PC/Laptop/Internet link

[purvis]

I have a reasonably modern PC and am about to buy a Laptop. I hope to link this both to the PC and the Internet.
I know the terms" wireless", "ethernet" and "router" but am not sure what they do. I also understand that there are often difficulties in setting up networks such as with passwords, security etc.

Any basic help to a non-technical user such as myself would be much appreciated.

 

[Ididmyc600]

Hi Purvis and welcome to the TS Forum :wave:

You could start here the site has guides on how to set up a network, then move onto here which is a guide to sharing a cable supplied internet connection, there are other types and as you dont say which you have I plumbed for that one as most of us in England are on cable (well maybe not I took a guess).

Basically it goes like this, you plug your device that currently supplies your internet connection into a Router, as the name suggest this routes the internet to whatever is connected to it, you then connect each PC to the router either with a cable (ethernet is word used to describe a specific type of network and is the most popular (again just my opinion)) or with a wireless device, if you opt for wireless (as most new laptops come wireless ready) then you will need a Router that can do wireless, as for sharing files, if your using XP on both machines there is a handy wizard in "network Places" that will sort that out for you, as well as a large help section on the subject.

Regards

 

[purvis]

Dear IDIDMYC600

Thanks for your help - the Practically Networked site should give me the information I need. The more I know the quicker I will be able to solve any problems! Incidentaly you may be interested to learn that all new PCs and Laptops from PC World now come with Vista leaving XP sulking in the storeroom!

Alan Purvis
(Durham City)

 

[Ididmyc600]

Hi

Sorry to hear that all people new to owning a laptop or PC will be stuck with Vista, it may interest you to know that more people are switching back to XP, so I heard, me I tried it and couldnt get it to connect to my Domain so it got scrapped.