OT: Wireless networks

[retroshaun]

[ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

Guys,
Sorry for the OT but I know some people have done this and mentioned the subject recently.

Being completely new to wireless networking, can someone tell mw what I need to get started? Am I right in thinking I only need a router and PCI wireless card and thats it? (Assuming I have a broadband ethernet modem setup right now).


Also - I read somewhere its good to keep the "main" PC directly cabled to the router (or was that the modem?), is this also correct? If so - why is this?


Finally, I am on a 100 Mbps broadband link - do I need any special router to be able to handle this bandwidth without limiting my net access speeds?


Thanks guys, and sorry if they're stupid questions
Shaun

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

 

[nutts]

Re: [ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

Yep, a broadband router and a wireless card are all you need

Don't worry too much about 54g vs 54b etc, unless you're going to be
swapping files between PCs - the appended letter only governs data
distributed by the router, rather than data coming into the house.

The wireless part of these routers are notoriously flaky, so people
tend to hard-wire their main PCs in case the wireless drops out.

Avoid Belkin if you can but they all have problems (I have a Belkin,
and it turns its wireless link off from time to time, but I can live
with it for the convenience - people generally seem to have more
problems with Belkin though). They generate a lot of heat so make sure
you position it where there's plenty of space for it to breathe.

All wireless routers should handle the speed you're talking about - is
it 1Mb ADSL?

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 20:37:16 +0000 (GMT), Shaun Stephenson
<shaunwstephenson@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Guys,
> Sorry for the OT but I know some people have done this and mentioned the subject recently.
>
> Being completely new to wireless networking, can someone tell mw what I need to get started? Am I right in thinking I only need a router and PCI wireless card and thats it? (Assuming I have a broadband ethernet modem setup right now).

>
> Also - I read somewhere its good to keep the "main" PC directly cabled to the router (or was that the modem?), is this also correct? If so - why is this?

>
> Finally, I am on a 100 Mbps broadband link - do I need any special router to be able to handle this bandwidth without limiting my net access speeds?

>
> Thanks guys, and sorry if they're stupid questions
> Shaun

 

[Macro]

Re: [ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

100mbs broadband - now that sounds damn quick to me - sure you don't
mean 2Mb broadband on a 100mb ethernet link ? (I don't think the place
we house our webfarm has a 100mb internet link!!)

if this is true, I suspect you are going to have to go for one of the
combined 108Mbs routers and matching cards, 'cos a normal 54g setup is
going to be slower than the broadband.

You (probably) need one PC wired to the router to allow you to set it up
- I don't suppose it has to be your main PC though, it's just that you
need a wired one if you are going to be changing the WEP settings for
the wireless setup. I have the PC's in the same room as the router on
wired network, and the ones elsewhere in the house on wireless.

personally, I got belkin gear, cost about £120 for an ADSL router and 2
wireless cards, setup was pretty easy, first PC connected in 10 mins,
took a little longer to get the wireless working with the encryption I
wanted. we have used netgear and 2com stuff at work, and the only thing
we've had any problems with was a BT voyager!!

only problem I have is that I need to buy an access point one day so I
can connect the X-Box up to the network again.

Shaun Stephenson wrote:
> Guys,
> Sorry for the OT but I know some people have done this and mentioned the subject recently.
>
> Being completely new to wireless networking, can someone tell mw what I need to get started? Am I right in thinking I only need a router and PCI wireless card and thats it? (Assuming I have a broadband ethernet modem setup right now).

>
> Also - I read somewhere its good to keep the "main" PC directly cabled to the router (or was that the modem?), is this also correct? If so - why is this?

>
> Finally, I am on a 100 Mbps broadband link - do I need any special router to be able to handle this bandwidth without limiting my net access speeds?

>
> Thanks guys, and sorry if they're stupid questions
> Shaun

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

what they said: plus+

100Mbps broadband !! (200 times the speed of mine - how expensive is that
?) - you'll be wanting a 108Mbps wireless setup if its that fast (802.11g+
standard) for full speed on any single PC. (theres me on a 512kbps
connection)

54mbps kit will probably do you fine if you've a few machines sharing the
connection (you'll only get half speed from any single machine, but at
least no single machine will be able to hog the whole connection if its busy)

I've set up a few small offices with 22mbps and 54mbps wireless networks
recently (both only have 512Kbps broadband, but file sharing between the
pc's on the network is quiker, the quicker you get), and if you're setting
up a webserver on one machine, ftp on amother etc - then i've found the
D-link kit more feature filled, and reliable (they take a bit more
configuring, but have more options than you can shake a stick at, relative
to netgear and 3com kit i've used) - also with D-link kit, the only thing
thats stopped it so far has been a power cut ! (if only that where the same
with the others)

All you'll need is a 'wireless broadband router' and a wireless card for
each PC that want to share the connection.

