Re: Total noob question

az-willie <sclause@xxxxxxxxx> hath wroth:

I was given a Netgear MR814 v2 wireless router by a client who bought it
and decided they didn't want to go that route.

Currently I have a desktop wired to a cable modem with a Realtek 8029
nic card.

I am thinking of getting a laptop so thought I would hook the desktop up
to the router via the nic card and then use the laptop around the house
via built in wireless.

The box says to use a FA311 pc adapter ( which I suppose is their
version of a network card ).

The Netgear FA311 is a wired ethernet PCI adapter.
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/FA311.php

Will this router work hooked up to my Realtek 8029 network card or do I
have to buy Netgear's card?

It will work with your Realtek 8029 ethernet card. Please note that
the 8029 is a fairly old 10mbit/sec only chip. It's probably on an
ISA card. Since generic PCI ethernet cards are only about $15 retail,
I would consider buying a new card, unless the machine that it's in is
also ancient.

The picture on the box just shows a cable from the router to the pc with
the FA311 network card.

Yep. The MR814 v2 router can be used with CAT5 ethernet cable
connected to ethernet card, or used wireless, or both at the same
time.

One place they call it a network adapter .. another place they call it a
network card.

Same thing. It's also known as a LAN adapter, ethernet card, 10baseT
adapter, ad nausium. The names get changed to confuse the customer.

Methinks you need to do some reading on basic networking before you
proceed. There's nothing difficult about the wired part, but I'm
worried about drivers and configuration for the ancient 8029.

If you're NOT using the wireless for now, please remember to disable
the wireless in the configuration. The problem is that the default
configuration is wide open and zero security. If you can't turn off
the wireless, at least setup a WPA encryption key to keep the
neighbors and hackers (like me) out of your network.

For wired ethernet routers, methinks this is a good start:
| http://www.tomsnetworking.com/2006/05/16/hardware_router_need_to_know_2006/
For wireless, see:
| http://www.tomsnetworking.com/2006/02/27/wireless_networking_ntk_2006/

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
.

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