Can I wirelessly network my laptop and my desktop if the desktop doesn't have a wireless adapter?

Question

Essentially I have my Cable modem hooked through a wireless router which is then connected to my desktop via an ethernet cable.

I wirelessly connect to the web through my laptop.

I can't seem to figure out how to set up a home network with this system. As far as I can tell windows networking requires my desktop to have a wireless adapter as well, even though it is connected to the wireless router.

I'm sure I'm being very stupid here and that this should be a simple thing to do.

If not is there any way around the need to get a wireless card for my desktop?

(I'm running Windows XP on both machines).

Thanks!

Thanks N2FC - but how do I get the two computers to see each other in the first place. I'm afraid I'm a novice at networking. The wireless networking setup wizard won't connect the desktop because it doesn't have a wireless adapter, and the standard networking wizard doesn't detect the laptop because it isn't physically connected to a LAN?

I need a kind of walk-through on how to do this...

Thanks.

Answer 1

Not necessary to have wireless on both at all!

You can connect your WAN port of wireless router to Cable modem, Ethernet of desktop to any of the other ports, and wireless connect all other pc's to the wireless router...

This is a very common setup and works just fine!

If you want to share files/printers in a peer network:

1) Make sure all pc's are in the same WORKGROUP
2) Activate file/printer sharing in all pc's
3) Make sure firewall PERMITS file/printer sharing so as not to block access...

That should do it!

Answer 2

Yes, you have to open up file sharing on the desktop and then on the laptop you can go to add network place. Using this strategy you can also add a printer.