PC Question

[Feralpeg]

They other day, my sister lost her PC to a lightening strike. I posted about it here and got some good information. She decided that since the PC was so old, it did not make sense to fix it. She bought a new HP notebook. The guy at Best Buy talked her into purchasing a Linksys wireless router. Okay. The only problem is that the router must be plugged into a PC. We went through the instructions from top to bottom and could not find anything different.

I have a Linksys wireless router. It is plugged into my desktop PC. As such, I am able to use my notebook any place in my house. Since she does not have a PC other than her new notebook, how can she go wireless? I don't claim to be a PC wiz, but this makes no sense to me.

Any suggestions?

 

[dundee10]

They other day, my sister lost her PC to a lightening strike. I posted about it here and got some good information. She decided that since the PC was so old, it did not make sense to fix it. She bought a new HP notebook. The guy at Best Buy talked her into purchasing a Linksys wireless router. Okay. The only problem is that the router must be plugged into a PC. We went through the instructions from top to bottom and could not find anything different.

I have a Linksys wireless router. It is plugged into my desktop PC. As such, I am able to use my notebook any place in my house. Since she does not have a PC other than her new notebook, how can she go wireless? I don't claim to be a PC wiz, but this makes no sense to me.

Any suggestions?

You say "the router MUST be plugged into a PC." For hardwired routers, that would be true; but not for a wireless router (well, maybe during set-up/configuration).

Otherwise, the inbound signal will come from her cable or dsl modem into her wireless router. Then her laptop will get its signal from the transmitting router. Remember to set up a password; otherwise, anyone within range will be able to tap and use her dsl or cable service, and may be able to hack into her laptop.

 

[manning]

Remember to set up a password; otherwise, anyone within range will be able to tap and use her dsl or cable service, and may be able to hack into her laptop.

Amen to that. Make sure that password is a long one. Mine is in excess of 20 characters Maybe close to 60 generated randomly. It will take a looong time for anyone to break that password.

Here is a sight that can generate random passwords for you.

http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/


I am amazed at the number of unprotected sites. My neighbor was telling me one day, out of curiousity, he went into a couple of sites and looked around. He was amazed at what he saw.

 

[Feralpeg]

You say "the router MUST be plugged into a PC." For hardwired routers, that would be true; but not for a wireless router (well, maybe during set-up/configuration).

Otherwise, the inbound signal will come from her cable or dsl modem into her wireless router. Then her laptop will get its signal from the transmitting router. Remember to set up a password; otherwise, anyone within range will be able to tap and use her dsl or cable service, and may be able to hack into her laptop.

We tried that. The cable from the cable modem is plugged into the wireless router. Then, it said to plug this blue cable that came with the thing into slot 1 on the router and into the PC. When it is in place, it works fine. She can log onto the internet. When we disconnect the cable from the router to the PC (leaving the cable from the modem to the router in place), it gets a connection error.

We did the whole configuration thing to set up the network and password. I'm totally confused.

 

[Imzadi]

Peg, you're still missing a step. I'm not sure what it's called or how to describe it. I think it's called a WAP or WEP connection. I ended up calling my Internet provider and they made me enter a bunch of codes into the software on my computer so that it would know what *frequency*, for lack of a better word, my wireless signal is.

Right now, when your blue cable is connected, it doesn't have to find the *frequency* on it's own. It's wired straight in. When you unplug it, it searches around for it, as it doesn't know the right code. That's why you get a connection error.

Try this step I'm going to describe, it might help. If not call up your Internet provider's tech support. They can walk you through it for free.

While your blue wire is hooked up, open your Internet Explorer. Under Tools, scroll down and click on "Diagnose Connection Problems." Click on the one for for Wireless. If it doesn't fix it, click Try Again & click on the one for Ethernet (wired). It might read the right frequency you need and fix the Wireless. Then do it over again, diagnosing the Wireless.

Plus, I think you have to have the connection working properly before you can password it. You might be accidentally blocking yourself out.

Good luck!

 

[Feralpeg]

Peg, you're still missing a step. I'm not sure what it's called or how to describe it. I think it's called a WAP or WEP connection. I ended up calling my Internet provider and they made me enter a bunch of codes into the software on my computer so that it would know what *frequency*, for lack of a better word, my wireless signal is.

Right now, when your blue cable is connected, it doesn't have to find the *frequency* on it's own. It's wired straight in. When you unplug it, it searches around for it, as it doesn't know the right code. That's why you get a connection error.

Try this step I'm going to describe, it might help. If not call up your Internet provider's tech support. They can walk you through it for free.

While your blue wire is hooked up, open your Internet Explorer. Under Tools, scroll down and click on "Diagnose Connection Problems." Click on the one for for Wireless. If it doesn't fix it, click Try Again & click on the one for Ethernet (wired). It might read the right frequency you need and fix the Wireless. Then do it over again, diagnosing the Wireless.

Plus, I think you have to have the connection working properly before you can password it. You might be accidentally blocking yourself out.

Good luck!

Thanks! I'll give it a try tomorrow. My sister actually thinks I know what I'm doing with PCs. Boy, is she wrong! LOL!

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

Peg, you're still missing a step. I'm not sure what it's called or how to describe it. I think it's called a WAP or WEP connection. I ended up calling my Internet provider and they made me enter a bunch of codes into the software on my computer so that it would know what *frequency*, for lack of a better word, my wireless signal is.

Right now, when your blue cable is connected, it doesn't have to find the *frequency* on it's own. It's wired straight in. When you unplug it, it searches around for it, as it doesn't know the right code. That's why you get a connection error.

Try this step I'm going to describe, it might help. If not call up your Internet provider's tech support. They can walk you through it for free.

While your blue wire is hooked up, open your Internet Explorer. Under Tools, scroll down and click on "Diagnose Connection Problems." Click on the one for for Wireless. If it doesn't fix it, click Try Again & click on the one for Ethernet (wired). It might read the right frequency you need and fix the Wireless. Then do it over again, diagnosing the Wireless.

Plus, I think you have to have the connection working properly before you can password it. You might be accidentally blocking yourself out.

Good luck!

Your router has wireless security built into it, and your comp must match the type of security exactly. For instance, if you select WPA-PSK (this means pre shared key, in which you setup a security phrase that only you know, to me the safest method) on the router, the computer must also be set to WPA-PSK, or else it won't communicate.

Let's walk through it:

• With your comp connected through the cable to the router, login to the router.
• Go to Wireless Settings. Select Manual configuration, mixed type network, then give your network a name (SSID). Change the name from Linksys, since everyone and their cousin uses Linksys as the SSID.
• Broadcast the name at first. Later, after setup, set broadcast to Disable. This is the ultimate security step. If no one sees your network, no one can break into it.
• Go to Wireless Security and select WPA Shared Key, then enter a phrase such as My Dog Has Fleas. It will be case sensitive when you setup Windows.
• Save your settings and exit your router.
• Assuming you are in Vista, go to Network and Sharing Center, select Connect to a network.
• Find your SSID name entered earlier on this list, double click it.
• Select the same security type as you entered in the router. Enter your case sensitive passphrase.
• Ensure Connect Automatically and Connect even if not broadcasting is connected are checked. Then select next.
• That should do it. Feel free at this point to login to the router and disable the SSID broadcast as I mentioned before.
  

Hopefully, that will work. Let me know if it doesn't.

 

[Feralpeg]

Thank you all! It's working!