Most wireless routers use a web-based front end to configure them - which
is often set to allow only a 'wired' machine to configure it for security
reasons (you dont need a machine 'wired' to it all the time, but if only a
'wired' machine can change any of the settings, then even if a some passer
by is determined to break into your network, and has managed to crack your
quickly changed router admin password, they wouldn't be able to change
anything without breaking in to the building as well !)

sry to list - this was supposed to be short.....

At 20:37 28/02/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>
>Guys,
>Sorry for the OT but I know some people have done this and mentioned the
subject recently.
>
>Being completely new to wireless networking, can someone tell mw what I
need to get started? Am I right in thinking I only need a router and PCI
wireless card and thats it? (Assuming I have a broadband ethernet modem
setup right now).
>
>Also - I read somewhere its good to keep the "main" PC directly cabled to
the router (or was that the modem?), is this also correct? If so - why is
this?
>
>Finally, I am on a 100 Mbps broadband link - do I need any special router
to be able to handle this bandwidth without limiting my net access speeds?
>
>Thanks guys, and sorry if they're stupid questions
>Shaun
>
>Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
>
>

DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Penry (Penry@mytwopenneth.com)

 

[retroshaun]

Re: [ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

Hmmm - good question! I'm not too clear on the DSL thing as a matter of fact. I actually think its 3Mb but it tells me it connects at 100Mbps. Perhaps that me misinterpeting the information.


So thanks for the good info - you confirmed what I suspected and also that, probably, I dont need wireless after all! I actually only have one PC and was more interested in some flexibility to move the thing around in the house as we have wires all over the bloody place at the moment and not 100% sure where we want everything (only been in the place a few months). Also it was with the intention of adding some wireless setup for audio / video at a later date, but the way I see it that would be the only wireless things I would be using (assuming the PC is hard wired) and therefore perhaps not worth the investment.


Perhaps theres another audio solution that would let us jukebox an MP3 system into other rooms in the house?

Thanks again guys.
Shaun


Mike Coates <mike@the-coates.com> wrote:
100mbs broadband - now that sounds damn quick to me - sure you don't
mean 2Mb broadband on a 100mb ethernet link ? (I don't think the place
we house our webfarm has a 100mb internet link!!)

if this is true, I suspect you are going to have to go for one of the
combined 108Mbs routers and matching cards, 'cos a normal 54g setup is
going to be slower than the broadband.

You (probably) need one PC wired to the router to allow you to set it up
- I don't suppose it has to be your main PC though, it's just that you
need a wired one if you are going to be changing the WEP settings for
the wireless setup. I have the PC's in the same room as the router on
wired network, and the ones elsewhere in the house on wireless.

personally, I got belkin gear, cost about £120 for an ADSL router and 2
wireless cards, setup was pretty easy, first PC connected in 10 mins,
took a little longer to get the wireless working with the encryption I
wanted. we have used netgear and 2com stuff at work, and the only thing
we've had any problems with was a BT voyager!!

only problem I have is that I need to buy an access point one day so I
can connect the X-Box up to the network again.

Shaun Stephenson wrote:
> Guys,
> Sorry for the OT but I know some people have done this and mentioned the subject recently.
>
> Being completely new to wireless networking, can someone tell mw what I need to get started? Am I right in thinking I only need a router and PCI wireless card and thats it? (Assuming I have a broadband ethernet modem setup right now).

>
> Also - I read somewhere its good to keep the "main" PC directly cabled to the router (or was that the modem?), is this also correct? If so - why is this?

>
> Finally, I am on a 100 Mbps broadband link - do I need any special router to be able to handle this bandwidth without limiting my net access speeds?

>
> Thanks guys, and sorry if they're stupid questions
> Shaun

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[retroshaun]

Re: [ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

Actually thats something I want to do also. What is the access point, and whats its purpose? I read about this but didnt quite understand why it is a different connection type (and piece of hardware) to regular PC wireless networking.

Again, sorry for the daft questions!

Shaun
only problem I have is that I need to buy an access point one day so I
can connect the X-Box up to the network again.

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

 

[John Bennett]

RE: [ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

>> Perhaps theres another audio solution that would let us jukebox an MP3 system into other rooms in the house?

You can purchase wireless media managers that integrate with your hifi and stream music and I think some can even stream video.






DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by Chris Priest (chris.priest@imcomputing.com)

 

[Macro]

Re: [ukvac] OT: Wireless networks

the x-box has one normal wired connection, so an access point just
converts that to a wireless connection. damn expensive for what they do!

Shaun Stephenson wrote:
>
> Actually thats something I want to do also. What is the access point, and whats its purpose? I read about this but didnt quite understand why it is a different connection type (and piece of hardware) to regular PC wireless networking.

>
> Again, sorry for the daft questions!
>
> Shaun
> only problem I have is that I need to buy an access point one day so I
> can connect the X-Box up to the network again.
>
>
> Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
>
>