[BerkeleyChemist]

I just bought a new MacBook Pro, and it's great, but I'm having trouble setting up my wireless internet connection.

My current situation is phone line to SBC DSL modem directly to Dell desktop. Now that we have more than one computer, I pulled out a Linksys 802.11b wireless router that I haven't used in a few years.

I plugged the DSL modem into the router and the router into the computer. Now, unfortunately, it seems that I'm not even able to get the internet on the desktop.

This setup does not seem too complicated, but I'm not sure what's wrong. When I connect to the router directly from my desktop, I can see that all of the settings have been reset. I'm not sure how to set everything up again without the instructions for the router or the DSL modem. My MacBook Pro does recognize that there is a wireless network, but it can't connect.

Right now I'm using a neighbor's wireless network, but it only works in one room so I'd like to set up my own network.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ghporter]

Spend a few bucks and get a newer wireless router. Depending on which hardware and firmware model of Linksys wireless router you have, you could be dealing with a number of issues, not the least of which is bad firmware. A newer router will also support the "G" standard (54Mbps) as well as the "B" standard (11Mbps), so you'll get better service.

Depending on which modem SBC gave you, you may have the Dell desktop setting up the DSL connection using PPPoE-I'm betting you used the SBC setup disc on the Dell, so that's the way you're doing it. A router can do that for you, so you wouldn't have to have the desktop on at all-and it's kind of important to have something other than a computer setting up this connection when more than one computer is going to be using the connection.

Here's the way it works:
Phone line --> modem
Modem ethernet port --> WAN port on router
Wired LAN port 1 --> desktop
Wireless --> laptop
ALL computers must be set to connect via a LAN!!! This is a big way to goof up; a lot of people tell one or all computers that they're connecting via DSL. They're not. The ROUTER is connecting via DSL, and the computers are connecting to the router. Also, do the setup through the WIRED computer. It is pretty important to do this, since changes to a wireless setup can disconnect your wireless computer and you're stuck until you reset the router to factory defaults-that's counterproductive.

In the router setup configure the Internet setup for PPPoE and enter your username and password.

In the wireless setup start with security off; your MacBook Pro should see the network as soon as you've got the settings saved. Once it sees the network you're set and you can start working on setting up security. Use WPA, not WEP!

[BerkeleyChemist]

Thanks for the help. I've got it working now.

The real problem was just that I'm an idiot. I did not realize that my DSL modem already is a wireless router, so I never needed the Linksys router. And on the Airport window the name of the network had been right there next to the one I was trying to create. I figured it was just another neighbor.