Setting up a home network

[elbeeinnyc]

Hi all,
I need to set up a home network, but I have no idea how to approach it given our computer situation. Please help!! My husband and I both have laptops. He takes his laptop to work during the day. We used to be able to share a docking station, so when he wasn't here, I could plug my computer into his docking station. Now, he got a new computer and my computer doesn't fit into his docking station. So if I want internet access I need to unplug the wire from his docking station and plug it into my laptop. Not an ideal situation.

I did buy a netgear wireless router at a yard sale, but I have no idea how to go about setting it up. Because he takes his computer to work with him everyday, do we need a third computer to act like a server? Or can I connect the router to my computer, since this is the computer that will be here all the time, and try to get his computer to recognize the router?

Please advise!

Thanks!

 

[Win2kpatcher]

What I would do is reset the router to its factory condition (mainly because it was used and you dont know how or what is configured). Usually there is a small tiny hole on the back or front which you stick a paper clip into and hold down untill the router flashes its lights and cycles its boot process.

Once that is dont simply plug in router to power and connect the CAT5 cable coming from the cable/dsl modem to the router WAN port. The plug another CAT5 cable from the router to your husbands docking station. Then you connect to it wirelessly (if your laptop doesnt have a wireless card, you must purchase one to be able to communicate with the device). If there is no security setup you should be able to talk to the router with no problem. I would reccomend setting up a WEP though to provide some security.

Once you get all that sorted out we can help you with the security part

 

[elbeeinnyc]

Thank you so much! I will let you know how the set up goes!

Thanks!

 

[BASSMASTER]

What I would do is reset the router to its factory condition (mainly because it was used and you dont know how or what is configured). Usually there is a small tiny hole on the back or front which you stick a paper clip into and hold down untill the router flashes its lights and cycles its boot process.

Once that is dont simply plug in router to power and connect the CAT5 cable coming from the cable/dsl modem to the router WAN port. The plug another CAT5 cable from the router to your husbands docking station. Then you connect to it wirelessly (if your laptop doesnt have a wireless card, you must purchase one to be able to communicate with the device). If there is no security setup you should be able to talk to the router with no problem. I would reccomend setting up a WEP though to provide some security.

Once you get all that sorted out we can help you with the security part

It doesn't sound like the docking station acts as wireless access point, or did I miss something?

Edit: Nevermind, I see now where she said she bought a wireless router