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longgone

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I have just purchased a laptop (Toshiba L675D) and it is set up to go wireless. Did a 'web chat" with a Toshiba rep, I was told that I need to get a wireless router in order for that option to work and got a link from Toshiba for various routers. However when I clicked the link, needless to say that severed the connection with Toshiba. So here is my main question/s, when I get this new router will it work with my existing desktops using the RJ45 ports on the desktops or will I need to get some sort of adapter card for the desktops. Also, will I need to get some sort of device to plug into a USB port on the laptop in order for it to communicate to the router?TIA..

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when I get this new router will it work with my existing desktops using the RJ45 ports on the desktops
Yes.
will I need to get some sort of device to plug into a USB port on the laptop in order for it to communicate to the router?
What model Toshiba? Most modern laptops have the wifi built in so you don't need to buy anything unless it is an older model. (My HP from 2001 needed a PCMCIA card or a USB dongle to go wireless. My netbook from 2008 doesn't need anything.)ooops, I see you did give the model. DUH. Let me look and I'll post in a few. BRB.http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/sa...670/L675D-S7022this one has wifi b/g/nhttp://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/sa...670/L675D-S7105and so does this (that's the lowest priced item on Toshiba's site, so I think it is safe to say, you already have the hardware.In fact, if you are using a router, it might already be wifi. Does it have any antennas? If so, it is capable of wireless so you don't have to buy anything new.On the laptop, be sure to find out what turns the wireless on and off. Edited by zlim
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The model is l675-S7060 and the router is wired, no antennas, it is about 10 year or so old. I did some checking on line and have fouind out that if I want to go wireless on the desktops I will need to get an adapter card for them.

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The model is L675d-S7060 and the router is wired, no antennas, it is about 10 year or so old. I did some checking on line and have fouind out that if I want to go wireless on the desktops I will need to get an adapter card for them.

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I have two desktops in the basement and rather than opening them up, I simply attached a wifi dongle to a USB port. My husband and I have been using both computers with this setup for a few years. (One desktop we have since Oct. 2006 and the other since April 2009). I've since replaced one of the wifi dongles to a wired connection by attaching it to a NetGear POE (power over ethernet) with the other receiver attached to a router port upstairs. I tried a switch on the POE device and it works so theoretically, I can use 4 more wired devices in the basement.

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Dale, 99% of the home routers out there have both wired ports and wireless antennae. You do not need to get anything for the desktops you are using.The wired and the wireless will be the same network.Adam

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I have been doing some searching about wireless routers, so far, I have come across all the way from $12.95 that come in many an varied colors to almost $200.00 in plain black. At moment, I am looking at the Linksys E2000. I have also looked at adapters and if I go wireless on the desktop/s I think it will be with one of those USB sticks.But, bottom line you have been very helpful with this massive step into a modern age.

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I got a very nice router that gives you both wired and wireless capability from Newegg.Asus RT-N12 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16833320039$ 40supports wireless b/g/nsupports 4 wired connectionssupports Open Source DD-WRTI've been very happy with it and it's big brother the RT-N16 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16833320038way more features if you want to play with some really cool networking stuff

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Hello,Most wireless routers these days provide 802.11n wireless access have an integral switch with four Fast Ethernet (100Mbit/s) ports bridged to the wireless connection, which means the computers on the wired and wireless networks can see each other, transfer files and so forth. More expensive wireless routers provide faster 802.11n connections, gigabit Ethernet connections on their switch and perhaps some other features as well, like a shared USB port for a printer or a hard disk.What I would suggest looking at is how many wired Ethernet connections you currently need, how many you plan on adding in the next few years, how far away you would like wireless coverage from the router and so forth. Once you have figured out the various usage scenarios, you can start researching which wireless routers meet your needs.Regards,Aryeh Goretsky

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I have used the Linksys WRT 54 G in the past.It is a great Wi-Fi router.Avoid the v 5 and up models.There is a WRT 54 GL model that is sure to be a pre v 5 model (firmware is open source).http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4404...and_Router.htmlI know it says linux but that refers to the firmware used.All pre v 5 models used the open source linux based firmware.The v 5 plus models use a proprietary firmware that is a dog.The Linux based models are widely considered by many to be the best available Wi-Fi routers available.The linux based models don't require linux installed on your machine.The firmware that runs the router is linux based.The router has 4 ethernet ports and separate xmit and receive antennas.This is a B\G model with both 801.11 b and 801.11 g support.G is the faster of the two with theoretical throughputs of 54 mbits\sec compared to 11 mbits\sec for B.Most ISP's provide considerably less throughput than even the 11 mbits\sec available from 801.11 b.

