Need Basic Info on what hardware to get for WIRELESS

[adamflath]

Hey there,

If someone can give me a link to a site that gives an article on how wireless networking works and what hardware I need. Or better yet, someone just reply with the necessary Hardware and best place to get them. Thanks.....

It would be for two maybe 3 in the future desktops all running Win XP Using Cable

 

[Nighthawk69]

1. SMC Barricade Wireless Router
2. ORiNOCO GOLD or SILVER USB adapters for desktop systems
3. ORiNOCO GOLD or SILVER PCMCIA card for laptops

This will give you the best performance. Just search around on the net for the best prices.

Check Practically Networked for articles on all this stuff.

 

[JackMDS]

I don?t know the level of your Network knowledge.

So, let start from the beginning.

Read the content of the following Links:

Basic Options for Internet Connection Sharing.

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

The Wireless Solution.

Wireless LAN consists on two main components.

1. Access Point (A/P).

Access Point is the Main Transmitter/Receiver that mediate between your LAN, and main computer, to the rest of the Network. It is connected to the LAN?s Hub/Switch. It usually supports an excess of 100 clients.

2 . Wireless Client Card.

Wireless Client Card is the LAN card that you should install on your network computers.

Most Client cards are PCMCIA, which work very well with Laptops. For Desktop, it is usually better to use USB Wireless Card.
PCMCIA Wireless Cards with fixed antenna (stuck behind the PC) yields inferior results versus Flexible Antenna on a USB card.

If you don?t have an established Network with a Router, and a Switch. You need to buy Wireless Cable/DSL Router instead of the A/P. This contains a solution for Internet sharing as well as A/P.

Conventional Wisdom* claims that the combination Orinoco Gold (About $90) SMC Wireless Router (About $150) yield the best results.

This link:
ORiNOCO PC Card - Gold.

There are no real big differences between the entry level Routers.

As can be seen in this link:

Wireless Routers Compared

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When it comes to Wireless your mileage may varied, there are too many environmental variables that are unique to each individual setting.
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[need4spd]

Between the two previous posts .. you will have all the
necessary information to purchase a wireless network setup.

I recently put a wireless network in my home... bought a Wireless AP+Cable Router and a USB client adapter for my "remote" PC.

Most say I am extremely pleased with the results.. My main PC is about 55 feet away from the 2nd PC and it goes through 3 walls...very good performance and especially nice to be sharing internet and printer.

Checkout the SMC "Barricade" wireless broadband router... SMC70004AWBR $169.00 at www.outpost.com
Link to outpost.com

 

[adamflath]

Does anyone know a good place to buy the ORiNOCO PC Card - Gold USB version?

Another question...

Will i set it up like this......... cable modem to lancard #1 in main pc
landcard#2 in main pc to the --SMC "Barricade" wireless broadband router

The the USB client version on the pcs which are located in other areas...

thanks

 

[JackMDS]

The connection should be:

Cable Modem to WAN port of the Router.

CAT5 from Route Regular port to LAN Card (NIC) in main computer.

Main computer does not need second LAN Card (NIC)

However you should clone the MAC number of the main computer NIC to the Barricade (see the Barricade manual).

Orinoco USB on remote computer.

I is hard to find a good price for Orinoco Gold USB they go for $140-$150.

The Gold card is 128WEP, the Silver 64WEP.

If security is not very important, you can get the Sliver here:

Dell Orinoco Silver.

 

[Richard98]

You may want to check out this hot deals thread for information on the Dell branded card - Supposedly it's an Orinoco Gold card and it's listed on the web site for $99:

thread