I bought a linksys wireless router last week. Turn it on and put the cd in the drive and it leads you through setup in very plain language. Seems to me it would have been hard to go wrong'

My Netgear router also came with a cd which leads you through the setup step by step. Same thing with setting the security password.

andrelaplume-
What the kid told you is pretty much true, although you will have to do the setup that others described. Basically, a router takes the signal from the cable modem you already have, and distributes it so you can have more than one computer hooked up. The "phone cord looking thing" is called an ethernet cable, and right now that goes from the cable modem to the back of the computer, right? So what you do is, instead of running that ethernet cable directly to the computer, you run it from the cable modem to a port on the back of the router. You may have a number of such ports on the back of the new router, but the one you plug into is usually a different color, or labeled (like "Ethernet"). Then you can plug a second ethernet cable into any of the other numbered ports on the back of the new router and plug the other end into the back of your computer. Then you will need to go through a guided setup process using the install CD. Once that is done, you can hook up other computers by using more ethernet cables to connect them to the new router, or you can connect them wirelessly. Usually this process is not too difficult. But, if you get stuck, you can call Linksys tech support and they will walk you through it. Once you are set up, make sure you use the router setup page you will see during install to get security set for your network. Otherwise it may be possible for your neighbors or others to get into your network wirelessly, and poke around in your files or do bad things to your computers. Good luck.

as I said in the post you are referring to about the secure password and WPA2 those are most definitely items you want to know about and utilize, google is a wonderful thing for finding info on how to do things. It is always better to go into a project well informed rather than blind, so get an understanding of what you will be doing first.
WPA2 is the most secure setting to set up the wireless so that not just anyone who lives near by or drives by can access your network and use it or get into your buisiness. If you do not set up your wireless router safe and secure then when you have it on people around you can see that you have a wireless network and they can use their computer to access it that is NOT something you want to happen so lock it down. The name you choose to use as the SSID for the wireless network will definitely be broadcast and anyone near you that accesses a wireless signal will see your name pop up on their computer as a wireless access point and if you do not have it locked down then anyone that sees it can access it which is why I do not want to use my name so they do not know who it belongs to at the very least. Creating a very strong password is always something that you need to do on all of your system, whether it be the admin password to the pc itself or to the router, make it out of a NON word and a combo of letters and numbers I tell people a good way is to use the last 4 digits of your phone number and your initials and the year of your birth for example or the dates of your children's birthdays and their initials but never ever use a real word as a password the crackers break those in less time than it takes to type the word.
Most routers have a good cd but not all so be prepared with info you have learned from reading tutorials online for what to expect.
If you choose not to do it yourself there are plenty of pc shops that offer setup and install of wireless networks and many people prefer to hire it out.
I would not try to get it all done Christmas day, you will need to set up that laptop with security programs and get it fully updated with it's windows updates and all other security updates prior to putting it online!
I purchased that ACER for my husband for Christmas and I have already gone in and set up all security programs and done all updates and have it set up for him so it will be ready that took me quite a while to do. But the first thing I will have him do is to go check for his updates when he plugs it in.

ok, so I unplug the ethernet cable from the back of my desktop and plug it into the router. Then add another from the router back to the desktop. At this point can I assume my desktop functions as it did before all this?

Next I pop the router cd into the laptop that is to be 'wireless' and install away being sure to set up a good password.

Now I can get the pc on the net and get the recent Windows updates etc. Thats a little out of the order the prior poster mentioned...but I need to get the laptop on line to get all the updates...

When I set up my laptop to work with the wireless router, I put the CD that came with the router into the desktop (the one wired to the router). No software needs to be installed on the laptop. Once the router is set up according to the instructions on the CD, the wireless signal can be picked up by the laptop via its wireless adapter, which is built in. I believe the desktop acts as the "Internet Gateway" for your network.

So, no, you do NOT pop the router cd into the laptop.

If you're lucky all you need to do is turn on the laptop on christmas day.

But before that day comes....
Splice that router in-between the modem and the desktop. You can do that right now!!
And hopefully the desktop instantly works,, hehe. Then access the routers wireless section with your desktop and set up your wirless security. Write down your passphrase.

Hopefully when you power up your laptop it will popup a little window and ask which wireless network is yours, hopefully you've changed the router name to myPrivateName, and not the default manufacturers, and then it will ask what is the security code passphrase.

If you want to be a little bit smarter than your neighbors.. and have your best wireless signal ,, download and install a program to see which channels they use and use one of the other ones. Preferably channels 1,6, or 11 ... below is a link to one i use occasionally to watch all the others all using channel 6

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider

andreaplume-
No matter how easy or hard it will be to install the router and set up the network, the simple act of wiring in the new router that I described above will do nothing to change or damage your desktop. You can even leave the computer on when you swap these wires. However, once you make the connections, you won't be able to get on the Internet until you finish setup.

