What hardware do I need?

It's been a while since I have been here! But I know this is the place to come and get good and correct answers.:D

OK, I want to network my Win7 Pro tower with my Win 7 Home Edition laptop and allow them both to connect to the internet via Comcast Cable.Also, have them share a printer attached to the tower.

At this time the tower is connected to the internet. I want to hard wire this because I do not want to add a wireless card to my tower. Do I have to purchase a Router or a switch? I see that the Networking Wizard in Win 7 is pretty straight forward. With good tutorials for that around the internet. I am just looking for a simple network set up that I will be using by myself. With the tower in the den and my laptop at the kitchen table. I figure the short cable in the den and the long one going from the den to the kitchen.

Please recommend the hardware brand to get.

Once again, thank you in advance for all your help!!!
Dave

You want a router, because with a switch you will need to pay for another internet connection.

Not home, and I forget what model of router I have.

Thanks Train,
Nice to see you still hanging out here at Virtual Dr. :0]
I'll check online for a good bargain.
Dave

A wired only, like you stated, will do fine.
Wireless, one needs to spend more.
You are Welcome.

Thanks Train,
Here are the only two I was able to find, which do you think is the best for my needs?
Or do you have some other suggestions?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/TP-Link-Lo...#ProductDetail
http://www.walmart.com/ip/TP-Link-Gi...#ProductDetail

Dave

This would be my choice.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/TP-Link-Gi...#ProductDetail

Train,
Thanks for your advise. I have ordered it. When it gets here, I'll be back to let you know how it works out and I'll probably do something wrong, so I will have to ask how to fix it :p

Dave

Here is the manual in .pdf
http://www.tp-link.com/Resources/doc...User_Guide.pdf

I usually study the manual 4 or 5 times before router arrives. And sometime a few times more is needed.

Sheesh! Is all of that really involved? I thought Windows would set everything up in the Wizard.
OK I'll wait and see.
Dave

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I thought Windows would set everything up in the Wizard.

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With a wired router generally all you have to do is plug all the cables in and turn it on and reboot the modem and computer and it's good to go but there are a lot of other things internally, many security related, that are good to know about and tweak if necessary.

Hey Fink! Great to see you are still lurking around here!!;)

What I am also concerned about is setting up the network between the 2 computers, not just sharing the internet connection. Will I be able to do that? And share the printer also? I am guessing I will but it will be interesting to see how.
I've networked 3 XP computers with no internet. I've networked a Win98SE and a Win 95 computer using a crossover cable and Internet Connection Sharing. But this is my first attempt with Windows 7.

I was looking at RJ45 cables on the internet. Some are talking about Cat5 some Cat6 which do I want? The manual for the router just says RJ45.
Thanks
Dave

Cat 5 will work just fine.
Yes you will be able to network the computers together. Just make sure you have different computer names and all are on the same network. You will not be able to use the Win 7 home group as you need to use the same workgroup as the older windows versions have.

Okey Dokey.
Just waiting now till everything gets delivered.
Hopefully my next post will be from my networked laptop :D
Dave

:D :D

Well I need some advice.
The cables came 1 week before the router. Remember my main objective is to be able to use my laptop in the morning in my kitchen. I took the 50ft cable and strung it from my kitchen to my desk on the other side of my apartment. With my cable modem turned off, I can just switch the cable on the modem to the cable of which ever computer I want to use. I don't really plan on running both at the same time, and sharing the printer is not that important, since I do most of my work on my desktop. So I am thinking of returning the router and save the $70.00.
However there is this little voice in the back of my head telling me that the added security of accessing the internet through the router is pretty important. But I don't know. I will say that I do banking, pay bills, and make purchases (like routers) online. I have the Windows firewall up and running. Is that not enough? Aren't I more likely to be attacked by someone stealing passwords from a business rather than being stolen from my computer?
Give me some good pro's or con's on this issue.
And that can be from anyone reading this post.

Thanks,
Dave

I would still use the router. The router would provide NAT. That's another layer of protection.
https://www.grc.com/nat/nat.htm

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I have the Windows firewall up and running. Is that not enough?

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What Windows firewall settings are you using? If you directly connected to the modem, you should use the "Public" setting, even though you are at home.
http://www.askthecomputertech.com/wi...-firewall.html

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The public network option is highly recommended anytime you connect to an unknown network, if you are connected directly to the Internet without using a router, or if you have a mobile broadband connection.

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Aren't I more likely to be attacked by someone stealing passwords from a business rather than being stolen from my computer?

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Not necessarily. There are man in the middle attacks that can capture data while you are transmitting it. That's why you want to use SSL (HTTPS) for your secure transactions.

Thanks Midknyte
I have been reading both articles.
This looks very complicated, but as I was told earlier, it really isn't.
But you have convinced me in your last sentence about the SSL HTTPS -whatever that means. So many Anagrams or whatever the term is for using just the first letter instead of the words. :o]

So I'll keep it,
Dave

So it was easier than I thought. I wired everything up, turned everything on and I had a network. Windows 7 immediately asked me what type of network it was going to be. I had choice between Home, Work, or Public. I chose Work Network.
Sharing is set on both computers. I went through the configuration process in the installation instructions, but Windows had done it all already and I had to change nothing.

I can get to the internet from both computers, but I have a problem:eek::eek::eek:

I can see both computers in Windows Explorer, but when I try to click on the other computer I am being asked for a Network Username and password. There are no username or passwords on either system.
Where did this come from?
Attachment 12531

Thanks Dave

Well here I am posting from my laptop in the kitchen which is now newly networked with my desktop in my office.:D:D:D

I already solved the problem above and I can now see the contents on both computers. I discovered that going to the sharing dialogue box, there was more than what showed and if I just scrolled down there was the option to turn off password access sharing :rolleyes: what a dummy!:o

Also I had to right click on each hard drive and share it. Now to get the printer going on the laptop. But I feel I will figure it out.
Thanks again to you Train and Midknyte
I've been coming around here for a while, not as much as I used to, but you 2 are some of the backbones of this forum.
God Bless you both :)
Dave

Glad I was able to help!

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...dows-7-and-xp/

I know it says between 7 and xp, but the steps are basically the same for sharing printers.