte mobo for SR190 ($50). The mobo price for that model was almost the same as the lowest vendor on pricegrabber.com!! High-end hardware, however, is another story. I'll definatly import if I need a 400GB HD or an ATI X800 (can be found for $580). This is natural since there is much lesser demand for these here than in the U.S. since most people play on consoles

Nameless said:

I'll get a "B" solution since I don't need the extra speed. I'll only be using this to browse the net. The laptop has "G" and if IIRC, it is backward compatible. My DSL modem has two connections, a usb one to the PC and a standard phone socket to the phone jack. Do all routers, wireless or otherwise, have phone jacks or just LAN ones?? Also, can I use a wireless router to connect to the WiFi Laptop AND my desktop which lacks wireless capabilities? Thanks again

Click to expand...

are you sure that your dsl modem lacks an ethernet port? because it makes this considerably more difficult.

the easiest, and more expensive route, is to get a new dsl modem with an ethernet port and a wireless router. should pretty much plug and play right out of the box for the most part. security issues and whatever settings you want to fiddle with would make it slightly more difficult.

the alternative, as mentioned, would be an ad hoc wireless network with your desktop as a gateway server. this is wholeheartedly a royal pain for a normal person to set up depending on your hardware and what OS's you are using.

assuming you have winXP on both pcs, you would need to establish the wireless network on both computers, which would be a separate subset of IPs than the wired network, ie desktop to modem. then you would either need to allow internet connection sharing, ICS, of your wired network or create a network bridge between the wired and the wireless networks..

all in all, it is a major pain but doable. depending on how much you value your time, you may want to consider the more expensive option.