# Home Wi-Fi questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853 "2011-03-15T23:53:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/1 "2011-03-15T23:53:58Z")
Need a little help setting up a home wi-fi system. I currently have 2 pc’s connected to the internet through a wired router. I also have a laptop that and when I use it at home, I plug it into the router. Now the problem. My girlfriend has a Kindle and I recently purchased a Nook Color. We both use our devices at her house, she has a wireless network, with no problems. What I would like to be able to use my Nook at home without changing my existing network over to wireless. What I would like would be a wireless network along with my wired. Is there a device that I could plug into my existing router or computer that give me a wi-fi network? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/2 "2011-03-15T23:59:10Z")
Well, yes and no. You would plug a wireless router into one of the LAN ports of your router (make sure you change it’s address from 192.168.1.1 to something else like 192.168.1.2) and that would do what you want to do. But at that point, you might as well just get a wired/wireless router and replace your wired router with this one. I’m not sure what you mean when you say you don’t want to change your network over to wireless, but you want to be able to connect her wireless device into your network. You can’t have it both ways (as far as I know). ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/3 "2011-03-16T00:22:37Z")
Most wireless routers today include about 4 wired ports, and you can get into a decent D-Link or Cisco router for the same price as what you would probably spend on any other wired-to-wireless devices to attach to your existing wired-only router. Short version: replace your router with a wireless router. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/4 "2011-03-16T00:24:51Z")
What you need is a “wireless dongle.” It’s a USB device that attaches to your computer that allows you to share your network wirelessly. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/5 "2011-03-16T00:28:56Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > Most wireless routers today include about 4 wired ports, and you can get into a decent D-Link or Cisco router for the same price as what you would probably spend on any other wired-to-wireless devices to attach to your existing wired-only router. > > Short version: replace your router with a wireless router. This is what I have, a Belkin. I have several hardwired things plugged in and maybe as many as 5 wireless laptops. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/6 "2011-03-16T00:31:16Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > What you need is a “wireless dongle.” It’s a USB device that attaches to your computer that allows you to share your network wirelessly. IF he does not have an existing wireless router, this will fail spectacularly. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/7 "2011-03-16T00:38:04Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > Short version: replace your router with a wireless router. Seconded, its pretty easy unless you have a bunch of trick settings ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/8 "2011-03-16T01:06:04Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > What you need is a “wireless dongle.” It’s a USB device that attaches to your computer that allows you to share your network wirelessly. > [@drachillix](#): > > IF he does not have an existing wireless router, this will fail spectacularly. It would work: the PC could set up an ad-hoc wireless network using the dongle, and the devices could attach to that. I wouldn’t do it that way, though. This introduces a dependency on one machine to always be on. > [@fubbleskag](#): > > Most wireless routers today include about 4 wired ports, and you can get into a decent D-Link or Cisco router for the same price as what you would probably spend on any other wired-to-wireless devices to attach to your existing wired-only router. > > Short version: replace your router with a wireless router. This is my vote. Why don’t you want to replace the existing router? There are some cases where you might have a combo cablemodem/router that you need to keep, so in those limited cases it would be worth fiddling with adding a wireless router in bridge mode. IF you already asked the cable company for a modern wireless router and didn’t get a good answer, and IF you already have the wireless router kicking around. Otherwise, just pick up a new router. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/9 "2011-03-16T02:40:10Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Need a little help setting up a home wi-fi system. I currently have 2 pc’s connected to the internet through a wired router. I also have a laptop that and when I use it at home, I plug it into the router. > > Now the problem. My girlfriend has a Kindle and I recently purchased a Nook Color. We both use our devices at her house, she has a wireless network, with no problems. > > What I would like to be able to use my Nook at home without changing my existing network over to wireless. What I would like would be a wireless network along with my wired. Is there a device that I could plug into my existing router or computer that give me a wi-fi network? The device you want is called an [“access point”,](http://homestore.cisco.com/en-us/access-points/linksys-WAP610N_stcVVproductId80342978VVcatId543809VVviewprod.htm)(see link) and yes it is made to add wireless capability to an existing wired network. It will do what you want but there is little, if any, utility to doing this for a home user vs an integrated wireless router.. These are primarily used on corporate or business type networks. For a home user it’s usually simpler and cheaper to get a standard [wired+wireless router](http://homestore.cisco.com/en-us/products/linksys_stcVVcatId551966VVviewcat.htm) as others have indicated. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/10 "2011-03-16T02:44:38Z")
Oh yeah thought of another: If you have a laptop, modern ones can act as wireless access points with no additional hardware, but then you would need to turn it on and plug it into the router. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-wi-fi-questions/574853/11 "2011-03-17T02:04:00Z")
My router just went out. It was an old Linksys 2.4 GHz, and was too old for free support. I had it connected to my desktop with a cable, but it was wireless capable. After a morning of messing around, and offers of new software updates, and offers of support subscriptions…and so forth… Went down to Best Buys and picked up a Linksys E2000. Having installed my old router a number of years ago, I dreaded the set up process. But after I removed the old router, and connected the new one to my internet modem, my desktop was online with about 3 mouse clicks. I didn’t even realize I was connected to the net at first. Really, really easy! My advice - buy a new router and eliminate all of your problems.