Connecting XP PC to new Windows 7 Laptop

I am a user of Windows XP SP2 PC with a USB Broadband Internet connection.
The PC has connection to my DTH TV and using the Video Capture card on the
PC, I am able to capture videos (from TV or my handicam) and burn them into
DVDs.

I want to watch these family videos on the new 17" laptop with Windows 7 I
am planning to procure, connecting the PC and the laptop by a wireless
network.

Is this feasible and if so, what kind of Router and Network adapter should I
acquire and install?

On Microsoft's web-page,

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/organization/wirelesssetup.aspx

I see a recommendation that I may need to buy a Router and a network Adapter
(recommended model 802.11g).

Could any experienced user of the setup I am thinking of, advise me on what
precautions and steps I should take to achieve my objective of seeing videos
on the new laptop and use both the PC and the Laptop for Internet
connection? Is there any Laptop (HP, Acer, Dell etc,) ideally suited for
such wireless connection?

Thanks for any help you might be able to give.

P. Jayant

 

Hi
If the movies are burned on DVD you can use the DVDs by inserting them to
the Laptop's DVD player.
Otherwise, if you want to configure a Wireless Network you need a Wireless
Router.
However it is Not clear what type of Internet connection you have, and what
the Modem's output is.
If it is USB you can not use it with a Regular Wireless Router since they
are Not USB compatible.
This site has pages that might help you in learning about the issues,
http://www.ezlan.net
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

 

Thanks for your comment. My real concern is:

With the best possible Wireless Network at any cost, created between my PC
and the new Laptop:

a) will the PC continue to have its XP operating system? I am asking this
because my video capture card and the data files I have of several graphic,
audio and video are under XP at present. and I do not want to loose the
ability to capture videos under XP until I get a video capture card and the
corresponding software which works under Windows 7 on the new Laptop.

b) Or will the Windows 7 take command of the Wireless network and run both
the Laptop and the PC under its own Control System? In that situation, would
I lose the utility of the audio video connection I currently have between
the PC and the TV/VCR/video camera? Or can a similar link between the Laptop
and the TV/VCR/videocam be established to replace the existing link?

P. Jayant

 

On any home network, wired or wireless, each individual computer is a
separate entity with its own operating system. People can and do have
home networks where the computers have different versions of Windows,
MAC OS, and/or Linux (and probably other operating systems as well).

So, yes, you can network your XP computer and a Win 7 computer -- and
your XP computer will behave the way it always has.

Virtually all home wireless routers permit you to connect computers to
the router either by Ethernet cable or wireless link. Thus, if your
existing computer does not have a wireless adapter, you can connect it
to the router by cable and have a Win 7 computer connected wirelessly
(assuming, of course, that the Win 7 computer has a wireless adapter).

As Jack indicated, if your existing XP computer is connected to your
broadband Internet service via a USB connection, you will have
difficulties. You can still have a network between the XP and Win 7
computers (wired, wireless, or a mixture), but sharing your Internet
connection will be more complex.

If you post back, be sure to indicate which version of XP you have, the
make and model of your existing broadband modem, how it connects to your
XP computer, and whether your existing computer has (a) an Ethernet
network adapter (almost certainly it does) and/or (b) a wireless adapter
(if so, what make/model).

Don't get sidetracked by the "Homegroup" networking feature in Win 7.
That's only for networks where *all* the computers run Win 7.

See
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-7/share-files-and-printers-between-windows-7-and-xp/
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/...mputers-running-different-versions-of-Windows