Setting up a new Network/Recommendations/Advice

[flatpick2]

Hello!
I just ordered a T-30 thinkpad with: cisco airnet 802.11.b, XP pro
My desktop is: Dell Dimension 4100: Windows ME, dial up internet.
I would like to network these 2 machines, file sharing internet sharing.

What would be the easiest configuration to set up, not necessarily the cheapest?

Would installing windows XP Pro on my desktop make anything easier?

Any and all recommended configurations, advice, ect would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much! Tom

[Greenstead]

Having XP on both PCs makes everything easier (doesn't have to be Pro). But ME will work OK too.

You can use Internet Connection Sharing on the desktop to share the dial-up connection. To connect the PCs you could :
1. (cheapest and easiest soln) wire them together between NICs, or
2. (best solution) Since you have a wireless card in the laptop you could put a wireless adapter on the desktop (PCI or USB) and connect them without wires. I would choose the same brand (make) of wireless adapter as you have in the laptop.

[flatpick2]

Thanks Greenstead for your reply, please bear with me here! So I should (could) buy a cisco airnet card for my desktop, install it, configure the two machines (somehow!) and be good? I thought perhaps I needed access point? I appreciate your help! Tom

[Greenstead]

I'm glad you reiterated that back at me because I have never done it myself, I use a wireless router (access point) and broadband. I think you can use a peer-peer wireless connection and share the dial-up, but let me try it myself just to be sure.
I will try it one night this week and post back.
edit/doesn't look like I will get round to this test too soon, I have a network card problem myself.

[Chris]

I would definitely put XP operating system on the desktop. For a newbie having XP installed really makes setting up a network pretty simple. XP home edition would be perfect, I don't think you need NTFS file permissions at home & that's the difference between XP Pro & Home. You'll definitely need a WAP, furthermore I would highly suggest looking for a broadband service provider. Trying to share a dial-up connection over a WLAN will be painful! So much so that I wouldn't bother spending the money to do so. It would be much cheaper to install an additional RJ-11 phone jack so you can dial out with the laptop. You'll have the same speed and as far as sharing files you can always use SneakerNet....LOL

[flatpick2]

Greenstead and Chris,
Thanks both for your thoughts on this. I would luv to have broadband, the only option available to me at the time is satellite, and I believe that is a questionable solution. So the wireless further degrades my already poor connection? Darn! Will a RJ-45, cat-5 network also degrade my connection? Thanks both for your input. Tom

[vardhan]

Hi,
I have used two wireless PCMCIA wireless cards to hook up two laptops (one Win2k, the other Win98). No access point was required and I set up a peer to peer network.

It works great to share files between the two computers.

Setting up ICS and getting it to work properly was more challenging. However, since you have a dial up network, I dont see the benefit as mentioned by Chris.

Dont see any reason though not to use WLAN for the network and two separate dial up connections.

Vardhan

[flatpick2]

Vardhan,
Thanks for your thoughts on this, Im going to go ahead and give it a go. I will post back here when I have set it up. IBM isn’t shipping my notebook until Dec3…. Patiently I wait! Tom