Question about wireless alongside existing router

L5

Ok, so im on Esat BT broadband, everything working fine on a ZyXEL prestige modem (the one that comes free with it-non wireless). Someone in the house just got a laptop, and a wireless router along with it (DELL). What are my options here?

Should i set up the wireless router and buy a wireless card for pc, avoiding using the ZyXEL at all.
Or should i set up the wireless router off another phone point in the house, and use it exclusively for the laptop.
I dont know if this is even possible.
Any help much appreciated.
thanks

kaizersoze

Okay.
The Zyxel from BT is a modem/router so you will still need to use that.
The wireless router from Dell is just that, a wireless router without a modem.
Even if the Dell unit was a modem aswell, you can only use 1 BB modem on the phone line at any one time.
What you need to do is connect the Dell router to yor existing Zyxel modems' ethernet socket with a network cable to allow the laptop to access the internet.
With regard to your desktop, how is it connected to the Zyxel (USB or ethernet)?
Does the PC nave a network card installed?
How many network connections are on the back of the Dell Router?

L5

kaizersoze wrote:

Okay.
The Zyxel from BT is a modem/router so you will still need to use that.
The wireless router from Dell is just that, a wireless router without a modem.
Even if the Dell unit was a modem aswell, you can only use 1 BB modem on the phone line at any one time.
What you need to do is connect the Dell router to yor existing Zyxel modems' ethernet socket with a network cable to allow the laptop to access the internet.
With regard to your desktop, how is it connected to the Zyxel (USB or ethernet)?
Does the PC nave a network card installed?
How many network connections are on the back of the Dell Router?

thanks for the help.
It says dell router on the manual and box so i presume its just that, a router.
Desktop pc connected to the zyxel via ethernet connection to the network card on my pc.
4 "Lan" connections on back of dell router, 1 "internet" connection that looks like an ethernet socket.
So it looks like i cant connect the dell router to the zyxel by ethernet, because the ethernet port on the zyxel is connected to the desktop pc.

any ideas?
thanks

kaizersoze

You can plug the desktop into one of the LAN connections on the back of the Dell router and connect the Dell router to the ethernet port on the Zyxel.
OR
Connect the Zyxel to the PC via USB and connect the Dell router to the ethernet port on the Zyxel.
The first option is better but harder to configure. I'm not much help to you on configuring the network but one of the network gurus on here will surely point you in the right direction. Your best bet is to conect it all up using the first option and see what happens. You never know it might work straight out of the box

L5

kaizersoze wrote:

You can plug the desktop into one of the LAN connections on the back of the Dell router and connect the Dell router to the ethernet port on the Zyxel.
OR
Connect the Zyxel to the PC via USB and connect the Dell router to the ethernet port on the Zyxel.
The first option is better but harder to configure. I'm not much help to you on configuring the network but one of the network gurus on here will surely point you in the right direction. Your best bet is to conect it all up using the first option and see what happens. You never know it might work straight out of the box

option 1 worked first time!
thanks a lot.

any ideas about how to share files between the 2 machines wirelessly?

causal

L5 wrote:

any ideas about how to share files between the 2 machines wirelessly?

Your PC doesn't have wireless, right?
I assume both machines are Windows.
To share files over your LAN:
Enable File & Printer sharing on both machines.
Make sure your firewalls don't block access.

causal