Wireless Network!

[Ryan1985]

Okay I want to set up a wirless network in my house! I know I obviously need a new modem but do I need anything else, do the computers need special processors or anything? A mate told me you need an Intel Celeron or something?!

On a side note I do computing at university!

[GT4 BOOSTER]

adsl modem router combo and network cards in every other pc , look on www.ebuyer.co.uk for info.

[norm]

just a network or a network with internet? and what sort of internet connection u got?

[Rookey]

You're going to need an access point and some wireless PCI NIC's, one per PC. other then that its pretty easy to set up.

[Ryan1985]

Sorry network with Internet access on both of the machines, I currently have Broadband using BT Yahoo.

Sounds complicated!

[mrrandom]

go down to your local PC shop, buy 2 wireless network cards (dont need the fancy names, as they will no what ur on about). get a bt compatable ADSL router (router is your new modem).

if u dont no how to fit the network cards to a pc get the pc shop to do it. take the router home, connect the bt yahoo connecter to it, switch it on, and on ur comp go into the network connections place and run the wizard to set up a new wireless network connection.

its easy to do, but may cost near £100

[Ryan1985]

Thanks barry, sounds easy enough now as I take computers to bits in uni all the time!

Cheers

[mrrandom]

lol aw right, no problemo.

[Karma Supra]

A wireless ASDL router and a couple of PCI wireless cards (one per PC, assuming its a desktop!)

I have been running one a few months now and it is FANTASTIC! I run two desktops and a laptop off it... I can be sat by the pool surfing toc... or checking up on service repair manuals while working on my car in the car park...

top stuff!!!

you'll not regret it!

I run a netgear 108mbps routs and belkin 56mbps cards (vaio laptop has wireless built in). thoroughly reccomended!

I find it alarming that you do computing ant uni and don't know about this stuff already though!

[Hou]

dont need a router

im running 2 laptops and 2 pcs off my desktop just using wireless cards and they work perfectly!

[Rookey]

I can be sat by the pool surfing toc... or checking up on service repair manuals while working on my car in the car park...

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How posh do you sound?!? lol

[norm]

dont need a router

im running 2 laptops and 2 pcs off my desktop just using wireless cards and they work perfectly!

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?? if you don't have a router u need to have the machine that manages the internet connection on even if u want to access the internet on another machine. a router 'dials' and manages the connection so ur internets there all the time so any machine can access it.

just make sure ur router and NICs are WEP 128 compatiable. most are these days but it's something to check for. i can crack a 64bit encryption in about 30 mins of monitoring ur network. 128 gives the war drivers a chalange.

[Karma Supra]

I can be sat by the pool surfing toc... or checking up on service repair manuals while working on my car in the car park...

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How posh do you sound?!? lol

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I'm not posh!!!

[mrrandom]

if u dont use a router u will have to have more than one computer on at a time to access the internet. direct computer connection sucks when it involves the net, always best thru a router

[Karma Supra]

Plus routers are really not that pricey now!

[mrrandom]

i got a second hand router and 4 wireless cards for 60 quid. not bad eh? its only 56 mb/sec but like...when would u even use that? lol

[dicey2k]

I love my wireless lan, but i only use it for the laptops... much rather my pc be hard wired for the amount of data transfer i do... I will say though, if you do go for the wireless gear, make sure you enable the security on the access points and set an administrator password and user passwords on your pcs (I cant believe how many people dont - any guy driving past with a laptop and a wireless card could pull up and has complete access to your C:\ drive if you don't set a password... its as easy as typing "C$" in their internet browser!!!!!!!!!!!) So yeah, if you get wireless people, secure yourselves, because theres a lot of fraud going around, not to mention a rapidly growing community of hackers!

If you get a semi decent access point you should be able to deny access to any person's computer who's MAC address isnt listed in the settings, then there's WEP keys (you can read up on this on google groups if you want to know more!)

Okay I want to set up a wirless network in my house! I know I obviously need a new modem but do I need anything else, do the computers need special processors or anything? A mate told me you need an Intel Celeron or something?!

On a side note I do computing at university!

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Sounds like your mate meant 'Centrino'. All that means is that the technology was designed for mobile computing (Laptops and the like) and has wireless technology built in, however you don't need any specific processor brand or model, just so long as its quick enough for network access - you'll be fine as long as your not running a 486 mate!!!!! Its not down to the processor at the end of the day, its dependant on the wireless hardware and your operating system configuration! B)

Give me my gigabit lan anyday! Got all the gear set up at home (Beauty of being a tecchie is that you have access to some decent gear for free ;) ) :hokus-pokus:

Hard wired, properly terminated cables through wall cavities, industry standard trunking and proper data points, a point in every room of the house cabled to a 48 port patch panel, gigabit switch, wireless access point and adsl router... and one workgroup server in the garage (it was in my room but its just too loud!)

Love being a geek!

[PaulT]

If you get a semi decent access point you should be able to deny access to any person's computer who's MAC address isnt listed in the settings, then there's WEP keys (you can read up on this on google groups if you want to know more!)

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Bear in mind that MAC address blocking is useless because it is so easy to snoop the MAC address of a connected machine and then fake that on an intruder's. Do not be tempted to use it!

+10 geek points to me ... :D

WEP encryption is your best bet at this point, but even that is still a bit rubbish. :(

Paul.

[dicey2k]

Yeah but its better than nothing! My point is that it might as well be on than not, as it doesn't really hinder performance or anything, and it ads another security layer to protect you from at least amateurs!

I know its flawed tho as you say!!

I remember seeing a thread about Wi-Max, that was interesting... If anyone fancies a glance - its HERE - CLICK ME!

[Ryan1985]

I find it alarming that you do computing ant uni and don't know about this stuff already though! 

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I don't really do that sort of thing in my course mate, I do programming using java and other things like how the computers actually work and such like.

Thanks for all the helps guys and thanks dicey, wondered how you would 'protect' yourself from outsiders accessing your connection.

[dicey2k]

Anytime

BSc (Hons) Computing (Networks) shining through there

[Robie]

Its much more fun finding out who is accessing your network and then putting some nice pictures as there desktop. :P

[Ryan1985]

Anytime

BSc (Hons) Computing (Networks) shining through there 

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Honours eh? Think I might just not do that, sounds like too much hard work, work experience is where its at!

[alanbradley]

work experience it where its at!

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Never a truer word spoken there....

Remember that its a good idea to have at least one normal netwok card and cable so that you can plug it into the router when things start to go wrong. There are too many variables in the woreless setup in my experience and its best to set up the router over a normal lan.

If you're really sad (like me) you can get a wee print server that plugs straight into the parallel or USB port on your printer and means it can be accessed over your network too. Very handy if you have one printer that you want to share between many computers.

I have to admit that I just bought the bits and guessed the rest when I set mine up! If you can read this then it seems to be working!

A