Newbie to networking question!

[cliversmith]

Hi. I want to network my desktop & lap top so that I can surf and email with the laptop in other rooms. The Laptop has a wireless card already installed. Is it possible to share my cable internet connection by just using a USB Wireless card plugged into the desktop machine. I notice that most people use a router aswell, is this necessary for just 2 computers?

[YeOldeStonecat]

A router is not "necessary".....but it's a preferred method by most of us.

Some reasons....
*Router does the logging on and sharing of the ISP account, instead of a computer running ICS or some 3rd party proxy software. So the computer running ICS doesn't have to be on all the time.
*Routers also give you a basic hardware firewall protection through their NAT.

Technically you could just get a wireless access point..to connect your laptop to the LAN NIC of the computer running ICS...and get to the internet through that computer.

Or you could get a wireless router for really not too much more money, and get both computers to access the internet through that independently....also gaining firewall protection.

[cliversmith]

Thanks!! I thought that my question was going to be too dumb for people to even answer...much appreciated!