Urgent! help with wireless network?

Question

I recently bought a belkin wireless g router to connect my ubuntu 7.10

desktop to my main desktop so it can share the internet connection. My

main desktop running windows xp media center already has a modem

connected to a router. Now my problem is how do I connect these both

computers. I've never set up a network before so I really am a newbie. I

have no idea where to start or what to do. I would apperciate it if

someone game be step by step instructions or a link to where I can find

help. Please help!

Answer 1

holyhell has the Ubuntu side covered.  (I'd update to 8.04, but 7.10 might recognize your wifi card.  8.04 recognized mine, and connected right up.)

For the router side, you don't want to be running 2 routers.  Modem->router->computers.  If you must run both routers, you'll have to turn the Belin into a wireless access point.  (They have instructions on their site for only one of their routersbut I lost the URL a long time ago.  See http://www.webdingers.com/router.html  The way to do it is the same for any router.)

You'll find ndiswrapper at http://sourceforge.net/projects/ndiswrap...  (It may be in the package manager - if it is, download and install it that way - it's easier.)  You'll need the Windows driver for the wireless card on media you can access from buntu.  (Download it from the manufacturer's site to your desktop, for instance.)

Answer 2

Well I've only set up Wifi on Ubuntu once but it wasnt hard.  The hardest part is getting the linux drivers for your wifi card.  Look up NDISWrapper.  It will allow you to use windows drivers in linux for most popular wifi adapters.  



Just plug your windows desktop into one of the wireless router's LAN ports, connect the WAN/internet port to your modem, and configure the wifi network with an SSID (network name, see the belkin manual).  Skip setting up encryption for now.  

Make sure your wireless is enabled on the router and then on you Ubuntu machine, you should see that network name show up.  Connect to it and it will do everything else automatically.

After you get the network working, you will want to turn on some sort of security like WPA encryption

Answer 3

Well the best place to start is the Ubuntu website. If the machine is already connected to the router and working on the internet you really already have a network (at least the two machines are on the same system)

Basically the router is a stand alone device which will issue network addresses for all machines that connect. So you connect Ubuntu exactly like your windows box. An ethernet cord to any one of the LAN outputs of the router. Then setup Ubuntu for Automatic IP's  same for wireless. Wired and wireless work exactly the same. Once the machine connects to the router it is connected to the router thus the network. (all wireless does is replace the need for an ethernet cable!)

Here is where to start.

http://www.debianadmin.com/ubuntu-networ...

Then for windows and Ubuntu Networking so you can talk between machines. You will need Samaba on the Ubuntu system

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Settin...

That should get you started.

Answer 4

This should help.

It is called Network Magic and it should be free.

It will help you connect stuff to your network.

http://networkmagic.com/

Hope this helps!

And it should automatically detect your Router and set up your network in just a few clicks.

There is a free version as well as a paid version. I would recommend buying the full version. As it is easier.

I really hope this helps!

-Wiiplay_ds

UPDATE: Download Network Magic on your Windows PC. The one hooked up to the router.

And as log as your other computer have built in WiFi. It should be easy to hook up your computers with Network Magic.