Setting Up a Wireles Home Network

[WDPsellout]

I finally talked my mom into getting a wireless home network, excpet I have no idea where to start except that I want the 802.11g standard (54 mps) setup.

I have a cable modem, a system running XP and one runnning Windows 98. I would like to network them all together.
Also, I was researching and found PCI or USB network adaptors to hook up to the machines. What is the advantage/disavantage of each, and what do you reccomend getting? What additional cables (USB, firewire, Cat5 etc.) would I need to buy in addition to the router and network adaptors.

Links would be helpful to possible routers that would fit this description. I figuired this to be the best place to ask due to your guys vast knowledge about this stuff, and I really don't like taking advice from Best Buy guys.

Thanks

If you are just going to stick with g, i'd get this:

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=601

and you'll need these NIC cards:

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=36&prid=520

I would advise AGAINST going USB for your wireless NICs.

If you only have two systems, i'd try to put the router and cable modem near one so you can plug right into it via CAT5 cable, and just have the other on wireless.

When I used to live at home I did this for my mom so she could move her work PC around. I put the cable modem and wireless router in my room because I needed the speed for gaming ( latency is a bit higher over wireless than it is for cat5 ) and put a wireless PCI card into her PC for the internet.

A problem with wireless is security. On my home wireless network I dont bother using encryption because its not like the stuff I am transferring is secure. I do however use MAC address filtering and I dont transmit my SSID.

You have to decide what you want to do first, go wired or wireless or both? Can give better advice once you know which way you want to go.

This is what I run right now is xp pro, xp home, and 3rd pc is win98se

As for routers, Netgear routers are about the best bang for your buck, there also easy to use and setup. Easy to update the firmwire also.

I use a MR814 netgear dual router(its wireless & wired) I have my two main PC's hardwired and my daughters wireless using the MA111 usb adapter.


if your looking at using a pci or usb I'd go with a pci since it's a deicated piece of equipment.

heres my router its 11b though not 11g.

http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=151&view=

wireless usb adapter (its for my daughters computer and my laptop down the road )
http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=173&view=

and if your looking at your desktops to be wireless all you would need is one of these wireless pci adapters

http://www.netgear.com/products/adapters/desktop.php

[WDPsellout]

Originally posted by MMmmGood


If you only have two systems, i'd try to put the router and cable modem near one so you can plug right into it via CAT5 cable, and just have the other on wireless.

Yes, MMmmGood, I talked to a tech savy friend at school and he also told me to just hook one computer up via cat5 and then the other one wirelessly considering my computer is 1 foot away from the cable output/input in the wall. Would I still need the 802.11g network adaptor for the computer that is wired to the router to utlize the 802.11g speeds? Or just buy a 10/100/1000 ethernet card into the wired computer?

Also, since I do want to go wireless/wired most wireless routers do support the possible addition of a wired connection?

Also what is the diff. between a router and access point?

[hightimber]

Just a heads-up WDP, I've heard from more than one person that 2.4ghz phones interfere with 802.11g. That may be a consideration for you.

[Camel toe joe]

you might need a cross cable from the cable modem to the router, but really depends on the router

[WDPsellout]

That PCI network card, has a minimum spec of a PIII, the other comp has a processor a 433 mhz celeron, would it still work? And how does that router look, it has a $25 mail-in rebate.

Router:
http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=174&view=

NIC:
http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=208&view=

Also how would I know if I would need a cross-over cable? I am planning to buy 2 cat5e's one to go from the cable modem to router, and one from the router to the main comp. I read that the router does not come with any Cat5 cable.

Also, how would setting up a firewall work?

You shouldnt need a crossover cable if your getting a router, a crossover cable is generally for hooking up a computer directly to another computer.

Also hightimber brought up a good point that if i recall right also the 2.4ghz cordless phones do interfer with certain routers.

As for what you got selected all should work fine with the exception that the wireless nic cards operating freq is 2.4Ghz. But if you dont have a 2.4Ghz cordless phone then shouldnt be a problem unless your neigbhors have one and live real close to ya.

[WDPsellout]

Ack, I have 3 cordless 2.4ghz cordless phones in my house..........



Also, I am stuck inbetween the netgear and linksys router choice after reading ALOT of extensive reviews.



I am comtemplating getting a 11b set-up just be sure that I don't have any problems with phones, set-up etc. with the Linksys 11b that got rave reviews. My friend also has it with 4 computers hooked up to it and his bandwidth/download is basicly the same as mine when we used a bandwidth monitering tool. This is a state of quantum indecision, the only thing stopping me from buying the 11b set-up is the feeling that I would be buying "old" technology.

i have microsoft router and my comp is using a usb wireless adapter which works awesome....setup was extremely easy...step by step......one comp is using win 98 se and mine is xp.....

[hightimber]

Originally posted by WDPsellout
Ack, I have 3 cordless 2.4ghz cordless phones in my house..........

My boss encountered this problem. He said every time that the phone went off-hook, he lost his network connection.

[SHWoff]

Originally posted by WDPsellout
Ack, I have 3 cordless 2.4ghz cordless phones in my house..........



Also, I am stuck inbetween the netgear and linksys router choice after reading ALOT of extensive reviews.



I am comtemplating getting a 11b set-up just be sure that I don't have any problems with phones, set-up etc. with the Linksys 11b that got rave reviews. My friend also has it with 4 computers hooked up to it and his bandwidth/download is basicly the same as mine when we used a bandwidth monitering tool. This is a state of quantum indecision, the only thing stopping me from buying the 11b set-up is the feeling that I would be buying "old" technology.

802.11b and 802.11g use the same 2.4GHz specrum. It's the modulation that separates them and their bandwidth capacity (which is actually about 40% of the advertised bandwidth...). What this means is that, if your phones interfere with your b radio, then it will interfere with your g radios (and vice versa). The solution is to configure the channels on your radios and phones so they do not overlap - easy to do on the radio, not so easy on the phones as they are designed to automatically search the available channels for a good signal.

I wouldn't dwell on the mfr. of the router so much. Most of the equipment designed for home use are pretty much the same (I actually love my D-Link router and its built in firewalling capabilities).

Rule of thumb: Use wire wherever you can. Use wireless everywhere else. No sense in using wireless just because it's new technology. I haven't run into a wireless network yet (enterprise or home) that doesn't experience dropped packets, constantly changing coverage (and capacity), etc.

Note: 802.11a uses the 5GHz spectrum and has many more non-overlapping channels. This means that there is less likelihood of radio interference. However, since the spectrum is unlicensed (like the 2.4GHz spectrum), expect more consumer items to use the spectrum... Also, .11a radios are still 2-4 times more expensive than .11b/g and are more susceptible to other types of interference (structural, multipath, etc.).

[hightimber]

Nice work, SHWoff. Thanks for the detailed explanation on the 2.4 phone vs. 802.11x dilemma.

So, is it safe to say that if one went with one of the newer 5.8ghz telephones that you wouldn't encounter the conflict with 802.11x?

Note: I'm using 802.11x as a substitute for either 802.11b or 802.11g.