Thanks Peg, I probably should have gone a similar route, but cost was a major consideration for me. I wanted wireless on top of the ADSL modem/router, and that package doesn't come cheap.
Minor inconveniences aside (like the HDD on the desktop self-destructing, a disaster unrelated to my networking efforts), all is now well and my wireless network is A1 perfect for me, though perhaps a bit limited for others.
I learned a lot getting it working, thanks to help from this forum.
AA