Member Avatar for keliuotis

i just bought a cmpaq presario yesterday (new) and i dont think it has a wireless card...

i connected it with an ethernet cable to the back of my cablemodem and it works fine..

is there any kind of software i can download while im connected to the internet which would help my dektop set up the wireless connection?

please help
thanks

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Short answer: no — there is no “software” that will turn a plain Ethernet port into a Wi‑Fi radio. If your Compaq already has a wired Ethernet connection that works, you can keep using it exactly as suggested. To use Wi‑Fi you need hardware: either a wireless adapter in the PC (USB dongle or internal PCIe card) or a separate wireless router/access point (gateway) between your modem and your devices. (support.microsoft.com)

How to check what you already have: look at the back of the case for removable antennas, or open Windows Device Manager and expand “Network adapters” to see if any device name includes “wireless” or “Wi‑Fi.” If nothing shows up, there is no built‑in adapter and no amount of downloaded software will create one. See Microsoft’s short checklist for identifying wireless adapters. (support.microsoft.com)

If you want to share internet with phones/laptops, buy a wireless router (a single consumer gateway is the easiest option). Typical quick setup: power off the modem, plug the modem into the router WAN port, plug the desktop into a LAN port, power on, open the router setup (app or web UI) and create an SSID and a strong WPA2/WPA3 passphrase, then change the router admin password. That matches the router/gateway workflow was outlining. (cisco.com)

If you only want Wi‑Fi on that one desktop, a USB Wi‑Fi adapter is the fastest and cheapest option (plug, install driver, join the network). A PCIe adapter with external antennas gives better range and stability if you do a lot of streaming or gaming. Alternatives: powerline + Wi‑Fi access point or temporary phone tethering for short use. Read a short buyer/usage guide before you buy. (tomsguide.com)

References: Microsoft — Setting up a wireless network in Windows, HowToGeek — Modem vs Router, Cisco — How to set up a router, Tom's Guide — USB Wi‑Fi and tethering options.

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Member Avatar for cohen

Your Desktop computer doesn't need a wireless just because you have a wireless router... just plug it straight into the wired port....

also... if you do get a wireless card... it will come with software to help you set it up...

now i hope we are talking about a desktop here, we are, right???

Cohen

Member Avatar for Joe Mama

It sounds as if you have just the one computer AND your cable modem. If you want to share your internet connection (wired or wirelessly) you will need something to route your traffic for you. (Wireless router or something like that)

Your easiest approach would be just to purchase a wireless gateway and use that. If you feel really frisky, you can take a junk box and install something like IPCop on it. This will act as your 'router/firewall' for all computers on the network. You can then install a wireless card on the IPCop box and set up your 'Blue' interface to act as your WAP (Wireless Access Point)
OR you can do a combination of both - BUY a WAP (cheaper than a router) and use the IPCop box in conjunction with your WAP.

But in a nutshell, yes. You will need an intermediate device to - 1. Share your internet connection. 2. Make it available to wireless users.
Hope this helps some
-Me

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