This one is for the techies out there.......

Ok, I just recently purchased a new computer (yay!), and I am trying to connect the internet connection from my sister's pc to my new pc. She has dsl and the modem is an Actiontec modem if that matters. I have already connected my old pc to her internet connection via a wireless card that I installed into my old pc. Here is my problem - I purchased a Wireless USB 2.0 adapter because that is what I was told will work to share the wireless connection on my new pc. My new pc is a HP Pavilion a1600n and it has a network interface card already installed; I installed the software and the adapter just fine and when I tried to connect to the internet I could not connect and I uninstalled the software and the adapter. I made sure that I printed the wireless settings from my sister's pc first because I knew I would need them to set up the new pc. Now I was doing some searching on HP's site and at Best Buy.com and from what I can gather I will need to connect a router to my sister's dsl modem in order to share the wireless connection on both of my pc's. I had bought a router before and hooked it up when I was setting up the connection on my old pc and it interfered with the connection so I took it off and returned it.

My question is, do I really need the router, or should I disable the internet connection on my old pc and try to just connect my new pc to the wireless connection? I'm really fearful of doing the latter, because if that is not the problem then I will screw up the internet connection on my old pc and it took so long for me to figure out how to get it set up right in the first place.[confused]

A Router will always work beeter than some USB 2.0 adpter. Whoever told you to do that is a loon.

But if I get the router will I need to connect my new pc to it with a USB cord? My sister's computer is in the living room and mine are in my room, so that is why wireless works best. A USB cord would get in everyone's way.

So if I buy the wierless router do I connect that to my sister's pc or mine?

^ Precisely. The router simply takes the IP address from your cable modem and splits it among the various machines. The router normally has a 192.168.0.1 IP address and that gets split among each computer in your home (*.0.1, *.0.2, *.0.3, etc.) This allows all machines to get in and out on the web through the same 'line' and allows you to add as many machines as you feel the need through the wireless connection. If you need help, I am available as well as SFF.

Ok, I think I get it. It is starting to make sense - the adapter I purchased basically makes my new pc wireless without cracking open the case. The wireless router connects to the dsl modem on my sister's pc and then I can connect my new pc wirelessly to the internet connection from the router. I have to wait until next week to get the wireless router because that's when I get paid next, but I will definitely try to buy it.