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That E2000 I was looking at did not have antennas in the pic so I am guessing they are internal. I still need to do a lot more looking though before I make the plunge. I have been told though that wireless is not as fast as a wired connection, is there any truth in that or is it just a rumor?

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That E2000 I was looking at did not have antennas in the pic so I am guessing they are internal. I still need to do a lot more looking though before I make the plunge. I have been told though that wireless is not as fast as a wired connection, is there any truth in that or is it just a rumor?
That is true when you compare ethernet 100 mbits\sec to the fastest readily available wireless 54 mbits\sec.But both are much, much faster than a typical broadband connection.Cable is usually around 6-8 mbits\sec with DSL around 2-4 mbits\sec.The speed difference between the wired vs. wireless tech is a moot point because the internet connection from the ISPis much slower.Wireless N is faster than G and gigabit ethernet is faster still than the older 100 mbit\sec ethernet.Again they are much faster than the maximum throughput available from a typical ISP.The only way that the speed difference between wireless and wired could make a difference is if you are using eithertechnology to stream content (video or audio) within your local network (like from your computer to a sound server connected to your A\V setup)or connecting to a network storage device.Surfing the net or connecting to the net the greater speed of either won't be utilized because the bottleneck is your ISP connection.External antennas are much better than internal ones plus you get what you pay for.The WRT54gl is a fantastic wi-fi router and is priced right to boot.Don't skimp on quality to save a buck.The old saying applies here as well "pay me now or PAY me later".I know what I'm talking about here with the WRT54GL.It is the Cadillac of Wi-Fi routers.Google it and see what others have to say.You don't need N support you will never use all the bandwidth it supplies although it does supply greater range (230 ft for the N standard vs 125 ft for the G standard).Both standards range are affected by walls and floors indoors.You will pay more for a N standard router. Edited by Frank Golden
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I have just purchased a laptop (Toshiba L675D) and it is set up to go wireless. Did a 'web chat" with a Toshiba rep, I was told that I need to get a wireless router in order for that option to work and got a link from Toshiba for various routers. However when I clicked the link, needless to say that severed the connection with Toshiba. So here is my main question/s, when I get this new router will it work with my existing desktops using the RJ45 ports on the desktops or will I need to get some sort of adapter card for the desktops. Also, will I need to get some sort of device to plug into a USB port on the laptop in order for it to communicate to the router?TIA..
You are getting way to much information in this thread. You have an existing wired network for your existing desktop computers. All you need to do is add a wireless router to that network so that you can carry your laptop around the house and connect from anywhere. You will need to set the new router to the address range of your existing network and turn off its DHCP server function, but that is easy to do.Just about any wireless router will work. I don't know what stores you have in your area but if you want to buy online Newegg has gobs of them. And the cheapest of the bunch will work just as well as the most expensive.
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You are getting way to much information in this thread. You have an existing wired network for your existing desktop computers. All you need to do is add a wireless router to that network so that you can carry your laptop around the house and connect from anywhere. You will need to set the new router to the address range of your existing network and turn off its DHCP server function, but that is easy to do.Just about any wireless router will work. I don't know what stores you have in your area but if you want to buy online Newegg has gobs of them. And the cheapest of the bunch will work just as well as the most expensive.
Or replace your existing router with whatever wireless model you purchase and set it up.Plugging it in to your existing router is unnecessary and more complicated than simply replacing your old wired routerwith the new Wi-Fi router.Actually the new Wi-Fi router is likely to have more features than your old wired one.Simply plug the ethernet cable from your cable modem or DSL modem to the new router and run either the setup CD (preferable)to set it up or use the browser based interface setup.The instruction manual that you get with the device can provide direction.By default these devices are set to no encryption.At the very least you should setup WPA2 encryption.If you don't anyone in range can access your internet connection.With encryption enabled they can see your connection but can't access it. Edited by Frank Golden
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I'm with lewmur on this one. Use your Toshiba to connect to your new router (to one of its lan ports) and configure it as a wireless access point. Then, connect the new router to the old router (to one of the lan ports).

