Can a wireless router sub as a wireless card?
 

Bear with me if this is a retarded question, guys.

My girlfriend contacted her ISP, who won’t be able to come out to her apartment until sometime next week to get her internet up and running. She asked me if she could temporarily connect to other people’s wireless connection in the building with her wireless router. At first I said no. It’s a router. You need a wirless card to get a wireless connection. Then I thought about it a little, and realized that I wasn’t entirely sure if you could double a router as a wirless card. I figured it may be possible…

SO. Is there a way I can hook up a wireless router into my girlfriends computer and tap in to other people’s wireless signals so she can have temporary internet access?

I don't know if it's proper to steal other people's connections without their permission.

However I think this can be done but it depends on the router itself.

Well, if she's using wireless, why can't she just "borrow" a signal with her computer for the time being? I don't have a lot of experience with wireless connections, but can't she just search for an open one?

I think the problem is she doesn't have a wireless card. (Although I don't know why she would have a router if she doesn't have a card.)

HA. Go look in the My Stuff forum or any of the Request forums and then tell me if I'm being proper or not. Not that this justifies what I'm trying to do, but hey - we're all pirates.
Ya see, that's just the thing. She technically is not using wireless. She doesn’t have a wireless card (if she did, this question would be easy). I'm no expert, but in my experience, you plug the internet into the modem, the modem into the router, the router into the computer. She doesn’t need a wireless card, as everything has always been wired. Her roommates have always connected to her with their wireless cards. What I am wondering is if it's required that she has a wireless card to connect to other people's wireless signals in the building, or if she can manipulate her wireless router to do that. I guess it's a question of if the hardware she currently has is capable or not.

What she needs is a Wireless Access Point, and not a router. (if she's gonna yoink other people's wireless)

Well, I have to admit I don't really know what the difference between a Wireless Router and a Wireless Access Point is, but I researched a little and found this link -

How do I use a Wireless Cable/DSL Router as a Switch with an Access Point (or a Wired Router as a passive Switch)?

I think I'll give it a try, and see if I can get anywhere with it...

Thanks for the help and suggestions guys. I appreciate it.