Wireless Broadband.

[commoner]

Hi all...wonder if you could advise on this.......I am having a cable TV package installed which also includes phone and broadband internet. This comes into the house via a downstairs "box" and the modem just plugs in there so I would have to run a cable upstairs which is where the pc is, this would cause problems unless it was run on top of the decor which is not a nice solution.

Question is.......is there a wireless method I could use to get the Broadband from downstairs to the pc upstairs.......some gizmo that would transmit the required signal ..........thanks for any ideas or just confirmation that it is impossible.............commoner

[Fitzer]

Perfectly possible Commoner, you need a wireless router and wireless card for your PC, Netgear, Linksys, Buffalo and Belkin are some manufacturers to look for. The cable modem plugs into the router using standard ethernet cable (should come with the router), the router then talks wirelessly to the card that you have installed in your PC, a few options for this, either a proper PCI card where you take the case off the PC and install it like the other cards in the back of your PC, or a USB adapter that you just plug in. Your best bet really is to temporarily bring the PC downstairs and plug the modem directly to it to get the broadband working, then attach the router as above but instead of using the wireless to set up the router plug the PC directly to one of the wired ports on the router (I think all wireless routers have these as well as the wireless option). Then when you've got that going move onto the wireless options. Don't forget to secure the wireless network (the manual will tell you how) and get a good virus software and firewall as the 'always on' connection of cable is a great temptation to hackers and other low-lives.

All the above sounds a bit complex but it is really quite simple as long as your read the instructions which so many people don't do!

[vehelpfulguy]

You could ask the people doing the installation to put the modem in the same room as the PC.

After all, if you are paying them for broadband then it is up to them to get the modem to where your PC is.

If they cant/wont then as fitzer says you need a ROUTER.

Normally a router is used to take a single internet connection and split it into 4 or 8. This allows you to have a small network in your house and have 2 or 3 PCs using the same single internet connection.

Normally the wire from the modem goes into the back of the PC/laptop, but with a router you plug the wire from the modem into the back of the router.

You then plug the various PCs into the router (in your case just one).

Two things to note:

You need a CABLE router not an ADSL router, they are different.

You also need a WIRELESS router rather than a WIRED ONLY router.

Here is an example router

http://www.netgear.co.uk/wireless_firewall_router_wgr614.php