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Wireless vs. HPNA or AC outlet... which one?

B

bupkus

Diamond Member
Urgency level? This question is not hypothetical. We need to buy this week.

I have 2 desktops and one laptop each eager to access my broadband modem.

Should I go wireless, phone wire, or AC wire for my network?
I have no experience with each of these solutions. Wires cannot be installed so cat5 is out.
The distances aren't great, the cost is of issue only if one solution is significantly more. The house is remote in a hilly area with only one neighbor in line-of-sight.
We'll probably want a router so neither of the 2 remote computers will be dependent on the pc next to the modem.

So, which technology is best in speed, reliability, and cost?

BTW, if the laptop has USB, should we do that or PCMCIA?
 
From a point of view of technology, and flexibility, Wireless is more superior then the others.

Since you need to share the Internet + one solid station + two Wireless stations the cost will be proximally the same.

PCMCIA is more comfortable for Laptop, USB is better for Desktop.

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 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.


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.

Wireless Routers Compared

BTW: >>>The house is remote in a hilly area with only one neighbor in line-of-sight<<<
What this info. is for?



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

 
>>>BTW, the house is remote in a hilly area with only one neighbor in line-of-sight<<<
>What this info. is for?

Security will probably not be the highest priority. If this were in an apartment complex I'd be much more concerned.

Additional question:
I've read here in the forums that SMC's printer servicer function is very slow. It's not a high priority, but it would be nice to save on printers, especially for the laptop.

More primer info please:
Does the print server feature mean you actually can connect an HP 970cse or Epson C80 directly to the SMC router and share it with everyone on the network? Or does it require a networked printer? How many printers can be networked. We have the two printers mentioned above.
 
The SMC has a regular Parallel Port, so most of the printers that have parallel port can serve as a Printer Server. You don?t need a special Network Printer.

The SMC (and most of the other Routers with Printer Server) do not support Bidirectional Printing (which mean no feed back about ink, paper etc.) As a result some printers will not work at all, and some will ill behave. The HP970 should be fine.

You can connect only one printer to the server. The other you can hook to your main computer, and share it through the Network.
 
Since the router is also a hub, we can share files as well as printers. Yes?

There was an announcement on SMC's website describing a new router called the SMC7004WFW. It's supposed to become available in early May. I wonder if it's worth waiting for. And, although I will probably wait for this new model I will eventually need to find an online outlet for the Orinoco Gold network cards.
Ever since ResellerRatings disappeared I feel uneasy buying from unknown venders. Is there one you would recommend? Newegg doesn't seem to carry the Orinoco line.

Thanks.

SMC announcement

 
Where the heck do you buy the Orinoco Gold USB network card?

I went to several online retail sites including mwave.com which carries a huge assortment of wireless NICs
mwave
but none by Orinoco!
 
Check here. As always, check hte seller on Resellratings to make sure you get what you pay for.


Good Luck


By the way, something you haven't answered is HOW far the two locationjs are from each other, and whether or net it is in a city
 
>By the way, something you haven't answered is HOW far the two locationjs are from each other, and whether or net it is in a city

Distances:
From the office/bedroom to the livingroom for the laptop is about 20 feet. From the office/bedroom to the other desktop is downstairs one flight and over about 15 feet.

Location:
Outside the city on the side of a hill with one house on the top of the hill and not another in sight or in range (unless these signals will go around a hill).

Actually, there is a possibility that another house (mine) will be built about 30 feet from the original house. I hope I can figure out how to connect to the router when and if that should happen.

Additional question:
Can a broadband router like the SMC7004AWBR which appears to have 2 antenna have an additional directional antenna attached to connect to another building with a similar antenna attached?
 
I don't know about the entry level WAP's like the SMC and Linksys and the like, but I do know that with Cisco's WAP products, you can unscrew the antenna's and hook up a corner unit or a yagi antenna. I don't see why they wouldn't work with the SMC's though.
 


<< I don't know about the entry level WAP's like the SMC and Linksys and the like, but I do know that with Cisco's WAP products, you can unscrew the antenna's and hook up a corner unit or a yagi antenna. I don't see why they wouldn't work with the SMC's though. >>



im pretty sure the linksys allows you to switch out the antenna with a more powerful one.. not sure if it needs to be a specific kind, but you can.. was sorta looking into getting one.. but those pc cards cost too much at the time.. 😛
 
I have the same situation, I choose HPNA over wireless

don't recommend AC outlet...

speedwize : HPNA > wireless
$$$ : HPNA < wirless

with 2 pc and 1 laptop...
HPNA = $50-100 [ebay look for phonline networking, look for 10M NOT the 1M)
wireless = $250-350

> So, which technology is best in speed, reliability, and cost?
HPNA

I suggest HPNA is u are short of $$$, otherwise have fun with wireless
though HPNA need to have a always on PC as a gateway...

up to u, dude...

 
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