The Equipment You'll Need

Clearly, the equipment you need depends on how you want to set up your network. If you are planning to add Wi-Fi to a wired network, in addition to all the equipment you need for the wired network, you need a Wi-Fi access point. As I've mentioned, you can also buy a single unit that works as a router for both wired and Wi-Fi computers.

In either case, you'll need Wi-Fi capability on each device that you want to connect to the Wi-Fi network. Of course, you don't have to worry about this with a Centrino laptop—because wireless connectivity is already on board. You should know that it is easy to add Wi-Fi capabilities to other, older computers—both laptops and desktops—simply by adding a Wi-Fi card.

If you are not adding ...

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