wireless internet

[suzysu]

...have been trying to pluck up courage to make my laptop wireless for ages  and terrified I would mess it up  ..just seen this..sounds good  , think I might give it a go.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/editorial/world-of-computing/?int=home_nav

[Gilly]

I wouldn't pay someone ฃ99 to come and do it for me  honestly it is so easy to do and you get full instructions from Netgear anyway  you can buy a wireless router for around ฃ30-ฃ40 and a USB adapter or PCMCIA card (for a laptop) for about ฃ10 from Ebuyer. Remember if you CAN'T do it you can always switch everything back to the way it was and then see if you can find someone techie to give you a hand 

[Luvly]

 

[suzysu]

...I know I should be brave enough to give it a go ...but am not a bit techi and iwll panic if my internet disappears  ..need my fix each day 

[j-u-l-e-s]

You will not mess it up BUT you need to make sure you set the wireless settings in the router page. Because you will need to secure the network using a WEP key and make it ascii instead of hexadecimal.  Is the laptop quite new? Does it have a wireless card built into it? And what make is your router as I could help you set up the wireless if you wanted.

[suzysu]

you will need to secure the network using a WEP key and make it ascii instead of hexadecimal. 

     ...this is what worries me ..sounds like double dutch 

Thanks Jules ...it is very kind of you to  offer to help  ... I don't have a router at the moment, have just been looking on the net at various makes.  I am on BT broadband and my laptop has a Ralink RT2500 wireless LAN card in it  ...apparently    ...can you recommend a router that would be compatible and easy to set up?

[j-u-l-e-s]

do you have a bt hub?You can upgrade within BT to get a bt hub because that has wireless compatability. I am with toucan which I personally prefer. I would recommend a Belkin or a NetGear Wireless router.

[suzysu]

....at the moment I have a BT Voyager 105 ..but thats the modem I think  ..whats a hub?

Told you I was a lost cause 

[j-u-l-e-s]

Yes that is a ADSL modem. BT hub is a wireless router which you can upgrade to with BT here is a link to show you some information:
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=CON-TOTAL-BB-R1&vendorid=M04

[j-u-l-e-s]

ive got netgear high speed . all we did was pluged it into our modem and install it on the laptops and computers and stick the little stick in where the cable goes and that was it . you need to put a password on it I found 5 people hijcking it the first day i put it on so put one on no probs 

Did you put in a WEP key as when you meantioned password that could mean the router admin password, I hope you have set it up with a WEP key or your network won't be secure 
Just making sure you are totally safe 

[suzysu]

...thanks very much Jules, I'll have a look at that ... appreciate your help 

[j-u-l-e-s]

Your welcome.  anytime

[Gilly]

I'm assuming the fact that Nicole said 5 hijackers meant she didn't have a WEP key but now she has  That's the way I read it anyway 

[j-u-l-e-s]

I'm assuming the fact that Nicole said 5 hijackers meant she didn't have a WEP key but now she has  That's the way I read it anyway 

Yea but a password is different from a WEP key, when you add a WEP key you add it in the router settings page wireless security, as hexadecimal and if you put in like A1 B2 C3 D4 That is not safe at all because it is easy to hack into. I'd do it in 128 bit ascii. 
Because you can change your router admin password through the http://(default gateway ip address). Just making sure it is the correct way, always happy to help

[Gilly]

Yes I know the router password is different to the WEP key