Home Networking / Router / & WiFi Gateway Help

[JerryY]

I'm real new at all this so please be patient. I have a Dell PC in a bedroom beside my Computer Room where I have a relatively new HP PC. The Dell PC did not have a wireless card and my granddaughter needed internet so I bought a wired router. Hooked up as instructions and all is fine and works good.

There is not a Network. I'm a little foggy about that as well. Never needed to Network so I have no experience with it.

Now the new HP PC has a wireless card and here is what I want to do.

*Purchase the wireless card for the Dell PC in the bedroom beside the computer room

*Get the wireless modem from Comcast to supply internet to both PC's

Here's where I'm totally lost.

* I want to purchase a Kindle Fire that needs WI-FI and I'm not sure if the Comcast Modem (wireless) will provide the connection I need for the 2 PC's to the internet and for the Fire as well. (guess what. I know very little about WI-FI too)

*If this is not the case (Comcast Modem supplies both connections) can someone tell me the best way to do what I want to do.

I have not yet purchased the Wireless Card for the Dell PC or the Kindle Fire. I'm exploring what I will need to do to get what I want.

Finally, if I call Comcast can they give me what I want without it costing an arm and a leg?

I really need the help and will appreciate any and all responses!

JerryY

[Baric]

I'm a little unclear on exactly what you have for network equipment right now.  What cable modem are you using?  You say you bought a wired router, which one?  Please be specific, exact make and models for each.

The Comcast supplied Xfinity Wireless Gateways are a VERY bad idea.  If you have one now, please deescribe your exact network setup, ie. what is connected to what and via what port on what device?  If you have one of these gateways, I recommend you get your own decent wireless router, then call the gateway support folks at 800-363-2416 and have them put the gateway into bridge mode, then hookup your new router as per its instructions and just use that.  At this point you have a wireless router you can use to connect your PC's and wireless devices.

As for the HP, it's best to connect it with ethernet, but if that's difficult due to placement, or walls and the like, then adding wireless capability is a good fit.  You don't say what exact HP PC so I can't give specifics, but assuming a desktop or tower of some sort, you have two choices for wireless.  One is to get an internal wireless adapter (PCI or PCIe) but getting the right one and installing it into a case can be a daunting task for someone new to computers.  The other option is to get a USB wireless adapter that you just plug into one of your free USB ports.  They have gotten much better over the last few years, and models like the Linksys AE3000 or AE2500 work very well as long as the system is recent (ie has newer USB hardware).

Another option is to get what are called powerline adapters.  These devices basically come in pairs and you plug one into a wall outlet near the router and connect it to the router with an ethernet cable, and you take the other adapter and plug it into a wall outlet near your target computer and connect the computer to it with an ethernet cable.  The two adapters use your house electrical wiring to create a network connection so it looks like your computer is connected directly to the router.  They are a good option where wireless doesn't work so well due to obstacles, or where it's problematic to run a direct ethernet connection.  Examples of this kind of adapters, the Linksys PLEK400 or PLSK400 (if you need more than one ethernet port in a location).

[PeteC2]

Okay JerryY...a couople of things if I may:

1. You do not need to purchase a wireless adapter for the Dell, keep in mind that a wireless router, just like a wired router still has 4 ethernet ports...no need to have the Dell wireless if plugging it in is convenient!

2. As Baric says, by all means do not have Comcast swap you a wireless gateway!  While at first blush they sound like a simple wireless solution, they tend to work very poorly and cause more problems than not.

3.  Purchase a decent (not bottom level model!) wireless router...if you are new to wireless, I highly recommend the Linksys EA2700.  There simply is no easier wireless router to set up (a cave man can do it!), and it is a quality unit.  When you set up the router it will help you create your own home network...very simple/painless.  Although there are some "fine points" that a networking expert would quibble on, Linksys' default set-up will be more than sufficient for most users.

4.  As far as hooking up a Kindle (or smart phone, tablet, etc.)?  Piece of cake!  You would attach it to your network as you would any wireless computer, but again, Linksys provides a super user friendly way to attach tablets, computers, smart phones and wireless networked printers to your network.

