I just purchased a laptop. I will be setting it up via a wireless network at home with my desktop. Both run WinXP home. We are also finally converting to DSL. My question is this. We should be receiving the networking kit and the dsl kit at about the same time. Does it matter which one I set up first? I know just enough about computing to be dangerous, so I have tried to read everything I can about networking. I haven't found anything about the above. I am assuming that the instructions that come with my router and card (Linksys) will walk me through the network setup. Any help you all can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Wait until your router arrives. This probably includes a hardware firewall, which will then be in place when you connect your DSL.

The instructions should be easy enough to walk you through setup.

If your router is going to be a while before you get it, and you get your DSL converter, then you can hook up the DSL directly to one PC for the mean time, but I would also wait if it is coming close together.

Thanks for your advice. I hooked everything up last night and so far do not have any problems with both the laptop and desktop sharing the DSL connection. I am going to attempt to set them up for file sharing this weekend. One question. Is there an easy way to copy my "favorites" from the desktop to the laptop?

Just copy the contents of the "Favorites" folder from under your user profile to the favorites on the other computer.

Why dont they make a cable/dsl modem with a built-in hub yet?

There are a few Router/DSL modems on the market but since you may want to upgrade your LAN at a later point its usually better to keep them seperate. I had DSL plugged into one PC and then got a 802.11g router afterwards and now all my friends who have wireless laptops and my own work laptop can all connect and share the network.

Why would anyone want to make anything with a hub in it?

But there are several DSL modem/router/switch combo devices out there.

Well, I tried to set up the network to share files last night. Unsuccessfully, I might add!! Neither computer "sees" the other. Under Networking, I have 2 icons on each computer. One is for the LAN and one is for the Broadband. I have the firewall activated for both. Is that my problem? Should I only have it set for the broadband? As usual, I'm in need of expert advise.

Thanks.

If you are using a router then you don't have to install the boradband connection on the local computers at all. The router should take care of creating and maintaining the DSL connection.

You have to allow Windows Networking in the firewall software.

Try to get the file sharing to work with the firewall turned off on both machines first.

I'm confused. Isn't "broadband" the connection with my ISP and thus to the internet and "lan" the connections between my 2 computers? My DSL Modem is connected to the router with, in turn, is connected to my desktop. I have a wireless card in my laptop.

Exactly. You need the connection to your ISP only from the router. Your computers connect to your router through the LAN and the router passes data between the internet and your local network.

So there does not need to be a firewall set up under "LAN" , only under "Broadband". Have I confused everyone else as much as I have confused myself??

You can remove the "broadband" connections on your computers. They only complicate things.

Running a software firewall is a good idea but it would be easier for you to get the file sharing to work without the fw in the way. After you get it working you can turn the fw back on.

A couple of days without the software firewall is not much of a security risk since your router takes care of the biggest dangers.