how to connect to the same internet onto my laptop like i do on my desktop, HELP! Options

[StubbornFemme]

Okay so i just got my laptop yesterday, and im wondering how can i connect to the same internet connection like i have on my home computer? i have sbc yahoo dsl and a box for the home computer to connect to the internet but i know theres a way you can also have/use the same connection onto your laptop. my friend did that on her computer because she has sbc yahoo dsl also except a different box ( a little more expensive one) but she tried to help me with mine but its not the same...iunno if its b/c her comp is XP and mine is vista..iunno. but the thing is..we can connect because sending out but we cant recieve anything!!* i dont knwo if you guys have ideas before i call sbc to help me out..but any help will do.

[*steve330*]

I use a WRT54G Linksys router. I can use it with ease. Tech support w/ Linksys is very fast.

A router works like this:

Your internet comes in through the wall and goes to your modem. You connect the cat5 cable coming from your modem into the router. This takes the internet it's receiving and lets you put it on many many computers. My router has 4 cat5 cable jacks in the back, so you can plug a cable into each and connect it to a computer and get 4 hard-wired connections that way. It's also got wireless capability which has no practical limit really. If you get wireless though, you'll want to put a password on it, and you'll want to write that password down somewhere haha (I lost mine and had to reset a bunch of stuff).

I Can help you set up your wireless router if you get a WRT54G. Lemme know how things go.