View Full Version : Any recommendations Wireless Network set up kit?
mr_coffee
12-05-2005, 12:32 PM
Hello everyone! I set up a wireless network for my g/f and its pretty nice, i don't even really need one for my house but my dad somtimes wants to use my laptop and enjoy the high speed internet as well. Any recommendations on an acess point? There are alot out there so i was wondering what is a good brand to buy, and isn't too costly. Thanks!
Scott Pruett
12-05-2005, 12:36 PM
Linksys has been pretty bombproof for me, been running the same one for > 3yrs almost daily.
terry988
12-09-2005, 12:11 AM
Hello everyone! I set up a wireless network for my g/f and its pretty nice, i don't even really need one for my house but my dad somtimes wants to use my laptop and enjoy the high speed internet as well. Any recommendations on an acess point? There are alot out there so i was wondering what is a good brand to buy, and isn't too costly. Thanks!
LinkSys G which support 802.11g, http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_techspecs.php/masterid=665967
mr_coffee
12-10-2005, 01:28 PM
Awesome thanks, is that all i need to set up a wireless network if i alreaady have an integrated wireleess card in my laptop and an ethernet card in my desktop?
McDuff
12-10-2005, 01:50 PM
Yup, that is all you will need. I use that same model, range is ok. One thing mine is thermal sensitive, found out I needed to make sure nothing else was on top/underneath it heatwise. Once I moved it to open air, it's been rock solid.
You will need to connect to it using ethernet 1st to set it up, but I think there was a short cable included w/ it.
edit: you will want to plug the router into modem and your ethernet computer into the router. This way it protects both the laptop and base computer.
LaoziSailor
12-10-2005, 03:31 PM
I use a SMC, but basically all will work fine.
Point of Caution: Do enable security (...other may get a fre ride). Whichever one you choose should have something similar to:
Channel and SSID
This page allows you to define SSID, Transmission Rate, Basic Rate and Channel ID for wireless connection. In the wireless environment, this Wireless Barricade can be acting as an wireless access point. These parameters are used for the mobile stations to connect to this access point.
Security
This page allow you to transmit your data securely over the wireless network. Matching authentication and encryption methods must be setup on your Barricade Wireless Router and wireless client devices to use security.
WPA (WiFi Protected Access) Disable
WPA Encryption Type Disable
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) Enable
WEP Encryption Type Enable
Select key generation method
ASCII Keys (Active Keys must be exactly 13 characters): ..choose your password
On the laptop follow the network install wizard and you'll be all set.
Scott Pruett
12-10-2005, 04:06 PM
hehe, I unsecured our wireless network a while ago. I kept forgetting the WEP key & it was a pain to go find it every time a friend w/ a laptop came over.
I don't live in an area where this'll be a problem though. YMMV.
Jadis
12-10-2005, 04:56 PM
We're not in an area like that either, Scott.
I'm going to hook ours up to an AirPort with the printer port. That way we can wirelessly print too. Right now we have cables running all over the floor between these two rooms that we live in.
2jazzyjeff
12-10-2005, 05:02 PM
yeah, the Lynxsis Wireless G has been great for me too...
Scott Pruett
12-10-2005, 05:12 PM
cool stuff Jadis.
FYI, even if you don't run a printer on the network directly, you can always print to another computer. My printer is hooked directly to the G5 & I just have it shared. Any other [mac] computer on the network can use it.
Jadis
12-10-2005, 05:21 PM
Correct, but in my experience the computer that the printer is hooked up to has to be turned on. With the wireless router w/printer port, it eliminates that problem.
Scott Pruett
12-10-2005, 05:27 PM
That's true. I don't turn mine off very often though. Guess it's just preference.
Jadis
12-10-2005, 05:36 PM
Yup, but most don't realize it until they set up a network printer. Dad was in the same situation. Used his printer hooked to his computer, and set it up as a network printer when he got his laptop. He runs the laptop wireless, but gets frustrated when he wants to print and has to go in and boot his desktop machine, which he rarely uses since getting the laptop. :)
It's more of a convenience for us to plug it into a router, because there isn't a time when our computers are necessarily all on. We each have our own printer, but our living situation right now doesn't give us room for us to have our stuff up here. We decided mine was the best out of them all, so that's the one that didn't get put in storage.
mr_coffee
12-10-2005, 07:25 PM
Awesome!! thanks for the help everyone, thats going on my wish list :)
It is my understanding that WEP has been cracked, and you will be turning on WPA encryption. Below is an excerpt from the Shownotes from Security Now! (http://thisweekintech.com/node/3987) with Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte.
Steve: And so he's on. Now, that's not the same as being able to communicate from there on. But it turns out that, I mean, that's typical of the mistakes that were made. WEP, the WEP technology, is so badly broken that, given about an hour, it's possible to crack it for sure. Sometimes you crack it sooner; sometimes it takes a little bit longer. There are newer attacks which are able to stimulate the access point to generate much more traffic than it normally would in order to get it to give more samples of its use of the key, which then, using any freely downloadable software - I mean, there's like 10 or 15 different WEP decryption packages now, and people are spitting them out just because it's sort of fun sport. Transcript of Episode 11 (http://www.grc.com/sn/SN-011.htm).