[sharon j]

Simple question(I think) I have a wired modem for my desktop computer's interet connection. This modem doesn't have wireless capabilites. I want to be able to use my laptop with wireless capabilites to connect to my Internet. Can anyone tell me if this can be done with a router? My modem has the following connections "line", "phone", "usb". Thanks in advance

[FrancesHinden]

How does your modem connect to your computer?

[sharon j]

FrancesHinden, on 2012-March-17, 12:59, said:

How does your modem connect to your computer?

It is connected via an ethernet cable

[HighLow21]

sharon j, on 2012-March-17, 12:44, said:

Simple question(I think) I have a wired modem for my desktop computer's interet connection. This modem doesn't have wireless capabilites. I want to be able to use my laptop with wireless capabilites to connect to my Internet. Can anyone tell me if this can be done with a router? My modem has the following connections "line", "phone", "usb". Thanks in advance

It sounds to me like you have a cable modem, correct? If so, you can get a wireless router or, in most cases, ask the cable company to set up a wireless router in your home for you.

The way it works is this: currently, the internet feed goes from your cable coax, to your modem, to your computer. With a router, it will go: cable --> modem --> router. Then you can plug in your desktop to the router with an ethernet cable while SIMULTANEOUSLY also connecting to the router via wireless, no cables involved.

[sharon j]

Thanks Tate. I have DSL, but Imagine it makes no difference. My goal is to use both my wireless capable laptop and my desktop which isn't wireless. Sounds like it's not a problem with a router.

[HighLow21]

Nope. Configuring routers can be a pain but your DSL provider should have an option to install one for you. If you want to do it yourself, you can get them as cheap as $20, but if you're not computer savvy, I do suggest having someone else do it....

[sharon j]

thanks good advice

[barmar]

Any teenager would probably be able to do it these days.

[blackshoe]

Father, on reading the instructions for putting together some complicated gift for his five year old ("Any ten year old can put this together!") to wife: "Martha, go find me a ten year old!"

[y66]

You must have installed your DSL line some time ago because what you want to do is pretty standard. As highlow21 says, your DSL vendor should be able to help you out.

[sharon j]

yea, I've had the dsl modem about 4 years. It does't have wireless. I may just upgrade the modem and not worry about getting router.

Thanks all. BTW, I imagine many teens can do many things I cannot do. lol

[jdeegan]

If your router has a built-in wireless capability, it will have a sticker on the outside with two lines:

SSID: (some name)
Wireless Network Key: (a string of numbers)

If it has that, then you can connect using wireless. Ask your computer to detect all wireless signals within range. If one of them is (some name), then click connect and when prompted for a password type in (a string of numbers). That should do it.

[sharon j]

oh wow. My modem does have an SSID name. I will try this later today. Thanks a bunch Tate!

[HighLow21]

sharon j, on 2012-March-19, 08:26, said:

oh wow. My modem does have an SSID name. I will try this later today. Thanks a bunch Tate!

No, I'm Tate. :-) Careful though --> what jdeegan was talking about was a ROUTER, not a modem. The modem translates signals from the cable into TCP/IP communication (basically, TCP/IP is the languages computers speak to each other over the internet). Routers then allow multiple computers to connect to that Internet connection.

You can't do wireless without that wireless router, unless your modem has built-in router capabilities.

Either way, your provider will be able to tell you what you have and whether you need a new installation of some sort.

[mycroft]

HighLow21, on 2012-March-17, 15:01, said:

Nope. Configuring routers can be a pain but your DSL provider should have an option to install one for you. If you want to do it yourself, you can get them as cheap as $20, but if you're not computer savvy, I do suggest having someone else do it....

To expand on this:

Configuring routers so that you can access your wireless network is reasonably simple. Configuring the router so that the people outside your front door can't access your wireless network, and then all the computers on the network, wireless or not, is tricky.

As a result, "if you're not computer savvy, I do suggest having someone else do it..."

and then have them write down what is needed to add another device's "MAC Address" to the whitelist and what the encryption key/system is. If they can't do that - from just that description - they're not computer savvy enough (if they say "oh you wanted to run a whitelist? Okay..." and then go back in to set stuff up, that's okay, too). If they can, take that information to another of your "computer savvy" friends and have them look at it.

[sharon j]

My appologies to Jim and Tate for missing the change in poster.

I have since found out that my modem is a Actiontec M1000. There is a module upgrade (W1000) that will allow me to upgrade to wireless. This is what their website says about it:

"Add 802.11g wireless networking capabilities to your Qwest M1000 modem with this simple wireless plug-in module. All you have to do is plug the wireless module into the top of the M1000 DSL Modem. WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA-PSK and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security features are all included for enhanced security.
•Compatible with Qwest M1000 DSL modems
•Provides your Qwest M1000 modem with 802.11g wireless connectivity
•Built-in WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA-PSK and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security features for secure wireless connection
•Plug-and-play installation... no software or drivers required"

I also found an interest clip
http://computer.hows....com/router.htm

Even though these are router instuctions, would they not also apply to my modem after I have upgrade it?

Thanks everyone so much. You are really helping me out.

[HighLow21]

Sounds like the add-on upgrades the modem into a dual-purpose device: both modem AND wireless router.

[barmar]

Combination modem-routers are very common -- ISPs like to be able to provide their customers with a single device that does everything. Similarly, if your ISP provides voice service, they'll provide you with an EMTA, which is a combination modem and VOIP interface.