Hi JukeBox

The whole idea of a router (besides the security aspects) is so you CAN have a network of computers on your side of the router that can share files and network resources, such as networked printers and storage devices.

How you set that up depends on the router, and your facility.

Understand that wireless is, and always will be, inherently less secure, more vulnerable, and in need of more user attention than wired (Ethernet). Therefore, when shopping for wireless routers, I always recommend getting one of the many models available that also include a 4-port Ethernet switch. Then go Ethernet for as many computers as possible, using the wireless only where walls, floors/ceilings, landlords, etc. prohibit running CAT-5e/6 cable.

The problems many users have when setting up any network (wired, wireless, or mixed) for filesharing is configuring their local firewalls. Understand that when you connect the router to your gateway (the cable/DSL modem), the router assumes the IP assigned by your ISP. When you connect the first computer to the router, it will be assigned an new IP by the router. This is great because then the world (and 99.9% of the badguys) cannot see your computer's true IP address. Now you have a network of one computer.

The next computer connected will be assigned a new, and unique (for your network) IP, and each device connected will do the same.

At this point, each computer will be able to access the Internet, but not each other (although they may be visible in Network Neighborhood).

To share computer resources, you will have to edit the firewall "Trusted Zone" settings on each computer to allow access to the other computers on your network. The IPs can be assigned individually, or as a range of IP addresses. For example, with 3 computers assigned the following IPs:

• PC 1 IP: 192.168.1.100
• PC 2 IP: 192.168.1.101
• Laptop 1 IP: 192.168.1.102

• PC 1 would have to be configured to allow access to the network devices assigned 192.168.1.101 and 192.168.1.102
  
• PC 2 would have to be configured to allow access to the network devices assigned 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.102
  
• Laptop 1 would have to be configured to allow access to the network devices assigned 192.168.1.101 and 192.168.1.102

Or you can add a single IP range to each computer. For example, to allow a maximum of 10 connections, in each computer's firewall add 192.168.1.100 - 1.168.1.109 to the Trusted Zones.

Hope that helps!

Oh, just to be sure - by "USB adapter", I assume you mean a wireless network adapter that happens to connect through the USB port, right?