which router?

[lise08]

Is it possible to use broadband through a router that is connected to a master pc which isn't switched on??? My parents have a laptop with wireless connection but can't connect unless the master pc is on (my brothers pc- which he won't switch on) any help is great!

[vehelpfulguy]

If you have a router set up correctly then it should be the last device in the chain, and every PC or laptop connects directly to the router to get to the internet.

Your parents laptop should not need to go through your brothers PC it should connect to the router direct.

Unless maybe your brother is very technical and has managed to setup his PC as a firewall or proxy server or something like that and they have to go through that.

Or maybe you have not got a router and you are using Internet Connection Sharing, and your brothers PC is conected to the internet and then shares it with your parents laptop.

Try to find out how exactly it is setup and if you really have got a router.

The telephone wire should come into the house and then connect to the router. The router should be connected direct to the phone line and be the gateway to the internet.

You parents laptop should then be able to connect directly to that router and out to the internet.

There is lots of ways this could be set up so we need to know exactly what the setup is.

[vehelpfulguy]

One other thing, you say it is your parents who want to use the internet, and it is your brother who wont switch on his PC.

Can they not exercise some parental control and say that unless he allows them to use the interent they will stop him using it, or stop paying for it.

After all, they are the parents, he is the son (not sure how old his but he is still their son).

If he still wont play ball they can suggest he moves out (if he is old enough).

Sorry to be so harsh but he seems to be exercising a lot of power here.

[dodgyshirt]

VHG's advice only applies if it is a modem/router.
If it is simply a router as you imply and it is receiving its signal from the PC for re-distribution then the answer is to replace it with a modem/router and insist that the son uses it rather than the plain router.

[camioneur]

I think no-one is asking the obvious question here...is the router wireless because if the answer is no then the answer to your question is no also

[camioneur]

and if not then you could still use the laptop by connecting it via ethernet cable to another port on the same router

[dodgyshirt]

Having just contradicted yourself with the 2 answers camioneur, you have still chosen to ignore, more importantly, whether it is a router or a modem/router.
If it is the former as I suggested, then the host PC would still need to be turned on and the only solution would be to replace it with a modem/router.

[knobbynonuts]

Im going down the pub

[dodgyshirt]

I think I'll join you.

[camioneur]

I thank you dodgyshirt for your observation but I'm still wondering why you thing my 2 answers contradict themselves. Both suggest an option should the router be wireless. I feel from the way the question is put that they are expecting it connect wirelessly or why mention the fact that the laptop is wireless. So why does this contradict anything at all. Personally, I think you're stuck far too far up your oen ar*e mate. I left an answer that I hoped would help lise08, that's all

[dodgyshirt]

Then you obviously either haven't read the original question closely enough or you know too little about routers to answer the question intelligently.

[lise08]

i'm confused :(
The router is a Linksys which is attached to the master pc wihich has the BT line connected to it. The wireless laptop will only show connection active if the master pc is on and connected to the internet. If the master pc is off, the wireless laptop will not connect to the internet. Is that a bit clearer? :)

[dodgyshirt]

Is the BT line connected to the PC or the router, your reply is a little ambiguous.
If it is connected to the PC as I suspect, then that means you probably have a wireless router only, which will itself be connected to the PC via an ethernet cable.
This then re-distributes the wireless connection but will be dependant upon the host PC being switched on.
The solution is to buy a wireless modem/router which the BT line connects into and the signal is then distributed (wired and/or wirelessly) independant of the host PC which would then not need to be switched on for you to receive the signal.
That apart, who pays for the phone and internet connection. If it is the parents then they should insist that the signal is available to them as VHG pointed out.

[evadjm]

Get a US robotics adsl/modem wireless router they're great