I have a home PC, desk top, with cable hook up. I want to buy a lap top, with wireless connection to the IP. What do I need to get ? Will both computers remain hooked up to the IP at the same time, will I need to shut off one to use the other, never have done this before so as the topic header says ---------- need some advise. Thanks

You need a wireless router and a wireless 802.11b PCMIA card for the laptop. Wireless routers usually have regular RJ45 ports for C AT5 network cable. I think you could also buy a wireless NIC for your desktop and just use a wireless access point hooked to the cable modem.

Avoid the US Robotics 802.11g wireless turbo router if you want to keep sane. Mine has been nothing but problems. The user guide and help system are so rotten that they're all that people talk about.

what about a linskey ?????????

Your best best is a wireless router.  Mine is a Netgear and it works great and set up was a snap.

If you are only going to use it to access the web, don't bother spending the extra $$ for a 802.11g router, the 802.11b is more than fast enough. (Unless you have found a way to get better than an 11mb connection to the web - My cable connection is 1.7mb )

For the notebook, if you haven't bought it yet, make sure you get the wireless built in, don't get the PC card version.  Most machines with built in wireless have better internal antennas, and you don't have to use up a PC card slot.

You might have to set the router to be a DHCP server, but that's easy.

Thanks for all the advise, I got it all set up works sweet.

Merry Christmas all.