Newbie on wireless

[Harkoliar]

I have just the opposite of your configuartion; Wireless high speed internet; wired in home USR router, and NIC cards to all nodes.

thanks felix!
i understand the router and lan card and what those are for. but what are the NIC cards for? i really cant seem to understand thier use. are those for the access points?

[Harkoliar]

You only mentioned a DSL connection. Is this so far a single connection and you want to build from the DSL up?

oh yeah, the dsl connection is connected already in the existing network. so im just looking for a connection to the network via wireless to access the internet. so i just need to hook up my router to the existing router right? (just wanna make sure that possible before doing something stupid [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally posted by Harkoliar: but what are the NIC cards for?

A NIC (Network Interface Card). The link I posted is for a desktop PC. It's the same technology as those small ones for laptops, but it's mounted on a PCI adapter. That is what "Talks" to the router. Think two way radio, "motorola" or whatever you have.

Most modern PCs have a built in LAN adadpter, and accept the CAT 5 cable directly from the router, and is the cheapest, easiest way to connect your home network. The advantage of wireless is self named. The disadvantage, is cost, range, security, and wireless bandits.

[Harkoliar]

vulcan rider: -------------------- Harkoliar -- you posted a picture of a wireless Network Interface Card (NIC) for a laptop. A NIC for a desktop machine is (usually) a circuit board you install inside your machine. Both laptops and desktops could have wireless NICs (with some kind of antenna) or NICs with a plug for a network cable. You said "I should connect a wireless router (or access point) to the existing router and just put a wireless lan card to my computer and thats it?" YES! Your wireless access point might have a built-in router, so it could replace your existing router, but it wouldn't hurt to have both on your network. And don't forget Bungleau's security tips, so neighbors & strangers living nearby can't use your network (& maybe look at your hard drive!) without your permission. Re: "what is the access point for?" It just takes the data moving through the (hard-wired) network and sends it out over the air (so your laptop can pick it up), and it takes the data coming over the air (from your laptop) and puts it onto the wired network.

i get it now . so those routers (and lan cards) have already built in NIC cards right? okay, so a wireless router and wireless lan card is needed then . thanks alot! i really needed a lecture on this before i do something stupid.

i really cant believe why they have to make terms so complicated. i thought that NIC are SEPERATE gadgets that you need to install which I could not figure out where your suppose to install them. doh! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

for the lan card or usb2 adaptor (i think thats possible)
link: http://www.cheapcomputer.com.au/products/item1858.asp


OR
link: http://www.cheapcomputer.com.au/products/item424.asp


AND
the router:

link: http://www.cheapcomputer.com.au/products/item1854.asp

opinions?

[ 03-18-2004, 10:40 PM: Message edited by: Harkoliar ]

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally posted by Harkoliar:

oh yeah, the dsl connection is connected already in the existing network. so im just looking for a connection to the network via wireless to access the internet. so i just need to hook up my router to the existing router right? (just wanna make sure that possible before doing something stupid [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

Ouch! Yes. Very costly. I understand this is a "would like" project. However, a well planned out home network could save $100's.

This is just a access point, and cost more than my favorite wireless router.
http://www.usr.com/products/networki...cs&sku=USR2249

Upgrading with this one allows you to maintain your wired connections, and to go wireless with the new set-ups. Allows hardwire print sharing.
http://www.usr.com/products/networki...sp?sku=USR8022

Here is the cheapest wired-wireless USR router. Allows 4 wired connections.
http://www.usr.com/products/networki...cs&sku=USR8054

I'm sure there are cost effective brands out there, but I'm a USR guy.

ONE MORE IMPORTANT TOPIC:
Frequency, it's all about the freq! Check all of your household items. Cordless phone, cell phone, microwave, TV remote, satellite etc. Somebody somewhere made the stoooopidest mistake known to wireless mankind. The real reason I have a wired network is:
My cordless phone runs on the 2400 channel.
My satellite "wireless" runs on the 2450 channel.
My microwave is LOS from where the router is to the upstairs loft.

All 3 of the above would be "DIRECT" interference with a 2400 channel wireless network.

[Harkoliar]

Thanks again for the advise Bungleu, Vulcan and Felix . sure clarified alot of things.

