House is wire CAT-5 network but want to add wireless and need a new notebook anyway.

We have DSL and LAN now.

What should I get in the notebook as far as wireless standard and what hardware do I need for the house?

Here is the router I have used the past few years with no problems

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.as...cid=35&prid=608.

Make sure your notebook will support 802.11G or the slower std of 802.11b

Good Luck!
Dan

we just had this big discussion here not 2 weeks ago, and i'm sure none of the answers have changed since then. the thread is probably still visible in the first fefw pages. search for 'Wireless' and it'll come right up ...

you'll have a hard time finding a new notebook that doesn't have 802.11g but if you have a choice, that's what you want (your other choice will be 802.11b -- get that ONLY if they give you a BIG discount. it's way faster than your WAN, which is cool if all you're doing is websurfing, but the moment you try to share files with another computer, you'll wish you'd got the faster g.

i still like the Linksys WRT54G router/firewall/WAP. others seem to really like the Apple AirPort, and still others just go to Costco and like the DLink products.

bottom line is - get everything you can from the same supplier, and don't get too many "last year's" products from the bargain bin - get all current stuff from whoever and you'll be fine.

802.11g is pretty darned stable now, and while there *are* emerging technologies, they're far from stable standards. if you're a technie who wants to play on the bleeding edge, you can check that stuff out, but if you just want a plug-and-play solution - go 'g' and be done.

G will give you up to 54mb shared speed. Plenty speedy and faster than what your DSL connection is as Rich stated.

I've been running Linksys products for a couple of years now with no problems, it's been great. The key is the location of the WAP.

When choosing a laptop, try and get something with the wireless built in, vs. a PCMCIA add-on card. The built in antennas are MUCH better.

(mini-pci counts as built in, they're wired to antennas in the lid)

if you really think 54G is going to give you 54Mbits/sec....I have a bridge I can sell you for real cheap....think more like half that.

QUOTE (Sammy @ Mar 16 2005, 04:53 PM)

Total cash spent wuz about $55, took me about an hour to get it up and running and I'm a "puter dummie.

do you have a firewall and security in that router, your computer and every computer on your network are wide open for anyone driving by....

please tell me you have some firewalls somewhere - even if it's just the XP software firewalls...

Sold!

WEP....what level...please dont say 40-bit. Either way, give me a couple of days and i could get in ....PLEASE PPLEASE GET more than 40-bit

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 16 2005, 05:59 PM)

Either way, give me a couple of days and i could get in...

i see you parked outside my house for more than an hour and breaking my encryption will be the least of your worries :-)

I use DLink, at my house, in our office 6 locations, and in the 4 managing partners' homes and soon to be at our Yacht Club. No problems at all. Just make sure you enable WEP encryption. IMHO, I think DLink gets a slight node over Linksys for ease of use, the ease of adding additional Access Points (one of the Partner's office is in his cottage, 50' from the main house), 7x24 toll free support and lifetime support. I agree with one of the posters to go with the g standard and try to stay with the same manufacturer. If you have multiple computers and fewer printers, I'd add a Wireless Print Server too. Much easier than say removing your rocker pannels. Rgds, Michael

QUOTE (ArtechnikA @ Mar 16 2005, 05:01 PM)

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 16 2005, 05:59 PM) Either way, give me a couple of days and i could get in... i see you parked outside my house for more than an hour and breaking my encryption will be the least of your worries :-)

chill out man....i'm not like that....i'm a 914 person not a asshole who does stupid crap like the warlinux people

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 16 2005, 06:44 PM)

QUOTE (ArtechnikA @ Mar 16 2005, 05:01 PM) ...breaking my encryption will be the least of your worries :-) chill out man....i'm not like that....i'm a 914 person not a asshole who does stupid crap like the warlinux people

i'm not like that either - dincha see my smiley ?

QUOTE (ArtechnikA @ Mar 16 2005, 05:48 PM)

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 16 2005, 06:44 PM) QUOTE (ArtechnikA @ Mar 16 2005, 05:01 PM) ...breaking my encryption will be the least of your worries :-) chill out man....i'm not like that....i'm a 914 person not a asshole who does stupid crap like the warlinux people i'm not like that either - dincha see my smiley ?

yeah....i just assumed that was the KY "i'm proud of my sawed-off shotgun" smily...

Well, I read the first thread and he said he already has a LAN and DSL. I am taking a stab at it and guessing he already has a router in place also. If that is the case, he will either need to replace it with an access point router or keep it and add just an access point. If he goes out and buys an access point router and trys to install it in his existing network, he will never get it to work correctly. Just inserting my .02 cents

QUOTE (skline @ Mar 16 2005, 07:16 PM)

Well, I read the first thread and he said he already has a LAN and DSL.

well this is why I'm asking....

I was planning to put an access point upstairs from the office CAT5 jack, will that not work correctly? I do have a linksys router next to the DSL modem downstairs.

No way wireless will work from downstairs to our upstairs, (i think ???) this house is built like a fort. My siemens phones don't even cover 1/2 the place.

We have a computer upstairs that gets 93% signal on G and 98% on A but the house isn't "Built like a fort."

What is the floor made of?

QUOTE (DuckRyder @ Mar 16 2005, 09:11 PM)

What is the floor made of?

indians,

the tequestas were here first

really, the house was built in the twenties, CBS, wire lath w/plaster... , the usual.

wireless stuff sucks here unless 802.whatever is totally different.

You guys certainly know more about this than me- I am a complete amateur.

I have a D-Link DI-624 that I purchased purely because of a gift card and rebate made it something like $25.

1. I set the SSID name to something completely vague so that it did not indicate which house it was coming from.

2. WEP is set at 64 bit (can go to 128)

3. I turned the broadcasting of the SSID off so that others don't just pick it up.

I live in a large lot residential neighborhood- houses are pretty far apart. What am I missing?

QUOTE

do you have a firewall and security in that router, your computer and every computer on your network are wide open for anyone driving by....

Thats how I check my e-mails when I am on the road! I just drive around a neighborhood untill I find an unlocked network and surf away!!

Jeff

PS: I use a Linksys G router and it works great at my house. I even print from upstairs no problem!