Uh-oh...

[conuly]

So, I finally bought me a router. And I got it *all the way home* before I realized that I need ethernet cables for it to work. (It also can function wirelessly, but I need a something-or-other for that too, I believe)

I don't have ethernet anything. My modem plugs straight into my laptop or the big computer via a USB cord.

And I paid too much for this router, I know, I know.

Dang it.

So I haven't opened the box yet. I want to be able to return it if, say, one of my friends (or my Uncle Gabriel) should pop up and offer to send me a decent router with all the necessary accoutrements.

In other news, I'm apparently scheduled to take a CPE tomorrow at noon. There's no way. I'm babysitting tomorrow at noon. Besides, I'm fairly certain that I'm exempt from those or something, so I have to fix this. Damn mail service, fucking up when I get news of stuff.

Comments

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

You don't have an ethernet network card at all? And your modem's USB? How strange... You would need a wireless card for at least one of those computers, yes.

AFAIK, all routers are ethernet related. Multi-port USB peripherals are basically powered hubs.

What were you planning to use the router for?

[conuly]

The internet, so my laptop and the big computer could be set up to go online at one time. That's all I need it for, and it didn't occur to me that everything in the world now requires an ethernet cable.

My modem *can* use an ethernet cable, it's got the outlet, but we just use a USB cord, that's what came with it when we got it.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Well, it sounds like you're going to need some ethernet cables then... or else wireless cards.

Returning the router won't really do you any good, unless you can get a cheaper deal. Also, what version of wireless is it? (a, b, g)

[conuly]

1. Well, that's the theory, that my Uncle Gabriel will go nuts and send us a router anyway. Besides, I already overpaid for this router. If I can get a cheaper one, I'll be happy.
2. No clue, and I'm not checking now. Thanks for asking, though, I'd've no doubt ended up with the wrong thing if I hadn't known to check for that.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

1. Good luck with the router cost-comparing.
2. Currently sold routers will come with two versions of wireless: b and g. G is an improved version of b, and is backwards-compatible (it slows down to b speeds). However, I'm not sure G cards will work with B routers. The basic point is that if you're actually purchasing a router and cards, it's a good plan to get G wireless; said router and cards will be around for years, you might as well get fast ones.

[zathras26.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure G cards will work with B routers.

They should. I'm using a non-Apple B router and an apple G card in my PowerBook, and it all works fine. I've also connected to other B routers without any trouble. (In my case, the only snag is an occasional minor problem with WEP, because Apple has some weird little quirk about how they implement it under OS X, but the workaround is simple.)

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

So it slows down both ways then? Good good. I wasn't absolutely sure.

[zathras26.livejournal.com]

Yes, it works fine. :-) I'd have to double-check to be sure, but I think that a G router slows down to B speeds for all users if any connected user is using B -- that is, if there's one B user and three or four G users, they all get B speeds. I'm not positive about that, though.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I've heard about G routers and B cards, similar to USB 2.0 and 1.1/1.0. I just wasn't sure whether B routers would recognize G cards.

[griphus.livejournal.com]

wait, how's it jack into the broadband (i assume you have broadband) line?

[conuly]

We have cable internet. The cable attatches to the modem, the modem uses a USB cord to attatch to the computer.

[griphus.livejournal.com]

ah, that makes sense. i forgot they let you do that. so, yeah, like the person above me said, either you'll be dragging ethernet cables around from the router to your laptop, or you'll need to invest in a wireless card for your laptop. i can only assume your cable modem is near your computer, so you only need a regular ethernet card for that (and you can get one of those for roughly ten bucks). If you're going to get a wireless card for your laptop, try your best to get it in the same brand as your wireless router for maximum compatibility. wireless is jawdroppingly fickle.

[conuly]

That's why I don't want wireless at all. I only ever use the internet on my laptop from one area, so all I really have to do is have one ethernet cable permanently attatched to the big computer, and the other dangling in my room somewhere.

[griphus.livejournal.com]

just make sure to do the math first. most major places don't even sell regular routers anymore (wireless routers double as regular ones), and it might be cheaper to get a wireless card for your laptop than it would to get a regular card for the laptop and buy ethernet cable (which can get expensive).

[conuly]

Wireless stuff in our home has a nasty habit of not working. So I want to try it with my laptop first (and the router I already got is a wireless router, so that's no problem) and then see if it's worth hooking up the big computer.

I'll make a new post for the question that just occured to me.