Wireless Networking
Art Scott
Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
I need to set up as inexpensively as possible a wireless network.
I need to access a desktop system on DSL upstairs from the 2nd desktop down stairs.:scratch
What all do I need to accomplish this?:dunno
Also once set up does the upstairs computer have to turned on for the 2nd computer to access the web ??:dunno
As you can tell I know absolutely nothing about networking computers.
cry
Thanx:bow:bow:bow:bow:bow:bow
I need to access a desktop system on DSL upstairs from the 2nd desktop down stairs.:scratch
What all do I need to accomplish this?:dunno
Also once set up does the upstairs computer have to turned on for the 2nd computer to access the web ??:dunno
As you can tell I know absolutely nothing about networking computers.
cryThanx:bow:bow:bow:bow:bow:bow
"Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website
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*** Do you already have a NATS router between your DSL modem and your PC?
Useful articles:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_network
Get all the same brand be it Linksys, D-Link, Belkin, or Netgear.
The router/switch will have one Ethernet 8pin RJ45 type port IN (to connect to the DSL modem) and at least 3 available 8pin RJ45 ports OUT (one of which will be used with a patch cable to connect to the PC upstairs).
Almost all of these units are at least 100BaseT in speed but some may offer faster 1000BaseT (Gigabit Ethernet) through the hard wired ports. I'd get the Gigabit if you can find one in case down the road you want to patch in a NAS unit as most of those now have built in Gigabit Ethernet ports.
For the downstairs unit, you'll have to install the PCI-E card (or plain old PCI if that is the only slot). I suggest you consider not attaching the standard "wand" type antenna that comes with the unit and instead buy a directional antenna as these have a cord allowing for the antenna to be brought out from behind the PC helping with ensuring you get a strong wireless signal.
Something like this.... http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DWL-M60AT-Directional-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B0000AT4M4
The antenna does not have to be the same brand as the electronics.
Instead of using the PCI-E slot you may be able to find a good USB wireless dongle. I'm not a fan of these for a bunch of reasons but they definitely are a lot more convenient and units today are less flakey than those from a few years ago.
After you get it installed you're going to have to connect to the browser and enable various security options as you really don't want your system wide open for all the neighbors and the local porn perv (in his car) to leech off your DSL connection. Ideally you'll obtain the MAC address of both computers and ONLY permit connections to known MAC addresses.
Sound complicated?
If YES, then you may want to consider the new generation of Ethernet over Power adapters aka Powerline Ethernet. This is a good solution if you already have a NATS Router/Switch.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=powerline+ethernet&x=0&y=0 << read the reviews here
http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineEthernetAdapters/HDX101.aspx
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=459694
They are more secure than a wireless system as their signal does not travel much more than 300 feet or the next transformer and most have a form of encryption available. No drivers to worry about. Pretty much plug and play. Downsides are that sometimes appliances cause electrical noise that slows down the throughput ie Vacuum cleaners. WiFi has similar issues with cordless phones and microwave ovens.
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I second the suggestion of considering powerline networking as an alternative. I use both. Wireless for short-range laptop access, and powerline for a network segment where wireless runs across too much distance and obstacles to give me acceptable speed.
You can simplify it further down than that. Just turn on WPA encryption. While there are other methods of locking attackers out, such as MAC address filtering and IP address filtering, the fact is that if someone is sophisticated enough to make it past WPA, they're not going to have a problem breaking through MAC and IP filtering (just sniff the ones that have connections, and impersonate them). WPA is very difficult to crack, so hackers have to resort to brute force password attacks. Therefore the main strategy is to use a long password that is not in any dictionary. That should be reasonable enough security, and much stronger than WEP.
My home network is a DLINK with 802.11n. I connect two Mac desktops via hardwire, and a Mac laptop and a PC laptop wirelessly via the DLINK, and everything works flawlessly.
