Expert: Bobbert - 8/11/2008

Question
Hi,
I,ve never set up a laptop computer before and my aunt just bought a brand new toshiba laptop for home use. She currently has a dial up conn. on her desktop, but she is getting rid of it. My question is what do I need to buy for a wireless connection? I have helped someone else hook up a router on a small network at work, & have set up several desk top PC's for friends but never a laptop. I think you can opt for a cable, sattelite, or phone connection ? but she wants it to be completley wireless, any help on how laptops are set up & connect would be very helpfull.
Thanks in advance,
Steve

Answer
Unless she bought a different system than you're used to using, like a Sun or Apple laptop, there will be nothing diferent. Now, as far as the internet connection, there will be some wires, and thats required, and theres nothing you can do about that (and you need to explain that to her). Just pick up a wireless router, and if the laptop does not have a wireless card (it probably does), it will need an adapter, thats the wireless end of it. Then you will have wires connecting to the router, from the modem (be it cable, sat, or DSL (phone)). As far as configuring it, there should be instructions as to how to do specific things for the system (like default log-in password, where settings are in the router's firmware screen, etc). Just enable security, like WPA or WPA2, the laptop should see the network, and you just need the password you created for WPA/WPA2, and it'll be good to go.

And yes, you'll need the desktop for a few minutes to talk to the router for the first time, because you have to configure the router before the laptop can talk to it.

-bob