Very annoying problem, please help?

[powerchord]

OK, so I've only ever had my trusty old desktop PC with it's Tiscali dial-up Broadband connection. I recently bought a laptop, however, and I want to connect my laptop to the same connection. I have two modems (one ethernet, one USB) and both my pc and laptop will connect to the internet independently. As I'm not the only one living in the house, I really want to be able to use both computers to go online at the same time.

I'm a newbie to all this networking and connection sharing, so can someone please tell me exactly what to do, step by step?

Something to add would be that I will be using my laptop in my room for the internet connection, and the desktop is downstairs in the living room. Wireless internet is something I'd really rather avoid because I'd have shaky connection due to the large amount of walls in the way, so will I still be able to connect both computers to the internet at the same time using two modems, or will I HAVE to go wireless due to the two different rooms?

Many thanks for any help you can provide!

[rickoic]

As your using modems on each computer to connect to the internet it will be impossible for them to connect at the same time. A modem needs a dial tone in order to connect, so if one is on line then the other will not get a dial tone.

As you don't want to go wireless, the only way that I can think of is for you to set up an access point/router on one of the computers, then use a cable to connect the other pc to the one that you use to connect.

Rick

[rickoic]

Just ran across something else.

With Windows XP you can set up a peer-to-peer network with your computers. (What I'm reading from is the XP Pro instruction book so not sure if it applies to XP Home).

To start the Network Setup Wizard, click: Start>All Programs>Accessories>Communications>Network Setup Wizard

Use the Internet through one connection for everyone on the network. With a peer-to-peer network used at home, for instance, several family members can connect to the Internet from different computers, individually or at the same time, through one phone line.

Tks
Rick