I also have an HP 2600n color laser printer than is connected to my wireless network, and this is really cool, because I can print from any of the four machines all via the HP printer flawlessly as well. This simplifies everything so much I heartily recommend it.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
I have both a wireless network and powerline network. The powerline network has one major flaw, in that it may or may not work between some outlets (depending on the wiring of your main power panel). If the two outlets are on a different phase, the two network cards basically can't see each other. Although this can be rectified by an electrician, it's simply something you need to keep in mind, i.e. it might not work right out of the box.
As mentioned, other electric devices on the same circuit can cause interference. When it works, it works really well. As well, note that there are two different versions available, the older version only able to achieve a theoretical max. speed of 10Mbs. The newer standard, 100Mbs. My real life speed is more like 30-50Mbs.
I ran a wireless-g network for about 3 years. I found that it worked best in my house when the other computers were on the same floor as the router. My wife's computer in her craft room one floor below had difficulties maintaining a good connection, despite considerable tweeking. On average, my connection speed at this machine was about 20-30Mbs compared to 45 on the main floor (a bungalow).
I am now in a new home and have installed a wireless-n network (Belkin N1 Vision). I have great throughput throughout the house (3 PC's, one printer, and an iPod). My wife's machine is virtually the farthest point to point distance in my house. Even with the floor and many walls in between the router and her machine, we are able to get connection speeds on average of 210-240 Mbs.
One other point that may not have been mentioned, I would strongly suggest turning OFF the broadcast of the router's SSID. Just one more thing to make you more invisible to the outside world. In my neighbourhood alone, I can currently see 9 different wireless networks (4 of the unsecured!).
Good luck with your network,
www.digismile.ca
Good points. I upgraded to the newer standard and am getting the same range of throughput. Don't get the old 14-megabit HomePlug 1.0 adapters.
I did also experience having to move an adapter to a different power outlet. One outlet gave horrible connectivity, another outlet in the same room was dramatically better. Older wiring may be challenging.
The security effectiveness is limited as there are many tools that can see "invisible" SSIDs, but I still do it anyway.
Have decided on a Linksys network......but I am unsure of which is better and why.
A gigabit router or a dual band router (Ultra Range Plus).
usb adapter or PCI card adapter.
All on sale this week at Best Buy.............
Thanks
da Bumpity
Gigabit is for wired. Bands are for wireless. What is more important? I have gigabit Ethernet to connect machines using very fast Ethernet cable (move big images around), but that has no bearing on wireless.
Another thing about special terminology on wireless is that sometimes it is brand specific. If "Ultra Range Plus" is proprietary to that brand, all your other wireless peripherals will be locked into that brand for the feature to be of use. Straight 802.11n or 802.11g is non-proprietary.
USB will use up a port. If you are always short on free USB ports and have free slots, fill the PCI slot instead. If you have a busy USB bus (drives and card readers constantly contending for bandwidth), once again you may find better performance by sending your network traffic to a PCI card instead.
I was looking at a Linksys Wireless N gigabit but no one had matching adapters for the 2nd box in USB or PCI ...... so I came back here to ask for clairification and got it.......I can save another ~$30 by getting a 802.11n draft (I figure that is the standard model running approx 200mbps) and get a 2 antennea pci "N" card.......I have one sluuuuot left:D
How much time should it take to set up for a neophyte?? .....
I've ordered a bunch of stuff from them!
http://www.newegg.com/
My website | NANPA Member
I order a ton from them.....just that BB is just down the street so if something goes belly up (besides me) I can run in exchange and be back hooking it up with in a few minutes.........
I also order from Tiger Direct .......................
Linksys does a pretty good job of automating the setup. If you really take your time, one to two hours, to set up the router and then setup the wireless machine. If you have a cable modem, setup is straight forward. If you have DSL, you have a bit of work to get the internet connection working.
Basically, your first step is to get the router working with a PC (hardwired), then you can move on to the wireless part. These next instructions should help you get your internet connection up and running without too much trouble.
