total wireless virgin- please help!

[rea_milton]

Hi,
this will probably sound very daft, but I've just got a Toshiba laptop with centrino, which I thought meant I could just buy a wireless router (netgear rangemax) plug the modem into it, and away i'd go!
but how do I get the laptop to talk to the router??
I have run the setup with the router via the website with the router actually plugged into the laptop, and everything came back ok, the right lights are flashing etc on the router, but how do i actually get the internet to work when the router's unplugged? I know this sounds stupid, but I am a TOTAL newbie........
hope you guys can help!:confused:

[G_Dem]

Welcome to CTH forum,

1st check to see if you definetely have wireless on your laptop. Whats the exact model?

Go to "start" then click on "connect to" and "show all connections" (or go to control panel and double click on network connections). Is there something with the word wireless in there? If there is you will have to enable it by pressing the wireless button (or switch) on the laptop. Once enabled you can right click on the wireless symbol on the bottom right corner of the taskbar and then click on view available wireless networks. You should then be able to see and connect to the netgear router.

After you do that and everything is up and running get into the router config screen again and set up the wireless encryption. Any question feel free to ask.

[rea_milton]

ok, it's a toshiba qosmio f20. it has intel centrino, and a wee wireless button on it, which i have switched to 'on' even though i'm plugged in. when i go into network connections, all i have is lan or high speed internet, and connected underneath it (intel(r) pro/100 ve network...)
am panicking, coz i can't see any wireless symbol on the bottom right. should I? this isn't as easy as i'd thought!..

[G_Dem]

There should be a something called wireless network connection in network connections as mentioned.

Right click on "my computer" and click on properties. click on hardware tab and then on device manager. Can you list your network adapters. Also list any unknown devices with the details and/or anything with exclamation or question marks.

ps: If I dont reply tonight its coz im going bed soon. i'll reply tomorrow.

[rea_milton]

There should be a something called wireless network connection in network connections as mentioned.

Right click on "my computer" and click on properties. click on hardware tab and then on device manager. Can you list your network adapters. Also list any unknown devices with the details and/or anything with exclamation or question marks.

ps: If I dont reply tonight its coz im going bed soon. i'll reply tomorrow.

hi,
nope, only that one lan connection in network connections, and i stumbled across making that myself as i connected up the broadband. it was totally blank before.
under network adapters, i have Intlel(R)PRO/100 VE Network Connection.
Do I have something major missing??
P.S thanks for getting back to me so quickly. catch you tomorrow if you don't answer this tonight. :happy:

[G_Dem]

Yep you either dont have wireless at all or the drivers arent installed for it. Is there anything with a question mark or exclamation mark next to it in device manager?

[z1p]

under network adapters, i have Intlel(R)PRO/100 VE Network Connection. That is a wired ethernet adaptor. Do you have anything else under network adaptors or do you have any device that is showing up as an unknown device? If the laptop has a centrino label on it, it should have wireless built in. Did you buy the laptop new or used? What model do you have? Did you read the manual on enabling wireless on the laptop?