Going Wireless

[Skribble]

Ok I have a wireless hub with my new broad band deal, but since discovered my PC isn't set up for wireless. What is the cheapest and easiest way to "hook up". Will I have to have a dongle protuding from the front of my PC tower. I want to use it for my lap top, so can I use the ethernet cable for the PC and wireless for the laptop. I think the laptop has a slot for an integral unit. Stupid question but I take it the wireless things for the lap top canme any make and don't have to be the smae as the router?

If you have an ethernet card in your PC then that is the quickest and easiest way to connect it to most wireless hubs, assuming you are happy to position the PC close to the hub.

Most modern laptops have wireless support built in, but if you do need to buy a new connector, they all operate to similar standards.

Your wireless hub will probably support 802.11b and 802.11g. It might also support 802.11n. Practically any wireless connector you buy will also support 802.11b and 802.11g. You might also get one with 802.11n, but there's little advantage for most people. 802.11n is faster than 802.11g, which is faster than 802.11b, but the speed you get probably be limited by your broadband connection, not your wireless connection.

If your laptop has a USB port, you can get a dongle thing which will fit that - and could be used for any computer with a USB port. Range on cheaper one's is limited to 100m, but should be ok for home use. They are around £20-£30 from Argos.

It can help to get the same brand as the router if you can. They tend to talk to each other more reliably.

Easiest way is one of the plug in adapters like this - but it's more expensive than a usb adapter as you need two of them - I needed to get rid of the ethernet cable that had been going under a door to connect our non-wireless pc to the router - I didn't really believe it would be as simple as it says, but it actually was - I didn't even have to restart the computer.