Wireless laptop USB adaptor problems

[Flawl3ssCowb0y]

Right, heres the deal. I have a PC set up in this way:

A Router/Modem plugged into the PC via USB, then my Linksys Wireless Router is plugged into the Router/Modem via an Ethernet cable.

I want to get our laptop on the wireless network so I bought a USB adaptor, a Safecom one from eBuyer (can't provide a link now as eBuyer is down). People on there were writing in their reviews that they bought this adapter to connect their laptops to their wireless network so I figured it'd be ok.
The laptop I'm using is pretty old and is running on Windows 98 and has no PCMCIA card.

Basically using the program that comes with the USB adaptor, I can get the laptop to pick up the wireless signal, but it won't connect to any sites on IE Explorer. I'm assuming this is because there is no network set up between the laptop and the PC?

I then read on one of the tutorials that a laptop can only connect to a wireless network using a PCMCIA card, so have I wasted money on this USB adaptor?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, and please feel free to ask anymore questions regarding my set up

[wheels]

From the sounds of it you have things in the wrong sequence. It should go:



Modem to router (usb or Ethernet – WAN connection)

PC to router via Ethernet

Laptop to router via wireless usb wirless adapter



The tutorial is in error. It does not matter the format of the adapter; pcmcia or usb as long as your OS (in this case 98) can handle it.

[Flawl3ssCowb0y]

That setup won't work, as all my Wireless Router has in the back of it is an Ethernet port and power port, so if I was to plug that into my network card in my PC, then my modem would not be able to plug into it.

Anyway, the real problem is getting the internet to work on the laptop. Like I said, I know it picks the signal up cause the program tells me so. So do I have to set up some sort've network between the laptop and this PC? If so, how do I do it?

Cause when I try to do it through Network Wizard or something, it trys to find a modem, which of course there isn't cause the laptop isn't the host computer!

[Flawl3ssCowb0y]

Here is the USB adaptor I got:

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=8057852582&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X2 92ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=48444

And my Wireless Router:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...592786-1301229

[wheels]

The user's guide (downloadable from LinkSys) has some good diagrams on this, but in general :

The line of connection needs to be :

cable/dsl connection to modem
modem to router
router to computers either via wireledd or ethernet.

does your modem have an ethernet port?

[Flawl3ssCowb0y]

Yes, it is a router/modem so it has 4, BUT my wireless router only has 1, which means it cannot plug into the PC AND the router/modem!

[wheels]

What is the actual model number of your Access Point? Even if it is just an Access Point and not a router, it will plug into your router, not your PC.



The flow of data is modem to router to computers. Everything – your PC via Ethernet and any wireless device goes to the router first which then routes the traffic to the other computer or to the internet as needed.

[ciara]

The real problem is getting the internet to work on the laptop. Like I said, I know it picks the signal up cause the program tells me so. So do I have to set up some sort've network between the laptop and this PC? If so, how do I do it?