I have a Mac desktop and a PC laptop.....I want to make the laptop wireless. Best (cheapest) way to do this ?

Question

I have Verizon DSL with a Westell 2200 modem. Desktop is an iMac. Laptop is a Dell....Its about 5 years old with no wireless capabilities so I think I'll need a wireless card for it. We also have a Wii that we would like to use with the wireless router. Will having a Mac and PC limit the choices I have when it comes to a router, or would they all work the same? I am really unfamiliar to the whole networking thing. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! :)

Answer 1

All computers use the same protocol to communicate over networks. So you will have no problem with a PC, a iMac and a Wii using the same router to access the internet. If you want to share files, you'll have some extra hoops to jump through, but it can be done.

As far as the laptop is concerned, get a USB Wireless Dongle to let the laptop talk on a wireless network.

Remember, wireless is slower than wired. I would use wired for the Wii if at all possible.

The only "catch" is that there are several wireless protocols. Wireless started with "B" which is now obsolete, went to "G" which is the most common today and has moved up to "N".

Make sure you match your hardware. If you buy a "G" router, and an "N" dongle, you will not get the performance you expect, and depending on your setup and hardware, it may not work.

For best results, make sure everything uses the same protocol