I am considering getting a laptop, and it includes an integrated 802.11g wireless.
At home, my desktop is connected to my cable modem with a 802.11b router and adapter. Will the “g” laptop be able to read the “b” router in order to share the internet connection, plus files and printer with the desktop?
In other words, do I have to buy a new 802.11g router, or is my current fine for my laptop?
G is backwards compatible with B. it will work fine.
Thank you, Astro! 
Just for the sake of completeness, if you were going the other way around: most “g” routers will revert to “b” speed if a “b” device is connecting to it.
Again, it’s automatic, but you do have the reduced speed penalty. Not that there’s a useful difference between “b” and “g” in sharing internet connections. A typical DSL line runs at 768 kbps and “b” runs at 11,000 kbps (11 mbps) - still much faster than any DSL connection.
Since you two have been helpful, let’s keep going
I bought a new HP laptop and it has a wireless 802.11g integrated wireless LAN card (included in the laptop). I want it to connect to my wireless router so it can read my Sony Vaio desktop computer. The Sony is attached to my cable modem with a Belkin 802.11b card to a Belkin 802.11b wireless router.
Desktop Vaio has XP Pro. HP laptop has XP Home (but I can install Pro on it). So far so good?
What I want to do is share the files and printer.
My printer is hooked up via USB to the Vaio desktop. How can I print from the HP laptop?
How can I access “My Documents” from both computers? From one computer to the next?
In MY COMPUTER - SYSTEM PROPERTIES, I made sure both computers have different Computer Names and the same Workgroup. But whenever I try to add the computers to in “My Network Places” or find the computer in “Search”, I do not see either one showing up on the other computer.
Funny thing is, the laptop is able to pick up the wireless Router to access my cable modem. So I can surf the net just fine on the laptop!
What am I missing? I’m thinking it might have to do with the wireless router and it’s firewall, maybe?
A few things.
The XP machines are not going to be allowed see each other until you enable networking and sharing. At the default level of sharing each machine can access the other’s “shared folder”. To grant each PC full access to each others files and directories first you need to enable networking on the machine, and then (as a separate action) enable sharing of specific drives. The easiest way to do this (enable sharing) is to use Windows Explorer directory tree and right click on the drive you want to share and go to the “Sharing and Security” tab and enable full sharing across the network (if that’s what you want to do).
It’s been a while since I activated the networking, and I don’t remember the specific initializing sequence, but I do remember you will need the XP OS CD to be handy as the system will need files from it. I’m sure some other doper will be along shortly to give you the details on how to activate networking.
As a side note you absolutely, postively want to set your wireless network to use an automatic WEP pass key for wireless connections. if you don’t anyone with a nearby wireless connection can access your system(s) and root around.
Re printers you have to option under the individual printer setup configuration applet(s) in XP to set the printers to be shared on a network (right click on the specific printer icon and go to the sharing tab). If you do this and the network is active and functioning the printer will offer itself as an available network printer to other network users (you may have to reboot before it does this) . If you do connect to a networked printer you will need to have the printer driver disk handy if XP does not have the drivers built in.
Here re enabling networking
I’m using that exact match to read this board right now. Yes, it works, just like USB 2 works plugged into a USB 1.1 slot.
I did find on my manufacturer’s site a graph that claimed you get better wall penetration by using a g card even if you’re using a b router. Really, though, I just wanted to be future compatible.
All went well! My internet connection is shared, as in my printer! It’s kinda cool sitting in the bed and hearing the printer go off in the office room. Thanks all!
The last problem I seem to be encountering is I cannot open shared files on my desktop from the laptop. They show up in the My Network Places, but when I try to open the desktop’s shared files, an X window beeps up and says:
"\computer\folder (the desktop) not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.
Access is denied."
How do I give the laptop permission to look at the desktop’s shared files? I have no such problem opening the laptop’s files in the desktop.
Per my note have you set the desktops C: drive (or whatever drive you wish to share) to be completely shared per my description? You have to do this on both networked computers as each sets it’s own sharing permissions.
I didn’t hit the other check-mark for “allow other users to change files”. Now it all works fine. Thanks! Road Runner, files, and printers all working GREAT from both computers.
I had to disable the XP firewall on both computers’ connections. Otherwise, it wouldn’t read the other computer. Is this normal?
My router has a firewall, so I guess I don’t need XP’s too.