If you do have a DSL modem, you probably need to do the following:
In your initial setup of your existing DSL connection, your DSL provider may have directed your first web connection to the internet to a website that basically registers the MAC address of your PC's network card (it's a one time thing). Every network device has a MAC address, so to get the new router working, you basically have two choices: contact your service provider to help you register the MAC address of the new router, or, you can fake the DSL connection out by "cloning" your PC's MAC address in the router setup (this is what is normally done. It's a normal feature in the routers).
So the first thing to do is find out your network card's MAC address. If you are using Windows, go to the Run command and type winipcfg. You should get a screen with a bunch of information, including the MAC address of your network card. Write it down.
If you have a cable modem, you can start here:
You can now basically try connecting the router to the modem and your PC to the router. Power everything down, starting the modem first, and let it connect. Then power up the router, then power up the PC.
You should be able to open a web browser and begin configuring the router. If I remember correctly, the IP address for a linksys router is 192.168.1.1 (it will be in the documentation, just type it into the address bar). You want to find the setup area where you Clone your MAC address. You will type in the string of characters that you wrote down earlier (again, only if you have a DSL, if not, skip this). Basically this makes the new router (with a new MAC address) appear to your ISP as if it were your original PC. it saves having to contact them and re-register the new MAC address.
Save your changes. At this point, you may have to go through the power up sequence again. Try opening your browser and connecting to an Internet site. If you can't connect at this point, restart all your devices and you should be able to connect to the internet.
Once your internet is back, you can now continue with the wireless setup.
You will first configure the wireless settings for the router, then you can move on to the remote PC. The documentation and software wizard should probably get you going quite easily.
Just a couple of suggestions:
1. Be sure to use some type of wireless security, the stronger the better (WPA, or WPA-2).
2. Change the router's master password.
3. Turn of the SSID broadcast.
If you do this, you will be more secure than most wireless users out there ...
It's late, and I hope I haven't forgotten an important step ... I'm sure there are some real Geek Squad types out there that will correct any mistakes I've suggested ...
good luck,
www.digismile.ca
Thanx for all the help.
I finally got mad at it I picked up a D-Link DIR-655 several months ago and have not been happier.
Decided tj go with Belkin ..... got a Draft "N" and a usb adapter for 2nd box.....took less than 45 minutes to install software and all......has been networking now for about 4 hrs and only lost connection 1 time and it reconnected automatically in less than 1 minute.....no more lost connection and it all seems faster than it was running plugged directly into DSL alone.....didn't realize I was gonna gain speed.
THANX EVERYONE FOR ALL THE HELP!!!!!!
I am in a serious mode in switching over to mac from PC. I was hoping someone can help with another question. I currently run a wireless network in the house. With the router connected to the Mac, will a PC laptop still be able to be used on the same network or will there be a conflict...
thanks for any advice..
Danny
http://www.bigapplefirephotography.com
Under a normal configuration, the router won't be connected to the Mac...the Mac will be connected to the router. And the PC will be connected to the router. The router rules the network (doing its routing thing from the modem), and all it cares about is whether the connected devices support standard TCP/IP. It will ask the Mac, and the Mac will say "yes." It will ask the PC, and the PC will say "yes." Same with any XBoxes or other TCP/IP (Ethernet) devices like printers and such. And any devices that answers "yes" will get networking services from the router. There are ways to also file share on your network between Macs and PCs.
TCP/IP is how universities, libraries, and Starbucks can put up a wireless router and not care what brand of laptop walks in the door, and they can all connect, because everybody uses TCP/IP networking.
You may even want to consider a dsl / router combo (or cable modem/router combo from like Best Bought)......if mine hadn't practically brand new this would have been the route (r) to go:D ...................
GreyLeaf PhotoGraphy
thanks to those on the reply....
stay safe, be well
Danny
http://www.bigapplefirephotography.com