h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've got a PC with Windows XP Professional connected to a broadband modem and a printer.

I've got a laptop running Windows XP Home.

I've got an old slow PC running Windows 95.

Can I set up a wireless network that will provide a broadband connection and printing to the laptop?

Can I use the old Win95 computer as well or is it too underpowered? (266 MHz processor and I think 4 MB RAM)

What do I need to buy? Do I need to replace the broadband modem with a wireless version?

Any help would be appreciated.

I know that netgear produce a wireless switch with a built in firewall and print server, allowing any printer that can connect to a PC with a parallel cable to be used as a network printer. Alternatively you can enable printer sharing of any printer connected to any PC by right clicking on it and selecting "sharing" from the drop down list, and choosing it in the network neighbourhood from the other computer.

How does your broadband modem connect to your PC? is it by USB cable or by an ethernet socket? If it's the former you'd probably find it easier replacing the modem with a wireless router as going down the Internet Connection Sharing route using your main PC as a proxy can be a headache, even between the same versions of operating systems. It'd also mean the computer that had the broadband going into it would need to be on for others to use the connection. If however it connects via an ethernet socket then you can get away with just sticking a wireless switch between your modem and your PC, and the connection's no longer tied to a specific PC.

As for the Win95 box, you may have problems since tracking down compatible drivers for wireless networking kit. Early versions of 95 had no USB support and later versions were very tempremental when it came to USB hardware. If it's a PCI wireless network card you're intending on using, your milage may be better if you can track down a compatible driver.

Thanks for that, Croz. The PC connects to the broadband modem through a USB connection, so it looks like I'd be best replacing the modem.

So I need:

New modem
Bit that plugs the PC
Bit that plugs into the laptop

Forget the old PC.

You could always experiment with Linux on the old 95 box as that'd stand a better chance of getting online wirelessly than it can running win95

I don't think so. The only reason we still have the Windows 95 machine is that the girls need it to run all their old games that won't run on Windows XP. I very much doubt they'd run under Linux.

If its a cable modum and anything like mine, you have the option of connecting it to the PC by either USB or Ethernet connection; Ours (the cable modum) was origionally connected via USB but we changed this to ethernet to increae performance and to allow us to use the wireless hub.
if you can connect via ethernet, then the wireless hub would probably work well. can't remember what make etc our wireless hub is, but basically you'd plug the modum via ethernet conenction into the hub, then the hub you could plug into the main PC to provide teh broadband to that PC, the printer/scanners etc., would plug into the hub I believe also, then you'd need a wireless ethernet card for the laptop; you should be able to get a PCMCIA one providing you've a PCMCIA slot on the laptop; if not you can get USB ones (we've a box of them for some reason) I doubt very much the windows 95 machien would work; we've not been able to set up our wireless network cause our machines ar eall windows 98 at the moment; and you can't get the drivers supported on them; Plus the whole wireless thing relaly didn't come out till XP time, and XP is a lot more supportive (as i undersntan it) of wireless conenctions when I get my new PC (XP Pro) soon we should be getting our wireless network established (with the new PC, and this old PC that will then be upgraded to an XP machine to go in my 'office'/spare spare room) Doubt I'd be able to get my ancient laptop working on it though the hub we have also has a very good firewall in it, so thats kinda cool; plus with the USB slots in it; it can give more space for plugging in digiatal camera/scanners/printers/whatever must order up the case for my new PC

I bought a Wireless ADSL Firewall Router, an Ethernet card for my PC and a PCMCIA wireless card. It seems to be working now.

Traveller in Time wired (at least second hand equipment)
"Glad you worked it out.

Not studied the backlog, did you limit the DHCP leases in the Router to the MAC addresses you know are in your systems? "

No. But I did put WEP encryption on the system so nobody with an unregistered laptop can use it.