IMHO (in my honest opinion), leave Comcast out of this process...things will be easier off and results will be better if you set up your own wireless network!  I am sorry to say, as I like Comcast in most areas...nothing good will come from including them in your wireless networking process!

[JerryY]

Glad you asked questions I'll try to answer.

Not sure what you mean by network equipment but this is what I have:

*Motorola Modem S85101 SURFboard Cable Modem from Comcast

* Cisco Linksys E Series Router E2500 (wired) 

*Below is Control panel for Network and Sharing. I guess maybe I set this up when I set up the router?

* Don't have a wireless gateway and don't know what it is. Just have the cable modem for internet

*The exact Dell PC in my granddaughter;'s bedroom is a Studio SPX8000 Desktop

*I have been in touch with Dell about the ethernet and they have it and instructions are included to install it. It's about $35 but, being the novice I am, the USB Wireless adapter sounds MUCH better to me.

All of this being said, what I want to have in the end, no matter what hardware I need is:

A wireless Internet connection to the other (Dell) PC but I'm thinking the wired connection I already have is working just fine. If I DON'T need a wireless Cable Modem to keep the internet on the Dell PC and have WI-FI capability for my (main HP) this can remain the same. Then all I would need to understand is what I would need to hook up the Amazon Kimble Fire through my HP PC to have WI-FI capability for it. My PC is an HP Pavilion Series Model # p7-1180t, Product #QE436AV, Serial #2MD20201X8

This is all quite confusing to me and hopefully you'll understand it all or at least enough to ask more questions. I really like what I see about the Amazon Kimble Fire and they now have an agreement with Discover Card that cardholders can use CashBack Bonus to apply to purchases on Amazon. I have about $175 accumulated cashback bonus so I'd get the Fire for about $24 + shipping etc.

Thanks for your interest in my dilems and I await to hear from you.

(any idea why I'm not getting notifications when someone responds to my post when I have it set up to notify me. If I hadn't been curious enough to look at my post I'd never have known you replied.

Jerry

[JerryY]

So I can just leave the wired router hooked up as is and add the Linksys EA2700 and I'm home free to hook up the Amazon Kindle Fire? Amazon has this Ea2700 for $90.87 plus shipping. That's well within reach.

I just clicked the down arrow and saw the option to subscribe to this forum so I may not have had it set up as I thought I did. Maybe, maybe not. The email is still a good idea.

Thanks so much

JerryY

[Jim721]

Hi Jerry, Please remove your email address from your post under edit. You should never post personal info in any public forum use Private message for that. You never know who is reading your info. Jim !!

[JerryY]

Done. Thanks for the advice. As you probably know I'm new here.

JerryY

[Jim721]

No problem just dont want your e-mail to blow up with spam or worse.

[PeteC2]

---

JerryY wrote:

So I can just leave the wired router hooked up as is and add the Linksys EA2700 and I'm home free to hook up the Amazon Kindle Fire?

---

JerryY, the Linksys E2500 that you already have, is a wireless router!  Perhaps the fact that the antenna are internal threw you off?  When you wrote that you had a wired router I assumed that it was not a wireless model.  Just because you have your desktop cabled to the router, does not change the fact that this is an 11N wireless router...you are just utilizing the wired port, but you can also connect to it wirelessly.

All you have to do is run the install disk, this time setting up your wireless network.  The E2500 is the direct predecessor to the EA2700, and a decent enough router in its own right, and although the setup is a little more complicated than the EA series, it is still pretty easy for anyone to set up.

P.S. If by any chance you have lost or misplaced the install disk, you can easily download it from Linksys's support site here: http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/support/routers/E2500

[JerryY]

Have you looked at that map of my "network"?

You see, I'm just not sure where to begin even after I get the USB Adapter for the Dell PC (which is the way I want to go). How do I get rid of the "network" I have now, if it even is a network. At that point I guess I could stumble through the instructions to set it up. I guess after whatever I have to do to get rid of the current network I'll need to unplug the Cable Modem and all from the router to get a fresh start with it? Worst case, if I get stuck and can't figure it out, I can still get the internet on my PC but that sure won't make the granddaughter very happy until I get it figured out.

