Hi, i am thinking of getting a wirless router to link two pc's and was hoping for a bit of advice before i go out and get one.
I am on blueyonder broadband and the pc with the broadband connection is a year old and runs on windows xp. The second computer is around six years old and runs on windows 98.
Will i have to put xp on the second computer ?
Would i be better off with the usb connection things ( sorry not very techy )
Thanks in advance.

Hi, i am thinking of getting a wirless router to link two pc's and was hoping for a bit of advice before i go out and get one.
I am on blueyonder broadband and the pc with the broadband connection is a year old and runs on windows xp. The second computer is around six years old and runs on windows 98.
Will i have to put xp on the second computer ?
Would i be better off with the usb connection things ( sorry not very techy )
Thanks in advance.

Networking equipment isn't OS-related - as long as the computer has the TCP/IP protocol, which it will, then you're OK - I presume the 98 does have a NIC - a port that looks like a 'big' BT socket on the back... Cable routers have 'big' BT adapters, so need an RJ45 WAN port.

If so, you need a router for cable/DSL - as opposed to one for ADSL which'll have a RJ11 WAN port for the 'net.

RE: 'USB thingy - do you mean wireless USB, or 'USB thingy' being USB modem(which are a joke - you can get modems that have 1-port USB and 1-port RJ45), but you're not looking for that.

In short: this, (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005ARK3/202-7128691-0004648) this (http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPF-3Com_Gigabit_NIC_3C2000_T) and http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/77638/art/pixmania/network_pci_card_wifi_802.html?srcid=36 (this)

Suggestion, put all of those item names - cable router, NIC (if necassary) and WLAN card into eBuyer - cheaper, but where I currently am, has it blocked.

Cheers,
:)

Thanks kentboy119, yes idid mean a wirless usb, just giong to check about the big bt socket thing.
Does the router plug into the main computer and the usb stick thing plug into the other computer ?
Sorry for sounding so thick but i'm blonde.

Hi,

Older versions of Windows sometimes have trouble using encrypted wireless connections even when they're fully updated. If you don't want to buy another copy of XP you'd be better off putting the old pc near the router and connecting it using a cable and having the newer pc connected wirelessly.