Need a Mobile Wireless Network Solution (Please help)

[jcovercash]

Ok im getting a Dell Inspiron 8000. I need to know what is the best wireless solution for it.

Right now I have a wired D-Link DL-704P Router. I know I will need to get a wireless router.

What do you recommend...? I need something that will work with wired connections and wireless also......
I also need a PCMIA card that will work with this laptop? It does have PCMIA slots right .

I need a combo that will work togather....


Should i go with 802.11b, Wi-Fi, or just the old Wireless solutions?

I need something that will work within a normal sized house, and around the school too possible.....


Thanks,
Josh

 

[mcveigh]

for a pcmcia card get the dell 1150 it's a rebadged orinoco gold, I love em

 

[jcovercash]

any other suggestions? what about wireless routers? and what are the positive and negatives for each standard??

 

[mcveigh]

search the networking forums this has been gone over a thousand times.

but...
802.11b is by far the most common, but operates on the 2.4ghz band like some cordless phones and microwave ovens.
802.11a is faster and has less interference but also costs more.
802.11g is coming out but who knows when it's supposed to work with most I think.

get an 802.11b router if all you want to do is surf the net from home.

you might consider 802.11a if you move large files around between computers.

I use the dell truemobile 1150 and a smc 7004vwbr router. I like it cause it has a stateful inspection firewall.

 

[ktwebb]

"Should i go with 802.11b, Wi-Fi, or just the old Wireless solutions?"

802.11b is Wi-Fi. 802.11a is Wi-Fi5. What old wireless solutions are you talking about. For the home consumer masses, 802.11b is the old technology.

"Right now I have a wired D-Link DL-704P Router. I know I will need to get a wireless router"

If you plan on selling your current router then yeah, you'd probably want a wireless router. I'd keep the router you have and see if you can't get a cheap Access Point for your wireless nodes.

"802.11g is coming out but who knows when it's supposed to work with most I think."

802.11g AP's will be compatible with 802.11b clients using CCK encoding. OFDM for the higher data rates. IEEE won't even have the potential to ratify the spec before next spring. You may see some Mfg's selling product branded as .11g however it will not meet the ratified specification because there won't be one. Perhaps mid spring is what I have read and heard.

802.11a is quite a bit faster, 54 Mb signalling rate. Should give you in the 20-25 Mb real world throughput. Range is slightly worse overall than 802.11b. May be much worse depending on the hardware.

No real way to tell you with certainty if any AP will cover you whole house or not without testing. If you have a Mega-Store (Best-Buy, CompUSA etc..) with a decent return policy you can get your hardware from there and then return if the coverage does not meet your expectations.

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: ktwebb
"Should i go with 802.11b, Wi-Fi, or just the old Wireless solutions?"

802.11b is Wi-Fi. 802.11a is Wi-Fi5. What old wireless solutions are you talking about. For the home consumer masses, 802.11b is the old technology.

"Right now I have a wired D-Link DL-704P Router. I know I will need to get a wireless router"

If you plan on selling your current router then yeah, you'd probably want a wireless router. I'd keep the router you have and see if you can't get a cheap Access Point for your wireless nodes.

"802.11g is coming out but who knows when it's supposed to work with most I think."

802.11g AP's will be compatible with 802.11b clients using CCK encoding. OFDM for the higher data rates. IEEE won't even have the potential to ratify the spec before next spring. You may see some Mfg's selling product branded as .11g however it will not meet the ratified specification because there won't be one. Perhaps mid spring is what I have read and heard.

802.11a is quite a bit faster, 54 Mb signalling rate. Should give you in the 20-25 Mb real world throughput. Range is slightly worse overall than 802.11b. May be much worse depending on the hardware.

No real way to tell you with certainty if any AP will cover you whole house or not without testing. If you have a Mega-Store (Best-Buy, CompUSA etc..) with a decent return policy you can get your hardware from there and then return if the coverage does not meet your expectations.

Thanks for clarifing that i will check around... I will probally go wit 802.11b

Thanks,
Josh