Welcome to the forums :emotion-5:

What laptop is it, specifically?

Whatever it is, it doesn't have a wireless router!  Routers are an external box, which you connect to - either via an ethernet cable, or wirelessly :emotion-55:

Since it's a new laptop, it'll almost certainly have a wireless mini card in it - probably a wireless G card?

But you do need a wireless router for the card to connect to, so you were right to buy one :emotion-21:

Hi gabba79, That looks like an modem. However being wired and USB its going to be slow, ethernet cable is faster. What i would do is to setup your ADSL2 router and run your laptop wireless to your ADSL2 router, where you will get a faster broadband.

Its a Dell Studio 1535. I thought I may have needed something external but he was sure that he got something with it.

 It did come with a little black thing which looks like a little modem - it plugs in via USB and has a phone connection on the other end of it.  But I am guessing that its not wireless whatever the it is!! hehehe

 Maybe I should look into reading the manuals a bit better.!!!:emotion-1:

Thanks for that advice RobinBredin! I had a friend do that for me so looks like my dad got a bit mixed up with what I needed for my broadband!