need some advice & help

[northboy]

MY QUESTION IS THAT IN A FEW WEEKS TIME I WILL BE MOVING HOME AND NEED SOME ADVICE AS MY MATE WILL BE MOVING IN WITH ME,AND IS BUYING HIMSELF HIS OWN LAPTOP,AS I HAVE MY OWN.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS:-
1.i am already on tiscali broadband,and he will not be, when he has down loaded his windows xp can he then buy a router,and use my tiscali broadband.
2.but if he downloads my tisc b/band disc onto his comp,will i not have to put my email & password onto this.
3.what is the purpose of a router.
i know all this sounds a bit awkward,so could some body explain to me step by step of what i can do pls

[alfgbt]

Get yourself a wireless router, you can then both share the same internet connection via that. ( once your mate has stumped up his half of whatever it is you pay Tiscali a month).You wont have to share any info with his pc ,except for the router settings.

[vehelpfulguy]

>what is the purpose of a router.

A router is used for exactly the reason you need one.

It is for splitting a single internet connection into multiple internet conections.

Two or more devices can connect to one broadband connection via a router. The router handles all the routing so the correct information goes back and forth to the right computer.

[northboy]

thank you all,,and any additional answers

[ACtheTROLL]

A router is actually a collection of devices,
a modem - which handles the internet connection.
a DHCP server which gives each of your PC(s) an identification number ...
and then remembers who asked for what ... so that you get your stuff ... and your chum gets his - even though it's all coming down the same wires.

there's a hub - so that you can connect to the internet with cables. and often also a wireless point so that you can connect to the internet that way as well.
(quite a clever little box of tricks)

once the router is connecting to the net ...
using your ID and password

all you and your chum need do is to decide how to connect (wire/wireless) and in control panel | network neighbourhood | connections.

run the wizard which will do the work for you.