Wireless Setup Help Needed..

I really have two main questions.

First of all I am with Time Warner. I have the
Toshiba PCX 2200 cable modem http://www.toshiba.com/taisnpd/products/pcx2200.html

I bought a Netgear HE102 802.11a Wireless Access Point
http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=SHOWSKU&PROD_ID=548319

I have a laptop with a NetGear HA501 (802.11a) wireless PC Card. I installed the PC Card driver on my laptop today. I plugged my cable modem and HE102 Access Point into each other. When I tried to access the net, it didn't work. Is this because I need a router?
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Second Question

Like I said, my goal is to be wireless. I am having a computer built right now that will have a wireless adapter put in the computer. I want to be able to be wireless with my laptop and computer at the same time so both the laptop and computer can be on the net at the same time. When I get a router, is there a way just to have the cable modem, access point, and router plugged in without having to plug a wire into my computer? It sounds dumb not to plug into at least my computer, but my cable modem is in the living room. I am going to have my computer in my room.

Thanks for your time!

Jason

 

Yes you need a router. Access points are for hooking to routers. Lots of people buy them when they have a wired network in place.
Another thing you could do is buy a wired nic and put in in the machine that is next to the cale modem then hook the access point to that nic. Connect both computers to its LAN ports.
Don't connect anything to its WAN (Internet) port. Disable the
router's DHCP server so that it doesn't interfere with ICS. You might have two nics already.
Nice price for that accesspoint. I use a router less configuring no ICS. I know how to do it but I never have.