Question for you techies on wireless routers

[Teflon_Mcgee]

Question for you smart people.

Right now I have my laptop hooked up directly to my cable modem via an ethernet cable(can also use USB).

My laptop is the only computer in my house but I want to take advantage of my WiFi capabilities and hopefully ditch the ethernet cable.

Can I do this? I know very little about routers and networking.
Can I get a router and just plug my cable modem (ethernet or USB) into it and then connect my laptop to that via WiFi?

Or do I need another computer to hook my cable modem to and then hook the router to that?

Any other solutions?

Thanks for any help!!

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Your best bet is to go to the support site of the router's manufacturer. I know that Linksys has a downloadable wizard to automatically configure your router's settings. The other major manufacturers probably have something similar.

 

[KarmaSutra]

I've never had any success with Linksys or Belkin. What I've found to work extremely well, and with good range, is a Netgear or D-Link router. Pretty self explanatory regarding hookup.

Couple points of advice though:

1. Change the username and password for your router (it's usually admin/password). Wardrivers will scan for open networks and have a fvckin' freeforall. Not that I've ever done that . . .

2. Best thing to do is set up MAC filtering with your laptop so noone else with a different MAC can logon to your network.

If MAC filtering is too much of a pain in the a$$ use at the very least WEP or WPA protection through your router.

 

[Docs]

My laptop is the only computer in my house but I want to take advantage of my WiFi capabilities and hopefully ditch the ethernet cable.

Can I do this? I know very little about routers and networking.

Yes. Buy a wireless router. Buy a wireless card IF YOUR LAPTOP DOES NOT HAVE A WIRELESS CARD (no sense buying more crap then you need (ie: me))

Two, plug in your router's uplink port to your dsl modem with a cable.

Real World -> DSL Modem (your INet company) -> Your router

Three, use your ethernet cable on your laptop and plug it directly in.

Four, follow the instructions for your router to set it up. Change the passwords and whatever else you need. Set WEP up, some security is better then no security. If you screw up, there is a reset button on the router.

Five, when you're done, disconnect and connect to your router though your wireless card with your WEP settings.

Six, test and relax.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

Awesome!! thanks guys!!

Thanks for the instructions Docs. I think that's all I needed to know.

Groovy.