[Harkoliar]

Ouch! Yes. Very costly. I understand this is a "would like" project. However, a well planned out home network could save $100's. This is just a access point, and cost more than my favorite wireless router.

you mean you can just use a wireless access point to connect to a "wired" router to a wireless desktop? (instead of using a router?) because i dont want to touch the existing network or replace the router to a wireless router since everything is working perfectly and connected via wires.

the links i showed you guys are AUD dollars not US.

ONE MORE IMPORTANT TOPIC: Frequency, it's all about the freq! Check all of your household items. Cordless phone, cell phone, microwave, TV remote, satellite etc. Somebody somewhere made the stoooopidest mistake known to wireless mankind. The real reason I have a wired network is: My cordless phone runs on the 2400 channel. My satellite "wireless" runs on the 2450 channel. My microwave is LOS from where the router is to the upstairs loft. All 3 of the above would be "DIRECT" interference with a 2400 channel wireless network.

thanks for the warning

[ 03-18-2004, 11:26 PM: Message edited by: Harkoliar ]

[Bungleau]

Assuming you've got a setup like this:

DSL <==> DSL Modem <==> Router <==> PC

where all the "<==>" are cables of one kind or another, all you have to do (assuming that your router has more than one port on it, or more than one place to stick in a <==>) is...

DSL <==> DSL Modem <==> Router <==> PC
............................................./\
.............................................||
.............................................||
.............................................\/
......................Wireless access point/router
............................................./\
.............................................||
.............................................||
.............................................\/
.....................Wireless NIC/network card/ethernet card in PC

Everything else stays the same.

The only way this gets kludgy is if your current router is a one-port router. If it is, then I'd replace it with a four-port wireless router. You can then do wireless or wired connections from the same router.

IIRC, 802.11G uses a different bandwidth than 802.11B, so the frequency collisions that Felix mentions are less of an issue. Lesseee.... nope, I'm wrong. 802.11A uses a higher bandwidth, but nobody uses 802.11A, so just fuhgeddaboudit. Stick with 802.11B or G, and watch the interference.

If you're farther away, you may need to stick in a signal booster, but that's another whole discussion...

My home network has a four-port Linksys wired router, a four-port Linksys wireless router, and an eight-port Linksys switch. All of them can accept wired connections. It's really simple to set up... honest [img]smile.gif[/img] ... even as an addition to your existing network.

*Edit* you're right, Hark. The board took the spaces out of the picture, so I've replaced them with dots.
Good luck!

[ 03-19-2004, 10:27 AM: Message edited by: Bungleau ]

[Harkoliar]

router it is then [img]smile.gif[/img] . Since i noticed the price difference is small compared to a access point.

Isnt Bungleau your drawing suppose to be like this since its a router to a router connection for the wireless?
DSL <==> DSL Modem <==> Router <==> PC
--------------------------/\
--------------------------||
--------------------------||
Wireless access point/router
/\
||
||
\/
Wireless NIC/network card/ethernet card in PC

[ 03-19-2004, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: Harkoliar ]

[Felix The Assassin]

Originally posted by Harkoliar: you mean you can just use a wireless access point to connect to a "wired" router to a wireless desktop? (instead of using a router?) because i dont want to touch the existing network or replace the router to a wireless router since everything is working perfectly and connected via wires.

This product is a 'plug and play' item. It plugs 'hardwire' into an open port on your current router, and then acts as an extension (hub) to that router. The software / utility program is setup on the wireless node. I'm not certain if there is any more software needed.
http://www.usr.com/products/networki...es&sku=USR2249

ALSO, if you are using different brands, check for compatability issues.

As Bungleau pointed out, this access point would fall into the 'hub' category.

DSL<==>DSL Modem<==>Router<==>PC
S-------------------------/\
T-------------------------|&#0124
A-------------------------|&#0124
C-------------------------\/
K-------------------------Wireless Access Point<~~~~>Wireless NIC.

Now then, all other 'connections' remain untouched, provided you have an open LAN slot on your router.

Honestly, you would be better off going with a multi ported router.
It's cheaper, gives you more hard and wireless access, and stacks nicer with another router. And, if you don't want to be bongling with the hard wires, another router would just plug into an open slot and stack. Or, you could uplug 1 line and plug new router into that slot and plug the 1 line into new router and go. Just my savings of [img]graemlins/twocents.gif[/img]