Wireless Help

[Hurlshort]

I need some technical help. I'm moving into a condo with one Phone jack in the kitchen. I would like to have DSL running in my office, and so I'm assuming I need a wireless setup. I don't want to run a phone jack to the office. What is the best way to do this? What do I need to buy? Currently I just have a DSL modem the phone company sent me. What's this Bluetooth stuff?

 

Any websites that show you how to hook it up would be very helpful.

 

Thanks

[EnderAndrew]

There are two different common types of Wireless technogy. 802.11x or Bluetooth.

 

Either will work, though I really prefer 802.11x

 

Find out if your computer has a wireless technology already built into it. You will need a wireless adapter (which your computer may already have) and a router.

 

And for what it is worth, if they have cable modem service where you live, I think it is much better than DSL.

[Authority]

And do get the fastest WiFi Router+network card that you can find. My father made the mistake of thinking that a 10mbit Wifi connection would draw even with a 10mbit internet connection. It doesnt, you need atleast 48mbit WiFi

[EnderAndrew]

The best on the market right now is 802.11g with Super G technology. It allows up to 108mbit/second.

 

I like the DLink and Linksys routers personally. If you need help down the road with specific settings or questions, just give me a holler. I don't charge for tech support, where as Netgear charges $30 a call.

[Authority]

There are problems with D-Links 520+ 802.11g WiFI cards, causing the compuer to freeze when used with certain routers(even Dlink routers) its a hardware error that cannot be fixed so Id advice you to stay away from it.

 

 

SMC also make excellent WiFi routers and cards. Theyve got a bit more professional feeling to their configs etc.

[EnderAndrew]

I have DLink cards and routers and never had a problem. The DLINK DWL-4300G is perhaps the best router I've seen for home-use.

 

It have Gamer Fuel technology, a super-fast processor, supports over 10,000 simultanenous connections, supports Super G, and gigabit.

[Hurlshort]

Awesome info. guys :D

 

I've got an IT buddy who is going to Fry's with me to pick out a router, and he mentioned Lynksys as a solid brand. I definitely need a wireless adapter, as I put the computer together myself (barely )

 

I'll definitely check in if I have trouble setting up the network.

[EnderAndrew]

A friend of mine almost had her internet service cut-off because someone was downloading tons of illegal content off her connection, and she swears it wasn't her. However, she hadn't locked down her wireless connection, and when I checked it out, her router showed several people connected (likely her neighbors).

 

Most routers and adapters support WPA, and the newer ones support WEP. Either one will allow you to have an encrypted passkey necessary to access the network. If you don't want anyone to leech your access, then you'll need to set one up. It's fairly easy, but the process is different for each router.

 

If you want to share freely with neighbors then you don't need to do anything. Most routers also have firewalls, so certain applications won't work properly behind a firewall. Certain online games, firesharing programs, etc. may require you to forward ports on the router. Again, this is pretty simple, but is different for each router.

 

The ports you need to forward depend on the application, but DLink has a list of the common ones on their website (such as for Kazaa, bitTorrent, Battle.net, etc).

[PrincessSarah]

Like my geeky husband said, we use D-Link. My card is the D-Link D-650.

[EnderAndrew]

This is the baby I want...

 

Click on it and check out all the awards it has won!

[PrincessSarah]

Unfortunatley, I doubt we'll be getting THAT baby because of our real baby...

[EnderAndrew]

But it's black and sexy, with cool blue lights!

 

How can you deny the shiny-shiny? We can sell off our baby to afford the router!

[PrincessSarah]

We are NOT selling our first born child for a router!

 

A-Rod getting struck by lightning, the Red Sox winning again...yes. But not a router.

[Deraldin]

We are NOT selling our first born child for a router!

 

A-Rod getting struck by lightning, the Red Sox winning again...yes. But not a router.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

But it's not just a router, it's the router! "

[PrincessSarah]

Don't encourage him! We already have three computers in this house....You don't know how hard it was to convince him that we didn't need a fourth.

[EnderAndrew]

Especially when I was offered an obscene employee discount on a gaming-notebook recently. My craptop is old.

[PrincessSarah]

And it's a good thing we didn't buy that laptop considering our car died while on vacation...

 

I guess this is what I get for marrying a total geek.

[Deraldin]

Don't encourage him! We already have three computers in this house....You don't know how hard it was to convince him that we didn't need a fourth.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes but with this router you could have all those computers connected together at blazing fast speeds! And without wires to trip over!

 

You mean you only have 3 computers in your house? Is that 3 currently working or three overall?

[Child of Flame]

But Sarah, you'll impact his T.O.M.B.S. scores negatively if you don't allow him to purchase the latest and greatest tech. This is what you get for choosing the 'Attachment' Merit/Flaw Ender!

 

Also, when did you two get a baby? Dammit, you did all the neat stuff without telling us/while you were away Ender. You got married, you had a kid, sheesh.

[Walsingham]

Why sell the baby when you can train them up and use them as an assassin?

 

I also concur with Ender's security worries. I know absolutely nothing about hacking that I didn't learn from reading about Kevin Mitnick, and I managed after about an hour to 'hack' into a neighbours computer a year ago. I didn't do anything, and got the hell out, but it scared the bejeebers out of me. Now I only link by cable.

[Authority]

There are three simple steps to ensure good WiFi security

 

 

1. Change the default password!!!

 

2. Activate the MAC adress filter on the router so that you and only you can access your network.

 

3. Enabling encryption will make sure that people cant "listen in" on the data that gets sent to and from your computer, it doesnt prevent entry.

[PrincessSarah]

Eru- Our baby is due September 20, so we'll have her pretty soon here...

[Walsingham]

Eru- Our baby is due September 20, so we'll have her pretty soon here...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Everything is proceeding as I have forseen it...

[EnderAndrew]

That child can rise up to challenge me as the ruler of the TOMBS galaxy!

[kalimeeri]

I use a Netgear router and wireless access point, because my machine is still hard-wired and I don't feel like changing it (too much trouble stringing the ethernet from one end of the house to the other to waste). The daughters and my laptop are on wireless. I think ethernet is steadier, but aside from occasional minute drops, the wireless works better than I thought it would. So far as security goes, we're good, but the youngest was complaining about slowness ... and when I checked her DLink wireless card had decided to change networks to someone else's in the neighborhood. But yeah, MAC address, high encryption and hardware firewall ... plus to be on the safe side a good software firewall running on each machine.