If all this happens, does the Kimble Fire just get a signal from the wireless router then (after I have changed it to wireless)?

I don't guess you'd consider a kinda step by step process for me? I think I pretty much have the hardware information in the forum here. If not, as I said I'll try to stimble through it.

I guess it's obvious that I'm very, very, nervous about attempting this change, yet I do want it.

I'm going to look at the Linksys documentation of the disc I got with it and maybe that'll ease my stress a little.

Thanks for all your help.

I do really need it

JerryY

[PeteC2]

JerryY, if you want to change your desktop's connection to wireless, that is ok, but unless the cable is in the way, better to leave it wired.  There is absolutely no problem with having a combination of wired and wireless devices, that is how my router is set up.

Really, all you need to do now is to run (or re-run) your set up disk, and let it walk you right through the wireless set up...it really is just that easy. 

When setting up a wireless conenction it is by all means preferrable to do so through a wired connection...such as what you already have!  All this is going to do is recognize your wireless connection, settings, and if you have not yet set up the wireless security (by all means important to do!), it will walk you right through the process step by step.

No offense at all, but you are reading way too much in this process.  Unless you changed the router settings, whether you are aware of it or not, you are already transmitting a wireless signal...that is what wireless routers do after all! 

Once you have set up your wireless network, adding devices such as a Kindle Fire is as simple as having the device (Kindle) look for the wireless network, and then type in the saecurity password that you are going to protect your wireless network with you will be good to go.

[JerryY]

Yeah, I know I'm making it harder than it needs to be. I know that I try to get everything just right on the first try and it I don't I consider it a failure of sorts.

You're just gonna love me until this is over.

So I just run the disc as I sit now...without the Kimble Fire and then it will be recognized when I get it?

So I should keep the wired Public Network just as it is?

When I run the disc again is it going to ask me to set up another network?

I guess as soon as I get your reply I'll give it a shot...running the disc. I looked and do notice there are 2 empty ports (3 & 4) on the back of the router. Guess this doesn't matter?

OK, I'll take the plunge as soon asI hear from you. (bet you can tell I'm either retired or just don't work. I'm retired)

Back again. Leaver the router power and all wires hooked up just as they are when running the disc?

Thanks a million

JerryY

[PeteC2]

Although I do not have a Kindle Fire, I suspect that setting it up will be in no way different than any other wireless device:  There will surely be a menu for WiFi settings, it will show you the wireless networks that it can "see" from its location (in other words, those close by enough to have their signal picked up).  At that point you will select your network (or SSID as it is called), and then enter whatever password you had assigned(router security, called WEP, WPA or WPA2, WPA/WPA2 being common).

When you run setup, you are just going to set up your wireless connection, simply follow the directions.  By the way, if you ever get really "messed up" there is a rfeset button in the back of the router.  You can always reset the router to factory specs and re-install it worst comes to worst.

There are 5 "ports" on your router.  One is the Wan port, where you plug in your cable modem, the other 4 are for any devices that you want to set up as "wired" versus wireless.

Keep in mind, you really don't need to set up a network to have a wired device plugged in, and there is no password required since there is no wireless secvurity to be concerned with.  I have a desktop computer and a networked printer plugged into mine, as well as a NAS (network-attached storage - hard drive).

If your network is a "Home Network", then that is what it should be designated as.  The term "Public Network" is for a network that may have any number of folks utilizing it, so any computer to computer sharing is greatly restricted.  On a Home Network it is assumed that there is less issue sharing files say from one computer or device, to another.  For example, I often transfer video and music files between my desktop and notebook computers within my network, as well as back ups to my network connected hard drive, and need/desire little security within my network.  If I were at a hotel with WiFi, of course I certainly would not want other computers having any sharing capability with mine!  Get the idea?

By the way, how many ports remain open is not an issue either way, unless of course you need a port and have run out!

[Baric]

I would recommend one other change based on your posted image.  You have the wrong network type.  See where is says "Network 3" with the picture of a park bench (ie. a public space)?  It says "Public network" underneath and it should say "Home network".  Click on the "Public network" link and then select "Home network" (with the picture of a house) and press Close on the next screen.