I've recently acquired an IBM  Thinkpad notebook  with a Cisco wireless 
card and I would like to set up a wireless network here at my house.  I 
know absolutely nothing about how to go about doing this.  I would be 
very grateful for any guidance that could be offered.  I need to know 
what kind of hardware I need to make it happen and how to go about 
hooking it up to get it to work.

The IBM ThinkPad notebook has Windows 2000 as the operating system, runs 
at 1.3 GHz and has 512 Megs of RAM, and a 40 gig HD with 37 gig empty.  
It has the Cisco wireless card and also has two RJ-45 network 
connections and an internal modem.

My desktop computer is a Dell L800r with WinXP which runs at 800 MHz, 
512 Megs of ram, and a bunch of empty hard disk space.  It also has an 
internal modem and an empty RJ-45 lan connection.

Having the capability for the laptop to access my internet connection 
over the wireless netowork is not a high priority. I live in a rural 
area and am restricted to a dial-up connection that runs, most of the 
time at 26,400; occasionally at 28,800 baud.  I'm not sure that DSL or 
anything like it will ever be available here within my remaining 
lifetime.  Verizon, our "local" phone company, doesn't seem very 
motivated to provide anything other than the world's worst phone lines.

I would be very grateful for any guidance that could be offered.  I need 
to know what kind of hardware I need to make this happen and how to go 
about hooking it up to get it to work.

Thanks...

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