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I'm with lewmur on this one. Use your Toshiba to connect to your new router (to one of its lan ports) and configure it as a wireless access point. Then, connect the new router to the old router (to one of the lan ports).
Not necessary.The simplest setup is to connect the new wireless router directly to the cable or DSL modem and retire the old router.By default most devices today will be mostly configured, only requiring running the supplied CD or using the browser based interface.Both methods should be explained in the manual.The new wireless device will likely offer more functionality especially if the wired device is and old device, 10 years old likeLonggone reported.Why add an additional piece of hardware when the new wireless router can do it all and probably much better than a 10 year old wired router.The only reason to piggyback would be if the 4 ethernet ports provided by most modern routers isn't enough to connectmore than 4 wired computers.BTW, Wi-Fi can in theory connect to a large number of computers provided they have adapter cards or like Liz mentioned USB adaptor dongles.Of course the Toshiba notebook in question is already Wi-Fi capable out of the box.I'm not an expert but I know how to setup a wireless network.Piggybacking 2 devices isn't the best solution in most cases.Retire your old router when you get the new one and replace it with the new.You computers should automatically connect to the new one's ethernet ports with little or no effort on your part.You will need to temporarily connect your laptop to a spare ethernet port on your new router to run the wi-fi setup (either by using the supplied CD or web browser interface). Once setup you can disconnect and enjoy wireless networking.Make sure that whatever you do enable encryption (at least WPA or better yet WPA2) per the manuals instructions.All manufacturers have encryption turned off by default to simplify installation. Without encryption a bad guy or a neighbor with a laptop could access your internet connection, your whole network and even your files and folders if file sharing is enabled.There is a not so benign activity called Wardriving where an individual drives around a town or neighborhood with a laptopequipped with a program like Netstumbler looking for unencrypted Wi-Fi signals to exploit.Most Wardrivers aren't bad guys but some are.WPA or WPA2 stops them in their tracks.I'm not a bad guy but I once drove around a neighborhood in Monroe, Michigan with a Wi-Fi notebook and found about 10 unsecured networks in a 2 block area.I was shocked to say the least.Where I live now there is a college housing unit across the street and my notebook can see almost 20 different Wi-Fi signals.The college maintains those connections and they are all WPA2 protected. Edited by Frank Golden
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This sounds like it could be a real adventure. I have already learned a lot. I was somewhat under the impression that I could just turn it on (the laptop) and it would just "automagically" acquire and access a wireless signal. After that I was thinking that I would need to purchase some sort of wireless plan in order to go wireless. Now I can see that I was SO in the dark.

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it would just "automagically" acquire and access a wireless signal.
That's true if you are at a hotspot (Starbucks, McDonald's, Panera Bakery to name a few). Otherwise, any signal you see at home, without a wireless router will be one of your neighbor's.
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Many places it's considered theft to use your neighbor's wireless signal without permission.Everywhere else it's just being a D***.
It's really not much different from stealing cable and that is theft in the USA.It is at the very least unethical.One of the biggest threats to the victim of Wi-Fi "theft" is that the thief can visit illegal sites such as child porn sites and the true owner of the ISP address could be wrongfully prosecuted.Simply encrypting your signal (WPA or WPA2) prevents theft.To be clear don't use the older WEP encryption it has been cracked and there are even free programs that will crack WEP in minutes.WPA has been reported to be vulnerable but WPA2 is still very secure.The likely scenario is that a baddie won't waste time on trying to crack WPA or WPA2.
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Well ... I made the plunge .. router is on order from Newegg ... LINKSYS E3000 . From all I read it pretty much covers all that I want and maybe even some more.

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That is a pretty good router.... it is one I was looking at. :thumbsup:
Yeah, its a great router if you are running a business with a lot of users. For what he wants, it's gross overkill. A $25 router would work fine for his situation.
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Gross overkill is a 40mm sniper round. Now onto the router. Got it, installed it, right now it is just doing essentials. Need to read in info on making changes if I want to. So far only glitch was a ethernet cable not quite seated good and tight. Got that fixed, all is good from the wireless laptop. Grudgingly, I have to admit, I think I could really learn to like the absence of all those interconnecting wires.

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I think I could really learn to like the absence of all those interconnecting wires.
Yup. It is nice to move anywhere in the house or out to the patio with my netbook and surf!Of course the patio is a no-go today. The high is 20F, if it reaches that and snow all over the flagstone.
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However,,, one small question. This is on the DSL Modem, when it was connected with the wired modem the ethernet light was green as were the other two (power and DSL), now it is amber, any thoughts. The connection does not seem to have any problems as I am using it right now. Any thoughts ???

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This is a guess because I have little experience with dsl modem/routers. Perhaps the light indicates the speed.On my NetGear POE, the light can be green, orange or red depending on the status.

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However,,, one small question. This is on the DSL Modem, when it was connected with the wired modem the ethernet light was green as were the other two (power and DSL), now it is amber, any thoughts. The connection does not seem to have any problems as I am using it right now. Any thoughts ???
What is the brand name and model of your DSL modem?
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However,,, one small question. This is on the DSL Modem, when it was connected with the wired modem the ethernet light was green as were the other two (power and DSL), now it is amber, any thoughts. The connection does not seem to have any problems as I am using it right now. Any thoughts ???
The standard for ethernet connection (wired network) is; green is connected, amber is in active use.
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