Help on Wireless LAN

[Dunks]

yeah ok...my dad wants to share my cable modem acess...and he wants to use wireless lan...
well...i got a few questions cos i know jack about networking:

1) Any reccomendations on wireless networking kits? What do i look for?
2) Does it slow down my internet acess alot? (gaming)
3) Does it also work as a firewall? (like a router?)

well...i guess those are my main questions....
thnx in advance...
-Dunks

 

[JERR]

you want a wireless router ( AKA gateway), preferably one with built in multi port switch so you can use phsical wire as well. You can game over wireless but it is not as reliable as a physical wire ( my friend would periodically loose his link temporarily on a SMC setup). Look for reviews/roundups for wireless gateways for info on brands.

 

[JackMDS]

Wireless LAN works at 11Mb/sec.

Average Cable Connection 2.5Mb/sec.

If you buy a Cable/DSL Wireless Router it usually includes Hardware FireWall.

For basic info about the issues read the following links:

The Basic Options to Share Internet Connection (Internet Sharing 101)

Hubs, routers, switches, DSL, LANs, WANs...?

The Wireless Solution.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

get any dlink wireless kit you can find. They are great. I got 3 usb dlink dwl120 adaptors and they rock. Great speed at far distances. Internet access is perfectly fine. I lag an extra 2 to 3 ms. So your ping will be 45 instead of 42. Gaming is hella great, i play cs all day, no diff. It can work like a firewall if you buy a router/ap that is wireless.

 

[learningstill]

Here are some reviews that you can check out.

AmbiCom Wave2Net Wireless LAN
Hawking Technology 11-Mbps Wireless LAN
TRENDnet Wireless LAN
Nokia Wireless LAN
Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 Access Point and Adapters
3Com AirConnect Wireless LAN
SMC Barricade Wireless Broadband Router
Linksys EtherFast Wireless Access Point + Cable/DSL Router
D-Link Wireless LAN Series
ZoomAir Wireless LAN
SOHOware NetBlaster II Wireless LAN
Lucent Orinoco Residential Gateway Wireless LAN
Enterasys RoamAbout, SMC EZ Connect, Symbol Spectrum 24
Linksys Instant Wireless LAN
8wire Labs Roundup: 802.11b Wireless LANs

Good Luck Guys!!

 

[JackMDS]

BBS' Conventional Wisdom (i.e. what a lot of people report success with) claims that the combination:

SMC Barricade Wireless Cable/DSL Router7004WABR .

Lucent Orinoco PCMCIA.

Yield good results.