Novice networker requiring urgent help please?

[suey]

Hi
I have AOL. I have a desktop Athlon 2600 with windows XP home and a
laptop Thinkpad T22 with BT voyager 1010 USB wireless Lan .In my
network adapters I have Globespan USB ADSL Lan modem, PPPoE Win
Miniport, and Realtek RTL8139 Family Pci fast ethernet NIC.....whish is
all double dutch to me!! At the moment I am using a BT Voyager 105 ADSL
USB modem. I have windows xp pro on laptop.
Can anyone tell me exactly what i need to network these two please? I
have been looking and come up with a Linksys WAG54G Wireless and a
Linksys: WAP54G - Wireless-G Access Point for a possible wireless
router. Can anyone tell me if there is a great difference between these
please as in functionality? I have chance of a WAP54G at a greatly
reduced price and trying to stay on a low a budget as possible. Do I
need anything else apart from this wireless router? Will all this work
together with AOL and will it be easy to set up? I'd be very grateful
for any help at all as I am a complete novice to networking.
many thanks
Suey

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

The WAP54G is simply an access point and would typically be connected to a
switch to give wireless devices access to a LAN. It could also be connected
directly or indirectly to a (wired) router, e.g., Linksys BEFSR41, to
provide Internet access for wireless devices.

The WAG54G is an ADSL modem + broadband router + 4 port 10/100 switch +
802.11g access point. THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED IF YOU WANT TO SHARE INTERNET
ACCESS for both wired and wireless devices and do not have an existing
broadband router.

See slideshow re: device connection.
http://www.linksys.com/edu/networkbasics/Linksys Networking Basics_files/frame.htm

File sharing etc. explained

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/troubleshoot/
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0204.mspx