network? boggled ...

Hi Fish, here's a link that may help you http://www.practicallynetworked.com/qa/qa20030213.shtml

I sympathise with you. Me and my fella who are both pretty good with PC's bought the best of the best, recommended, easiest to use items to set us up wirelessly, but never got it to work. We have since moved house and are scarred to get the damm thing out of its box. I would recommend buying one from a store that will also come and set it up. This may cost more but will be well worth it to save you the frustration. The Belkin range is supposed to be good! Good luck to ya! If you manage to do it can you let me know how!

shouldn't be hard, but there are all sorts of caveats (operating systems not working together etc) if your broadband thing is a router, then it's easy, just plug both in at once (I assume they're both set up to use it) if you can't plug both in at once, then it isn't a router it's a modem. In which case you have to network the computers and share the connection. sharing a connection is easy if both are running windows XP, otherwise it's hard (but possible) networking is never fun. You either need A: wireless widgets for both (and poss a thing called a wireless router) B: wired widgets for both (most likely already got these), some wire, and a router. C: like B but without the hub and a special 'crossover' cable. networking isn't really my thing, you may replace routers with hubs, I can't remember what the difference is right now.

when I say replace routers with hubs, I mean replace the word 'router' with the word 'hub' in everything I wrote above. Which is probably what I meant. My brain hurts, I've been trying to work out what the modulus of negative zero is all morning and it's like some zen buddist exercise.

Easy Peasy Fish, if you follow these simple instructions: First, catch your nerd. This is best accomplished by a trip to WH Smiths. Hang aroung the magazine racks till you see a twenty-something bloke with bottle top glasses and terminal acne. He will pick up 6 or 7 technical PC magazines - the joy of unix or some such - and a girlie mag from the top shelf. Hood and bind him - a tesco bag and a thick elastic band will do - and bundle him into your car boot. Take him home. Second, motivate your nerd. Chocolate digestives or the offer of sex with an animate object work equally well. He should be done networking in a day or so. Third, dispose of your nerd. A couple of lager shandies, spin him round twice, and push him out of the door. He won't remember a thing, so no worries with the law. Then just sit back and enjoy.

Consider this option, Fish. You probably wouldn't need to set up a network then. If you don't fancy 'step 2' then you can buy your own router for about £50. Hope this help. http://www.wanadoo.co.uk/time/broadbandaccess/default.htm?cd_source=wink...

If you want to stick with AOL for the sake of keeping your existing email address (say) - then using a router should still work. A router is like a hub but it has its own address and so if you turn on NAT it should appear to your connection as the same computer which ever you use. Mind you check before you buy! By the way - if you have a network which will not work - it could easily be your firewall or anti-virus software that's screwing things up. Worth disconnecting from the 'net and turning your firewalls etc off and trying then. If this works then you can spend months playing with the settings to get your network up while your firewalls are on :o)

AOL don't have the power to stop you networking, unless they come round to your house and unplug the cables, and I wouldn't put it past them. And Hox, your description of nerds is way behind the times. WHSmiths don't sell those sort of magazines any more, and we... err... they download anything like that for free using bittorrent. Or so I've heard.

i'm pretty sure you can do what you like with regard to home networking on AOL now. as dan said, they can't stop you really, much as they would like to try. AOL have had to realise that they can't control every aspect of your web experience. anyway, let's dance!!!!!

Why on earth would AOL want to stop their users networking? All Liana said was that their broadband package and modem didn't support networking, not because they didn't want you to network but because they didn't have the kit to do it - which was true up until about a year ago. Actually, it might be longer than that ... all I know is that six months after I switched to broadband they brought out their new networking modem/router which, having just paid for the old broadband modem, pissed me off. Anyway, AOL does now support networking and, to avoid conflicts, I'd suggest you use one of their recommended systems. All the info you need is here: http://channels.aolsvc.co.uk/homenet/article.adp?id=20050610105509990001 Starting price about £50. xx

You can take your head out of the oven now.

And, having now studied the page, I'd say you need to buy the first one on the list (either through aol or you might find it cheaper elsewhere) and read AOL's guides. You can't go wrong ... said laughingly having had to completely re-install AOhell recently after being forced, by them, into downloading new drivers for their 'upgrade'. What they failed to mention was that there was a fault. The download wiped out your existing driver then promptly forgot to install the new one. Apart from that, I love the ninny nannies.

I'm assuming both computers are PCs, not Macs. If so, this will do the trick. Buy two of these: http://yurel.com/bj01 ...and then send me a message. ---- John H

I don't mean to be picky, Fingers, but it seems a tad risky, to me, to fork out £45 for stuff that, unless you are PC savvy (and not running AOL), might be tricky to set up. Especially given that Fish has already said her laptop is NOT wi-fi and the blurb from your link says this: >>>If you've been searching for an easy way to connect any desktop PC or laptop to your wireless network, your wait is over! The Instant Wireless USB Network Adapter is the solution you've been looking for. The Plug-and-Play Wireless USB Network Adapter connects directly to any USB-ready PC - just plug it in and you're ready to share data, printers, or high speed Internet access over your existing wireless network. <<< The key words here being: "Your wireless network" and " "your existing wireless network" neither of which Fish has and, probably, knowing her, she can't be arsed to install. Unless I've completely mis-read the situation and/or what this gizmo is capable of, it would seem to me to be better to stick with the £50 AOL recommended one rather than enter the unknown. But then, what do I know?

Fantastic! Abc loses the second half of my post. What i went on to say (I think) was this: The key words in the extract are "your wireless network" and "your existing wireless network" neither of which Fish has (or has not activated anyway) and it would seem, to me, better to spend £50 on something AOL recommends than £45 on stuff that will require configuration, especially for someone who professes to hate technology.

Hurrah! But I've noticed a bug. Will post in appropriate place.