Easiest way to share a DSL line?

Question

I have yahoo DSL service, with the 2fast modem/router. My wife has a laptop with wireless card, so she connect easily.

My son has a desktop. What is the easiest way to connect his desktop pc to the same DSL connection? His room is next to my office. The phone jack in his room does not currently work, or he could at least have dial-up. His PC is a few years old, but does have WinXP (we loaded this - It had Win98, I think)

Answer 1

Run an Ethernet cable through the wall from his computer to the router (if you want it to look nice get 2 preassembled Ethernet cables, some twisted-pair network cable, two RJ-45 jacks and some crimpers, my Dad and I did it ourselves even though we knew almost nothing about it) , or buy a PCI wireless adapter. If you don't understand this, find a friend who does and they can help you, it's really not time-consuming or hard.

Answer 2

Get a router like dlink dir-655.

connect the DSL modem to the router. Have the router sign on like PPOE. Once sign on, set your router to DHCP where the router will assign IPs to your computers.

DSL Modem
=> Router
=> PC 1
=> PC 2
=> PC 3

and to connect to any different computers with cat5/rj45 or use power-line which will connect room to room with out wires.
http://www.cnet.com/4520-7390_1-6274537-1.html

Answer 3

Jamie is right. you probably have an open RJ45 port in your router.
If not, you need to take the one port you do have and hook it up to a switch. (a 10/00 ethernet switch) that will distribute your signal to other machines.

if you don;t want to hack the desktop's case opened and put in a wireless card, but you DO want to use your wireless connection, you can get a "wireless ethernet bridge" that will let you connect to a wireless signal using your normal ethernet port....

Answer 4

If you get a wireless router (Linksys or whatever) generally they will have a place in the back for a cat 5 cable to his computer and your wife will still be able to use her laptop.

Another option would be to get a wireless card for his computer. I had one in my 2002 computer before I switched to a laptop. They aren't too hard to install.

Answer 5

Since your wife is running wireless, why not put a wireless card in your son's desktop machine.