Wanting to add some Wireless PCs to my home network what do I need?

[Blayze]

Ok my network is pretty simple. I have a DSL Router (Speedstream 5660 provided by DSL company, probably not the best but it works) and it is hooked to the uplink port of my Linksys 5 port Switch. My machines are hooked to the Switch and I use DHCP. I have had no problems with this setup since I got it last year, but I want to add some computers to my network using wireless.

The family machine is located on the other side of the house. This is one machine that I want to connect and also I want to convert my laptop to wireless so I can take it with me in the house. I would like to leave the other 2 machines connected with CAT 5 using my switch if possible. I don't need wireless on all the machines.

Since I already have a router (its a 1 port router that I hook to my switch) what would I need to buy in order to set this up, and how would I go about setting this up? All machines use Windows 2000/XP and I have one 98 box. I have been using Linksys products and have looked at their stuff, but I have no ideal what I need.

Also are there any added security risks with going wireless? will others have easy access to my network? and if so how do I prevent them from accessing my stuff.

 

[ktwebb]

You need an Access Point, basically a wireless hub, plugged into a port on your switch and wireless client cards, NIC's, in the machines you want to have wireless connectiviy to your wired backbone. PCMCIA card for your laptop and either a wireless USB adapter or PCI card for you desktop. The USB might be a good choice if you don't have alot of USB peripherals on the chain and use them frequently. The advantage being they have antennas you can move around where as you would have to buy aftermarket antennas normally for the PCI card. The ones that come with them sit behing a dekstop or tower with EMI all around it. They still work but since it's on the other side of the house the USB solutions with an antenna you can position might be your best bet. Linksys's WAP11 or the SMC line of AP's are the most common in the SOHO market. For client cards, especially the laptop, Orinco silver or gold is commonly thought as the price vs. performance leader.

 

[JackMDS]

Here is a Wireless primer:

Wireless LAN consists on two main components.

1. Access Point (A/P).

Access Point is the Main Transmitter/Receiver that mediates between your LAN, and the Wireless computers, to the rest of the Network. It is connected to a regular RJ-45 port on LAN's Hub/Switch, or regular port on a Cable/DSL Router. It usually supports an excess of 100 clients.

2 . Wireless Client Card.

Wireless Client Card is the LAN card that you should install on each one your network computers, that you want to be Wireless.

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

Conventional Wisdom claims that the Orinoco Gold (About $90) is the best Wireless Client Card (has PCMCIA and USB versions).

This link:
ORiNOCO PC Card - Gold.

Sample of Access Points Compared

If you don?t have Cable/DSL Router, you can buy a Wireless Cable/DSL Router, which is a Combo unit that includes Router to share the Internet, Switch for Wired Network and A/P for Wireless clients (plus more goodies).

The SMC Wireless Barricade is considered one of the favorites.

Sample of Wireless Routers Compared



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