Genealogy Chat

Right, both computers hitched up. Can anyone give me an idiots guide to networking using W2000?

Success! Got the first computer up and running on the wireless connection. Goodness knows what was causing the hitch last night! Next step (over weekend) hitch up second computer to Wanadoo box. Then try networking them.

Oh Brian, Ive still got mine in bits in the opened box - cant bear the thought of having to grovel about under my desk as its a very tight squeeze in my office (box room bedroom).

Well, tried setting it up last night. Very easy to do, right up to the last stage where it runs through the checks and it decided that the wireless adaptor on the computer had dropped the signal, even though the adaptor was within a couple of feet of the router. I'll have another go tonight.

Yes I saw that Brian - what a cheek! I thought it was going to say it was a tenner or something - couldnt believe how much it was.

I'll just have to wait and see if the extra £4 comes through on the bill. I will probably set mine up tonight or tomorrow. It looks quite easy actually, simply run the CD, put the plugs in the appropriate places and enter your existing ISP account details. I was intrigued by the leaflet enclosed which offered to do the set-up for £70!

Yes, Im sure he would set it up in a rush without showing me what to do. Im only sitting here at 1 a.m. cos he has gone out and not come back yet! He is on a weeks 'pay as you lay' as he refers to a holiday week.

Most of this is going right over my head as I am in the US. I had never heard of a dongle... But a thought occured to me, having a 19 year old son of my very own - Heather, have you asked him to set it up? They usually seem to know what to do, and delight in being more able than their mother at computer stuff. Although they might not realize that you are in fact being rather clever and getting them to do something useful instead of their own 'stuff' :-)

Well, not the message I got twice from them Im afraid. Theres also a bit on the blurb which says they have the right to activate your account if you have not done so after 20 days.

Blast ! Although: It says they will charge the £4 from when you activate your account and surely ou only activate your account by the second part of the installation, from section 1.9 !

Yes Brian, but they still want the £4 a month!

Heather I've got the gear and read through the installation instructions. Looks like if you don't want the phone then you stop at step 1.8 which will give you the broadband connection without the phone.

Brian Yes, once you are wireless, you can set up a Windows network, which allows you to fileshare and also use peripherals wirelessly (I can attach my portable printer to my laptop and OH can print to it wireless).

Heather The 'big box thing' is the Livebox - it sends the wireless signal out. The small silver thing is the dongle aka the adapter. If you want to connect two computers, and only use what comes in the box, one will have to be wired (via the ethernet) to the livebox. You can order another adapter from Wanadoo, but they are not cheap (I think they were about £40 last time I looked), in which case both can be wireless.

The dongle is the little adaptor/aerial thing that plugs into a USB socket on the computer.

The dongle being the big box thing? So I use that to connect sons Playstation and then use the wire for my pc? Oh, I knew this would happen.

From Penny's description you plug into one computer and use the dongle on the second.

Well, Ive got everything out of the box and Im erm confused. I thought the idea was that you would be wireless? How can you be wireless if the second puter has a wire connected to it? Do you have to buy another box thing?

Brian, that was the idea re teenage son contributing at the start, but somehow it seems to have been forgotten. Wow, the gear arrived today! Thats quick. Still havent received a reply to not wanting the talk bit though. I shall have a go at connecting all this stuff later and let you know how I got on, but I should imagine I shall live up to my posting name!

I've signed up, waiting for the gear to arrive. Had a word with our computer consultant at work, he recons I should be able to share files between the computers as well as the broadband connection.