In addition, to set it up you have to have an Ethernet cable from the new router to whatever computer will be using the install CD. Afterwards, you can disconnect that computer from the cable and have it connect wirelessly if you want, but you can't do anything until things are setup, and that means having a cable in place at the beginning so the CD can "instruct" the new router for setup. Think of it this way: until you get the new router configured, it's not going to be doing anything wirelessly...that can only happen after it gets some "instructions" transmitted to it via cable. Then it will be linked into your network and can proceed to find the computers that are ready to connect wirelessly. Does that make sense?

follow the directions given with the router you do not change any cords till the cd tells you to take that step. Leave your desktop as you have had it, put the cd in the desktop cd drawer, run the cd follow the instructions it will tell you and show you exactly how and when to change the cords it will lead you through step by step, READ the instruction pamphlet that came with it that tells you what the cd does. When it tells you to set up a password for the router do it and write it down then tape that to the bottom of your router along with the name you give the SSID for your wireless network, you will at some point have to select to choose WPA2 for your method of security it is generally set there default, then it will give you a long WPA password you can accept that or create your own just keep that one it is more secure than one you create, be very very sure you write it down as it is caps and lower case and put that on the paper under the router. That is the key anyone in your house that wants to get on the wireless will need to enter into their laptop to connect, so that laptop will detect the wireless and then will ask for the password that is the one you just saved so you will enter that into the box and then it should connect if all is correct.
On my linksys it asked during the set up if I wanted to print out all that info and yes I did and it also asked if you want to put a text file on your desktop with the info sure let it do that too you can delete it at any time if you no longer need it.
Just take it one step at a time do not change anything till you have the cd in the machine and it tells you to.

depending on the router you bought you can go to the company website and look up the model number and they all have a pdf manual on line with directions and pictures also.

If you tell us which router you got someone might know more specifics of that particular one.

aandreaplume-
This is just to reconcile the info you're getting from me and ravencajun about when to hook up what. Some routers are just like ravencajun says concerning sequence. However, others aren't. I just set one up where the instructions were to hook up all the cables, plug in the power for the old modem and the new router, and then do the setup with the CD. The bottom line is: follow the specific steps in the written instruction sheet that came with your router.

After reading this thread I realized I should not have named my SSID with my real first name. Can I change it?

I have not set the security up yet, it said to make sure all computers were working with the network first and the netbook I mail ordered isn't here yet. I expect it tomorrow.

buyorsell888-
Yes, you can change the name to anything very easily. I see in another thread that you have a Belkin N router (which is probably the same as my new Belkin). So, to change your SSID, open your browser, clear the address bar completely, type in 192.168.2.1 and hit Enter. This should take you to the Belkin setup page. In the lefthand column look under the Wireless heading for "Channel and SSID" and click on it; if it asks for a password, leave it blank (unless you used one before), and proceed to the next screen where you will see your SSID listed. Change it to whatever, and apply the changes. Then close the browser.

As for setting security, you do not have to leave your system wide open until the new computer arrives. People add new computers all the time to their networks. If all of your other computers are running on the network, there's no reason to not protect your system immediately. All you'll need to do to connect the new one is to turn it on, have it detect your wireless SSID, click connect, and type in the security key you established when you turned on security.

I doubt you would leave the front door to your house open at night with a welcome light on, and, similarly, you don't want to be running a wireless system with no security.

My daughter did not name our network with our address or names, she used a brand name of jeans and called it something you rent a room in for a short time.

i named mine 'private' for a while
the changed it several times
now its my local phone number
so the neighbors. if smart, could move thiers accordingly
but they dont.. only one it on 11, im on 1.. and at least three on 6
at least three are ssid = belkin54g

Changed my SSID easily, thank you. I misunderstood what they said about security. I'll set it up. The netbook is here too. Yea. Merry Christmas to me....

Re:
When I set up my laptop to work with the wireless router, I put the CD that came with the router into the desktop (the one wired to the router). No software needs to be installed on the laptop. Once the router is set up according to the instructions on the CD, the wireless signal can be picked up by the laptop via its wireless adapter, which is built in. I believe the desktop acts as the "Internet Gateway" for your network.
So, no, you do NOT pop the router cd into the laptop.

Thanks...I completely missed the mark here....my thought was the cd went into the laptop. My desire is to have the laptop ONLY be wireless..I want the desktop wired...this is going to be fun!

the desktop will STILL be set up with your wires the router has the same ports on the back to plug your cable into so that will not change at all, you desktop is just what you are using to do the set up with, once you have it set up then it will broadcast the wireless signal and your laptops can access that. But your desktop will still be plugged into your router as is was, the router has 4 places to plug computers into the back of it so you can use 4 wired with it and all your wireless laptops.