going wireless (possibly)

I've been thinking of getting our home a router with wireless capability. There are times when my wife or I would like to take our respective laptops elsewhere without an unsightly 80-foot cable snaking its way around our abode. Thus, a couple of weeks ago, I went to my favorite computer store and was all set to acquire the D-Link Wireless router (802.11 N) when the sales person said something that made me decide to hold off.

Supposedly, for the whole thing to work, one of our laptops has to have a software loaded into it and be physically connected to the router at all times.

Does that sound right?