OK, I have a few questions for you guys!
My Fiancee has bought a new laptop and would like to use the internet sometimes in our house. Currently our desktop is connected to Virgin Broadband (512K). She wants to connect wireless. Her laptop says it's wireless enabled. Our desktop PC just has a standard Speedtouch modem plugged in (and powered) via a USB port.
- I understand I'll need a wireless router. What sort of price? And to they vary much from make to make? And what else would I need?
- I see you can get higher speed routers, but it'll mainly provide an internet connection so will all standard routers provide speeds above our current internet connection speed of 512?
- Our desktop is always in one place, and near a phone line. Is it possible to have a permanent USB connection to the desktop, while providing a wireless link to the laptop?
- How are routers generally powered? We would like it to have a separate power supply all the time to the router, so if she's upstairs, and decides to go on the internet, she can at anytime (without having to power up the desk top)
- How wireless router modems dial up? Currently with our Virgin broadband set up, we 'dial up' each time we go on the internet. It's not an 'always on' connection. Would either PC instruct the router to 'dial up' each time, or is it an 'always on' connection?
- I understand both computers can go on the net at the same time. How does this effect the speed? Would it just simply be half the connection speed for each connection? It's not often we're on at the same time, but it might happen occasionally.
- This isn't so important, but would it be possible to have access to our printer, from her laptop, via the router?
Cheers for any help given! :)
Matthew Long