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Wireless Networking

X

Xanager

Member
My parents are getting DSL, and they want to set up a wireless network. Here is the situation...

They want a Wireless Router with a built in print server. So far, the only one I have seen to fit this criteria is the SMC7004AWBR. I personally own a SMC router and am very confident in their products.

A few questions...

1. The SMC PCI card listed at amazon is $135 and the PC card (for lapop) is $90. Why is the PCI card so much?? Other brands have PCI cards for like $45 or so. Am I missing something? If this is the case, can you mix different brands of PCI wireless LAN cards? i.e. have a LinkSYS or NetGear pci card and the SMC router.

2. The SMC has three ports and a wireless access point. This means that you can have three people hooked up through cable ethernet cards and like twenty or thirty on wireless network cards, right??

3. I know the router assigns different IP addresses for the different computers connected to it. Does this include the wireless connections? Does the wireless access point act as a router or a hub? I wasn't for sure if the three ports each have separate IP addresses, and the wireless all have one, or if all the wireless connections have their own unique IP address.

4. One or two of the computers in the network will have win98 and the other two will have XP. I know this is feasible, but is it going to cause a bunch of problems??

5. Do these prices look reasonable?
SMC Networks SMC7004AWBR Wireless 4-Port Broadband Router with Print Server -- $190
SMC Networks SMC2602W Wireless PCI Card -- $135
SMC Networks SMC2632W Wireless Network PC Card -- $90

6. This all operates on 802.11b, which maxes at 11 Mbps. I've read that 802.11a is coming out and it maxes at 54 or so Mbps. I don't know yet, but I don't think that 802.11a is compatible with the SMC. Any ideas?


Thanks a lot. If anyone has any other comments they will be greatly appreciated.

edit: just saw the thread on using different client cards with different brand wireless APs. I guess that answers that question.

 
Q ?1 Most Desktop Wireless Cards are Laptop PCMCIA + PCI Adapter. The $45 Item that you see is only the Adapter. I.e. $90 Card + PCI Adapter = $135

Q ?2 That means 3 Wired and more then 200 Wireless.

Q ? 3 The DHCP (that is the thingie that auto. Assign IPs), works on both Wired, and Wireless (This is America no discrimination).

Q ?4 People have some difficulty getting use to Win XP. However, we are in America, the Router does not discriminate.

Q ? 5 If you shop carefully you can (probably) save $50 on all the Items as compare to your numbers.

Q ? 6 The 54Mb/sec. is already Advertise.

EZ Connect 802.11a Wireless Access Point

From a Router point of view, it is compatible Downward.

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Wireless Routers Compared

Comment Orinoco Gold Wireless card considered to be better Client Card then the SMC (and yes it will speak to the SMC Barricade).

ORiNOCO PC Card - Gold.

PCI Desktop Wireless with Fixed Antenna stuck behind the tower will not yield the best connection in the world. A card with flexible Antenna or Orinoco USB Wireless will serve you better.

Search this Forum for the term Wireless you will find a lot of info.

 
I'll second the choice of the orinoco cards. Also, unless you need 128 bit encryption, might as well save some $$ and get the orinoco silver (with only 64 bit encryption). Fact of the matter is either encryption strength can be defeated if someone wants to. One adfantage of the orinoco cards is that they have a jack for an external antenna, which would be especially handy in a desktop PC situation. FYI thye can be had for $70 at provantage.com (no relation, other than satisfied customer).

Re Q2, although theoretical connections your wireless AP may be in the hundreds, the AP is a hub, not a switch, so the 11 mbps max bandwidth will be shared among all the PCs on the wireless network.

Re Q3, just think of the wireless AP as a wireless hub. So dhcp from the router (or your server) will work over the AP.

 
In turbo mode 802.11b products are advertised at 104 Mbps. My testing is around 35 to 40 Mbps in turbo mode. Still fast for wireless. These devices use 5 Ghz as the frequency while 802.11b uses 2.4 Ghz so no, they are not compatible. Some Manufacturers, like Orinco will have AP's that have PCMCIA slots, 2, so you can have a hybrid wirleless LAN.
 
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