Networking Quandry

[Tasoth]

Being the most computer literate in my house, I have been tasked with trying to get my computers into a wireless networking. Now getting the DSL hooked was reason enough for me not to be a compsci major, but the networking is going to be interesting. Teh comp I have dsl on has no NIC card and is hooked up by USB to the modem. They say your not supposed to hook both the usb and Ethernet ports up, but is there a way to set this computer up as the main one?

[Mad]

Being the most computer literate in my house, I have been tasked with trying to get my computers into a wireless networking. Now getting the DSL hooked was reason enough for me not to be a compsci major, but the networking is going to be interesting. Teh comp I have dsl on has no NIC card and is hooked up by USB to the modem. They say your not supposed to hook both the usb and Ethernet ports up, but is there a way to set this computer up as the main one?

We'll need more information. I'll assume you mean your DSL modem supports USB and ethernet connections?

Your main computer will have to be on the network through some kind of network connection. It'll need a NIC of some kind.

Easiest way to set up a wireless network with Internet access is to purchase a wireless Cable/DSL router and have everything connect to that.

An alternative is to get a wireless hub and setup your main computer with Internet Connection Sharing, but that'll requiring the main computer to be always on (reboot or crash == downtime for everybody else during that time).

There could be other ways of setting it up... but I'm a CS student so I focus on programming instead of IT stuff.

[Tasoth]

Easiest way to set up a wireless network with Internet access is to purchase a wireless Cable/DSL router and have everything connect to that.

I asked the tech support guy that question and he told me the main computer would have to be physically connected to the wireless router.

[Faram]

Easiest way to set up a wireless network with Internet access is to purchase a wireless Cable/DSL router and have everything connect to that.

I asked the tech support guy that question and he told me the main computer would have to be physically connected to the wireless router.

That is BS

There is no need and the ISP could never tell the difference if it's physicaly connected or wirelles.

He gave you a BS answer

[Mad]

Yeah, it shouldn't matter. Besides, the router is doing all the work, and there would technically be no "main" computer as far as Internet access goes.

That said, since the main computer is close to the modem anyway, it would probably be cheaper to buy an ethernet card and cable to hook up to the wireless router (which the modem will be physically connected to) than it would be to get a wireless card for it. But it's all preference.