OT: computer question

Have a networking/wireless/router/modem question......I know...blonde stuff....

Not just blond stuff, silly, but with no specifics what is your question?

Rock

ok here goes, I will try and explain the best I can.

My desktop computer is dry looped. Therefore I only use a modem. I purchased a dinky older laptop and need to access internet. I bought a netgear usp wireless adapter. It needs a router to the computer to pick up here at the house. I found my router. no one could tell me where the WEP was but I have found it now. My ISP provider had me take the ethernet cable and connet to router and all was sort of good, I could find the signal but not having wep couldn't connect, BUT then the desktop had no connection. My question is, how do I connec the rounter and modem up to work on both?

phew....

WEP refers to "Wired Equivalent Privacy" - in general terms, essentially an outdated security protocol to secure a wireless network that can be easily hacked. Not essential per se to access a wireless open network, but never mind that. First things first... not willing to assume the obvious, but does your desktop, indeed, have a wireless card or USB added access point? One or the other hardware device implementation would be needed for your older desktop to get on wirelessly. 

Rockne

desktop in my mac
the laptop is the one I'm trying to do the wireless on....
do I need to turn my airport  thingy on on the desktop?
Verizon had me take the ethernet connection out of the mac an put in the router, but how does that connect to the mac? cause the router wasn't doing anything with the modem?

Are they both Macs? Yes, Airport needs to be "installed" and on with both including having an access point in place. All but very old Macs come pre configured as such.  

Rock

no laptop is a pc....

Sorry, It's still a bit confusing given what you've shared. Assuming your router has wireless capabilities, not all do, it could be configured either wirelessly or via Ethernet cabling to your working Mac. In general, you should have a cable running from your DSL modem to your router and the wireless router will handle all the routing and internet to your wireless PC and Mac. As for the PC, your USB adaptor will likely need the latest drivers. Unlike an Airport base station which a breeze to configure, via Airport's own installed utility. Most other wireless routers are configured via an often very confusing web page interface.  Past this, I'm afraid I can be of little help. 

Last year sometime, I tried to help a friend do something similar at her home. On the PC side it was an absolute nightmare. Tried for the better part of a full day with no love. So much so that a telephone Microsoft Tech support person even suggested dumping the the wireless router in favor of an Airport Express base station because they’re so much easier to configure and more reliable. Stated he told people to do this all day long. So that's what we did. It was well worth the $99. All the computers, mostly PCs were wirelessly online after about ten minutes and most of that was just installing airport software.

You might try looking here to these links to start. 

http://www.computerguyslive.com/content/wireless/wirelessindex.asp

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313242

Good luck and sorry I can't be more helpful. 

Rock   

thanks so much Rockne for all your help and inspiration. This confirms my hatred for PC's. It was a cheap laptop ($80) so probably will invest more in a newer one that getting this one done up.......

I will trudge along.....lol your still the best you know...