Home Network & Cable Modem

[Guest]

Presently I have a desktop system. I also connect to the internet via cable modem. The cable runs into the back of the cable modem which in-turn has an network cable running into the nic card of the desktop system.

I'll be getting a laptop in a week or so. I want to set up my home network once I get it. I want it so that the cable modem comes into the house and connects to something (I don't know what) and both my systems (desktop and laptop) access the cable modem wirelessly.

What hardware do I need to accomplish this? Or does my desktop HAVE to be hard wired to the cable modem so that my laptop can access it through wireless network?

I just want to cut down on the number of physical wires running around in the house as well as I want the shortest wires possible to use (i.e. the coax cable would be shorter to reach a cable modem rather than having it reach the desktop system since it is located farther away from the cable jack).

Any help would be great!

 

[Margaret M. Szabo]

I would recommend getting a Wireless DSL/Cable Router with built in switch.
Linksys, Netgear, DLink, etc. connect the modem to the router, wire connect
router to workstation..... get a wireless card for the laptop. You're all
set.

Presently I have a desktop system. I also connect to the internet via

cable modem. The cable runs into the back of the cable modem which in-turn
has an network cable running into the nic card of the desktop system.

I'll be getting a laptop in a week or so. I want to set up my home network

once I get it. I want it so that the cable modem comes into the house and
connects to something (I don't know what) and both my systems (desktop and
laptop) access the cable modem wirelessly.

What hardware do I need to accomplish this? Or does my desktop HAVE to be

hard wired to the cable modem so that my laptop can access it through
wireless network?

I just want to cut down on the number of physical wires running around in

the house as well as I want the shortest wires possible to use (i.e. the
coax cable would be shorter to reach a cable modem rather than having it
reach the desktop system since it is located farther away from the cable
jack).

 

[Don Seckler]

Would this setup also allow you to share files amongst the computers
on the network? Like music files etc...

 

[Papa]

If you mean the computers in YOUR network, i.e., your LAN, then yes - if you
have file sharing enabled.