Home wireless network question

[alarimer]

I bought a laptop and wireless router today. The router is a DLink Airplus 802.11G. I am afraid that my desktop computer has a 802.11B ethernet adapter but I can't tell just by looking in the device manager.
Does this matter at all? All I want to do is hook up my desktom to the router in order to use the laptop on the network.

Thanks in advance

[ChoralScholar]

1. As long as the router is of a newer standard (G) than the card (B)

It should work okay.

IOW, 802.11G routers will also communicate with 802.11B cards, backwards-compatible.

If you had a 802.11B router and an 802.11G, it might not necessarily work.

It's a lowest-common-denominator idea. Whatever the lowest common standard between devices is, that is what standard it communicates with, in this case, B.

[alarimer]

6. Thanks

It sounds like it will work well enough. I can't try it yet because the router only came with ONE ethernet cable, though it appears I need two! So I guess it is back to the store tomorrow.

[Clintmax]

2. I don't think it does, Alarimer...

I did the same thing here (bought a router so my laptop could access the internet). I just hooked it up to my desktop, powered it up, followed the instructions and TA-DA! Internet!

[petronius]

3. Does the router also have ports for wired connections?

It might make more sense to connect the desktop directly to the router, and only use wireless for the laptop. If you are having both computers be wireless, there may be a setting in your router to tell it if the network is all G or mixed (G and B). I've read that using different wireless standards on the same network cna slow it down, but I don't know...

[alarimer]

5. That's what I was going to do

The desktop is still the main computer but I want to be able to use the laptop anywhere at home.

[petronius]

9. Then you should have no difficulty

connect router to modem, connect PC to router, turn it all on, use PC to configure router, turn on laptop, insert wireless adapter into laptop (and installation CD, if needed), take laptop and bottle of wine out to patio, return to DU...

[ghostsofgiants]

4. 802.11B and G both operate on a 2.4GHz frequency...

So they should be compatible with one another.

Try this site, might be helpful: http://www.tutorial-reports.com/wireless/wlanwifi/

[alarimer]

7. Thanks

I've never done this before.

[ghostsofgiants]

8. I just edited my original post with a link for you to check out, actually

A WiFi tutorial.

[alarimer]

10. thanks!

I knew a lot of people here wre knowledgable for this sort of thing.