Networking Dialup through a wireless router

Question

Does anyone know how to network 2 computers one using win98 and one with win xp to share a dialup connection using a wireless router. Is this possible? Can a dialup connection go into a wireless router? Any help would be appreciated.

volcano11 · Answer

No, you cannot connect a telelphone modem to a wireless router. You can however use one computer as a router by setting up internet connection sharing on that computer, then putting the wireless router in access point mode so that it does not act as a router.

Steve

NemesisDB · Answer

The easiest solution would be to share the dialup connection by placing a wireless card in each computer. Win98(SE) and up come with internet connection sharing. One computer dials out on a modem and enables connection sharing on its wireless card. The other computer then connects to the wireless card. Done.

If you want to use a router, it can be done, depending on who your ISP is. You'll need a router with a built in modem or with a serial modem port (and an external modem) to make it work. Call your ISP to make sure you can connect with such a device (ISPs with their own software like aol may not work). And keep in mind that such modem capable routers are generally much more expensive and much harder to find than their broadband capable counterparts.

path1467 · Answer

So it may be just easier to split the phone line so each computer can just dial a connection and then just network them together to share information. Sounds too complicated just to have them share internet connection. Both won't be able to download at a very high speed on dial up anyway. Any thoughts on that?

NemesisDB · Answer

I personally don't recommend sharing a dialup connection because it is rather slow. Attaching a phone line to each will, of course, all each of the computers to dial out -- just not at the same time.

As for networking to share data between the computers, use whichever option is best for you. Wireless networking may still be your best option if you have walls and such between your computers.

sYc · Answer

I'm in this exact same boat...I can share files wirelessly, but can't pull up a webpage in my browser.  Will this not work at all, or am I missing something?

path1467 · Answer

The router I was using was an older model. I think that was my problem. I tested it on a few other system and still could not get it to allow me to share files from one system to the other. It was tough having one with win98 and one with winxp and the win98 system would not see the router. I had it all set up for the winxp system to share and it looked as if it would share the dialup connection then I could not get the winxp system to connect to the router. It is a linksys router that is not wireless. So when I connected the router to the win98 system with a cable it just would not connect to the network. When I try to get the linsys router to install on the 98 system it wants the internet connection then it will install. Is there a way to get around this? If you find any ways around the DSL/Cable it is looking for then let me know.

Thanks

sYc · Answer

I've talked to a couple of people here in town that say this is doable, and they're supposed to drop by today or tomorrow...

Midnight Star · Answer

path1467,

Are you sure about dialup? DSL data lines are the exact same lines your standard telephone system uses, they're just sending higher frequencies down the line. That's why you can talk and surf at the same time. The router would connect to your DSL modem, which would then inturn connect to your telephone line. The signals coming down a DSL enabled phone line are always on, where as, with a dialup modem, your basically sending data in the 'talk' frequency range, just modulating/compressing it only when that frequency range of the line is 'open'. This, i'm think is what you have. If you do, and you have a NIC card (or one built in), you might be able to connect them directly to the router, or just use wireless cards in both.

I have DSL, and I my desktop is both connected directly to my router, and to the phone line via a dialup modem. I can use one or the other, but not both at the same time. This lets me still connect to internet if the DSL system goes down temporarily.

Mike.

Message Edited by Midnight Star on 09-09-2004 12:51 PM

sYc · Answer

I'm at work, but if I remember correctly, I'm using the LinkSys WRT54-G 'Wireless-G' router.  Getting the desktop and laptop to network wirelessly has been uneventful so far, except that the laptop won't share the internet.  My thinking is, that if it will share everything else, then the internet should work as well... Message Edited by sYc on 09-09-2004 12:50 PM

path1467 · Answer

yes it your standard dialup. I don't know why this person who I am helping wants to keep dialup but they do. I tried to connect the two computer directly and that doesn't work either. It keeps telling me a network cable is disconnected. I would like to get these networked just to say I did it.

Midnight Star · Answer

Ok, so your friend has one computer, which connects to the internet through dial-up, and you want the other computer to connect to the internet using the same phone line? If they're not 'online' at the same time, you can just plug each computer into a seperate phone jack. Otherwise, you'll need to setup "Internet connection sharing" so the primary computer connecting to the internet, basically asks as a proxy or middle-man (I believe) for the other one.

Make sure you know where the IP addresses are coming from for each computer and that they're properly setup for each other and the ISP. Otherwise, they won't do much 'talking' back and forth ... :)

File sharing between two XP computers using the built-in file sharing options is pretty straight forward and can be done with an ethernet cable (NIC to NIC), but since they're two different operating systems, i'm not sure.

I would first get the proxy working then attempt file sharing between the two.

I hope that helps some,

Mike.

Midnight Star · Answer

Excellent work! Mike.

sYc · Answer

Welp, got it working it looks like. For some reason, the 98SE system didn't have "Internet Sharing" installed...once I got it on there, it all clicked.

So, no matter what Dell or LinkSys tells you, you CAN indeed network a 98SE and an XP computer together WIRELESSLY, and share both files AND the internet...all on dial-up...

path1467 · Answer

I know how to get them to share the internet connection. Right now I can't get them connected to file and printer share. The one with winxp keeps telling me there is a network cable unplugged. I don't know if it won't accept the win98 system or if the network cards are incompatable. I have told the person I can't understand why anyone would want to share a dial up connection anyway. I also can't for the life of me wonder why anyone would want to share files from a winxp to a win98 system. I told her to just upgrade the other system so it has winxp with a better network card and it would probably work. The winxp system is a HP with a built in ethernet card. I am thinking putting in a good network card might be the answer. What do you think.

Thanks

Silver_GW · Answer

Ok folks. i have same situation but on 2 xp systems. file, printer, and such shares no problem thru the router (all linksys), but the internet won't share. I"ve done the conection sharing on both, still nothing. even tried it w/o the router - there nothing show'd up - no network apparent. please please help!!

Silver

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Networking Dialup through a wireless router

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