Since I only have one desktop and I'm thinking of getting a laptop, (which will need a router), then I don't think I'll need the Network magic thing.

And I now know that when I hook up the router, it will prompt me to give it a name. Really??

When does it do this?

Let's say I bought a laptop today, and I hooked up the router.

I turn on my desktop. Will there be an icon on my screen saying "LOOK AT YOU, YOU NOW HAVE A ROUTER, GIVE IT A NAME!!! (or something to that effect. lol).

thanks much

Mel

Many things like that are "plug n play" meaning once it's connected it will automatically work right away - or a pop up with a wizard or set up program will appear on screen.

Or a install CD will come with the product and it will guide you. usually it will have something with a box that says name network or network name- and you just fill it in.

I found this on the Network Magic site a comparison of their products - they do have a free one...
http://www.networkmagic.com/product/compare.php

I hope I'm not bringing up a thread that's too old.

You should be fine without it. When you run the software for the router, it'll ask for a name as one of the steps.

If you set up the network (install the router) using the laptop, your desktop won't see it until you add a new network connection on it. At that time you'll be asked to give the name of the network and the password, and will have to set it up to always use that connection or to give a choice of connections to use.

Once you have a wireless connection on a computer, you can use your own network or a neighbor's if they have an unsecured one. I'd suggest always using your own rather than just letting it pick the first one because it should have the strongest and most reliable signal since it's closest to you.

Good luck with it.

Switch:

You said the following:

If you set up the network (install the router) using the laptop, your desktop won't see it until you add a new network connection on it. At that time you'll be asked to give the name of the network and the password, and will have to set it up to always use that connection or to give a choice of connections to use."

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT YOU WROTE....lol

I thought you set up the network via the desktop (because that's where the router is being hooked up).

God, I'm so dumb.

Melody

I think it is which ever way you do the set up- from the desktop or from the laptop.
You may want to set up each one so it will see the other - Depends on if you want to share files between the machines or not..

It's been awhile since we used a shared network here.

We all use the same wireless router to get to the internet here - but I don't have file sharing enabled, only for specific uses- then I turn sharing off again.

It's really pretty easy unless someone changed some default settings on the desktop or if antivirus or firewall are set at very high security level

okay, here's where I get confused.

What is sharing files. Alan and I go on the internet. And once in a while I type a letter on Microsoft word.

That's about all we do on the desktop.

So what files would I be sharing with a laptop??

Thanks much

Melody

I didn't think you would need to worry about that part of a network, but wanted to mention it.
There might be a question about sharing files during the set up, so you would want to say no.

Sorry, you aren't dumb. I've just worked with networking so long that I forget that not everybody has experience with it.

I shouldn't have said that it would have already been installed, but I thought you had meant that you'd use the laptop to get it set up. My router isn't connected to any computer, it's only connected to my cable modem and the computers have wireless cards in them that work with the router. I've never used a wireless router with a dial up connection, so I'm not really sure how that works.

Either way, you would have to install the hardware and set up the network from one of the computers and have a wireless card or onboard (built-in) wireless in the other. To use the wireless with the one not used to set it up, you'd have to set up a new internet connection (adding the wireless connection) and it would then search for any wireless networks in your area.

I do think you'll find it's much easier than you expect, because the router should come with instructions for setting it up and a CD to do most of the work. It's during the initial set up that you name the network and enter the password, and then you enter them both when you add the connection to the second computer.