Hook a laptop wirelessly to an wired connection.

Question

Is there anything i can buy so I can put a little thing (looking somewhat like a wireless mouse receiver etc.,) to my laptop and to the box downstairs that runs the wired internet connection to all the computer? Please tell me if I'm being too vague. Maybe a simpler explanation too: there's a line running from the back of my desktop down a hole to the basement. There's a little box (I'm not dumb I just don't know hardware) that has the CAT 5 cable running into it. As well as a wire running in from other dektop, and a wire running out which obviously hooks into everything and gives it its connection. Could I hook into that wirelessly with an adaptor?

Answer 1

You need a wireless broadband router (I recommend an old Linksys WRT54GS 1.1- It has the most powerful cpu, the most memory, ram and rom, and the most powerful radio, when hacked...and its really cheap because its old and used usually....) or somesort of access point.

The laptop, if its post 2003, then it should have WIFI built in, you just need a wireless broadband router or wireless accesspoint.

Answer 2

You might be able to, but only if your box in your basement is a wireless one. But i personally think it is not wireless. Unless you pay for wireless fees but fail to mention it.

But i will give you instructions on what to do if it is. (For a PC)

Start Menu > Control Panel (switch to classic view) > Wireless Network Setup Wizard or if you want to do it manually like me. you could just double click the network connection icon on the bottom right of the taskbar (next to the clock). Once clicked > view wireless networks and if the (box in your basement) has a signal and is picked up by your laptop. you could just click it, unless it is encrypted then you will have to enter a password

Answer 3

The little box that you're referring to is called a router. If you're looking to create a wireless network within your house, you'll need a wireless router. It's the same as the router you already have, but it has a little antenna on it.

If your laptop is from the last few years, it should already have wireless capability. If not, just buy a little wireless USB network adapter to connect to the wireless router.

Answer 4

It is possible to do what you are asking; you could hang a wireless access point off of the wired router.  This functionality is built into a wireless router (which is just the marriage of a router to an access point).  The reason no one is suggesting this is that the cost of an AP is as high as the cost of a wireless router, so it doesn't make sense to have both.

It will not cost you any extra money to run a wireless router at home.  Just hook it up to your cable/DSL modem and you are all set.