Desktop plugged directly into cable outlet - no internet connection - have wireless router in another space

Question

Just bought a new Dell desktop for University and I need the internet. I have a wireless router in another room that accesses all our laptops. I plugged a coaxial cable from the wall jack to the desktop to access the internet but no connection. Wondering if I have to bring the wireless router up from the other room and connect it directly to the desktop or is there something else I could do that would be easier ??

Solution

If you have a coaxial connector on your computer, it is probably for TV, not for internet.

To connect to the internet over cable (or any other medium), you must have a modem. You may connect a computer directly to this modem, but modems typically have connections for only one device; this is what a router is for. It acts as a switch to allow several computers, printers, or other 'host' devices connect to a single modem. Some modems have built in routers. I don't know what make or model yours is, so I couldn't tell you if yours does or not.

That being said, you need to connect your computer to your router. If you don't want to do this with a cable (cat5e or cat6), you can get a wireless network interface and plug it in to your computer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to configure the wireless device for your network.

Comments

[billc.cn]

'I plugged a coaxial cable from the wall jack to the desktop' Where on the desktop did you plug it into? Desktop don't normally have ports for coaxial cables. Did you mean ethernet cable?