what model of your notebook is, so that we can figure out if your notebook has a network connector. Most notebook has network connector and should be able to dirrectly connect to your modem without any setting. A notebook should directly to connect to a wireless router with setting the password only. there should not be any problem for a router to work for you.
Have you reboot you modem when you connect the notebook. I guess you may have PC and a notebook having the same IP, so that it cannot be connected. You need turn the power of them on one by one.