How do i create a wireless network between my computer and my laptop so that i can share files and a printer ?

Question

both computer and laptop are windows xp

my laptop has a wireless router

Answer 1

This is a common question check other posts first,

this one is recent hope it helps

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 2

do you mean that your laptop has wireless adapter??

you must buy a wifi router and an adapter for your desktop and go to my network places..

in the network places, click "set up a home/small office network" at the left side

Answer 3

I doubt if your laptop has a wireless router. I believe that your LAPTOP is WiFi enable that can receive Wireless Fidelity signal from a Wireless router.

I case you have a wireless router, please connect you internet into the router then configure it. Once setting is done you will be able to share the internet connection wirelessly. Please ensure to put a WEP for security reasons.

Answer 4

Mattie,

First your laptop does not have wireless router, it has a wireless card.

If you put PC and laptop properly in network, you can share data and print between them.

But for printing directly via network you need to have network printer, and this is another story.

You can connect your desktop and laptop in two ways:

1. Directly

2. With switch or wireless router (access point) if you want wireless connection.

1. Directly

To connect your computers directly, without any device between (switch or wireless router) you need to have network cards on both of them. These cards can be Ethernet or wireless cards (WLAN).

With wired connection you need to have cross Ethernet cable as connection. Wireless connection without wireless router is called Ad Hoc network. More on http://www.home-wlan.com/wlan-formation....

To have connection between them you need to put them on same subnet. Without wireless router that has a DHCP server you need to give them IP address manually.

For example,

On laptop 192.168.0.2, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default gateway not needed,

On desktop: 192.168.0.3, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default gateway not needed.

2. With switch or wireless router (access point) if you want wireless connection.

You could connect your home network with cables, so you need to have a switch, and UTP cables between switch and your PCs. Or you could put them in wireless network with wireless router.

Here you can compare this kind of networks: http://www.home-wlan.com/when-to-use-wla...

With wireless router you can have combination of wires and wireless connections. Your desktop can be connected to your wireless router with UTP cable, and your laptop can be connected wirelessly. Wireless router has a DHCP server and it will put them automatically on same network, you only need to have on set up on both PCs automatically IP address, which is default.

More about wireless networks check on http://www.home-wlan.com