5penn,

"1. can the 8250 be connected (not wirelss) while the xps400 be wireless?" - That depends what you want to be connected to.  If you intend to share a broadband internet connection, then yes, one PC can be wired and the other wireless.

"2. if yes, what do i need: wireless router, wireless adapter, wireless nic?" - You will need a wireless access point/router and a wireless NIC (a wireless NIC is a wireless adapter).  Linksys products are highly spoken of on this forum.  A good AP/router would be the BEFW11S4 or the WRT54G.  A good wireless NIC would be the WMP11 or the WMP54G.  The "G" products communicate at higher LAN speeds, but if most of your online activity is surfing the internet then the "B" products will be more than adequate.

The routers have provision to connect 4 PCs wired and an additional 250 PCs wireless.

5penn,

Let's take a step backwards.  What is it that you want to do exactly?  What is your current environment?

Message Edited by _Paladin on 05-23-2003 10:40 AM

basically just to have internet access on the older pc (for now)....as to other functions later on, i don't know yet

5penn,

OK, and I am assuming you want both PCs to have internet access simultaneously, sharing a broadband connection.

You have two choices.  First option: go with a wireless access point/router, which will support both wired and wireless PCs.  Your PCs can share the internet simultaneously and have File and printer Sharing.  The router has a firewall in it for hacker protection.  One PC will connectto the router wired, the other wireless.

Second option: Connect the broadband modem to the wired NIC and install a wireless NIC in each PC.  Configure the two wireless NICs for ad hoc mode.  Install Internet Connection Sharing on the PC that is connected to the modem (the ICS host).  ICS is software built into Windows that acts like a router.  The other PC (the ICS client) will get its internet access through the ICS host.

The preferred method is the first choice.  ICS can be tempermental and the ICS host needs to run a software firewall like the free Zone Alarm.  Also, the ICS host needs to be turned on and booted if the client wants internet access. 

Cost-wise, the two options are almost a wash.  First option: but a router and a wireless adapter; second option, buy two wireless adapters.  The first option may be a bit more expensive, maybe $20, but is much easier to configure and maintain.

Wireless routers (including the Linksys models discussed by _Paladin) have ethernet ports.  Thus, you can connect up to 4 devices to the ethernet ports from any ethernet network card.  Many other computers can connect to the router through wireless.  Thus, you need a network card in any computer you want to connect through a wired ethernet port and a wireless network card in any computer you want to connect to the router by wireless means.  Once connected to the router, all computers will be able to connect to each other.  With the router you will also be able to share an internet connection, even if it is a dialup connection, although the main reason people install routers is to share a broadband (cable or dsl) internet connection.

Steve

thanks, paladin. so i guess aside from geting a router, i have to replace my current NIC with the wireless nic, right?

thanks again. assumptions are correct, i have a cable modem internet connection. so i basically need to replace the network card in the old pc to a wireless adapter, right? and just hook up (wire) the new one to the wireless router? thanks, whew!! sorry for the never ending questions.

 

again, tahanks for your help paladin

5penn,

Yes, you can use a wireless USB network adapter, like the Linksys WUSB11.

yup, exactly...

one last question (hopefully), can i use the wireless usb network adapter instead of a wireless network card? will it be compatible?

 

thanks, volcano!!

paladin,

thanks again. since the adapter is cheaper than the card, i felt like going that route. also, i don't have to mess around with uninstalling the old network card and replacing it with the wireless card...