Wireless Network

[CDMA]

Has anyone networked their house with one of the new systems that are available? Any words of wisdom? Prices really seem to be coming down.

Chris

[mattyboy]

3com makes a nice setup good quality

Matt

[harbormaster]

BE SURE that you run encryption. People can intercept your network signal and get things you do not want them to have.

[ToonaFish]

My new computer gave me fits last week... seems the modem picked up the frequency of the electric horse fencing and it couldn't "handshake" with the ISP's system. My old laptop modem had no problems and when I replaced the V92 Soft Modem with a V92 Winmodem, the new modem reliably connected. My question(s) to the computer gurus: if I go with DSL, will I face the same problem? and if I were to hook up a wireless network in the cottage, wouldn't the fencing surely interfere? The phone company and ISP have been pretty lame about straight answers... Anyone here have a clue?

Bunches,

Celene 'would rather give birth to triplets than install a modem'

[HyperDonzi]

Toona, I think thats with the networking system, not the ISP. Thats just a guess.

Tommy

[ToonaFish]

And that's a good guess, Hyper... I know for sure that it isn't the ISP... what I'm trying to find out is if the DSL and/or a network will have the same frequency issues. And so far the best answer is to buy it and try it... but I'd be out of luck and pocket if it doesn't work.

Now, shouldn't you be tucked into bed, dreaming of sugar plums or props, so St. Nick can fill your stocking? (My mind boggles at what he might bring little Tommy...)

Bunches,

Celene 'playing hooky from midnight mass'

[CrackerJack]

The only problem I had with DSL before going to cable was interference with 900 mhz telephones. But, you can get filters for that problem.

[HyperDonzi]

I guess we will be trying one set up on cable soon. My dad got a network in a box wireless kit. I got a 60 gig hd, installing the thing physically is not hard, but does anyone know of a way to transfer the stuff from this hd to the new one?

[ToonaFish]

I haven't messed with it yet, but XP is supposed to have a way to automatically transfer data from an old computer to a new one. (I'm still waiting for the resurrection of my laptop to investigate this... thinking it'll be around Easter, ahem.)

Crackerjack Claus, thanks... the fencing doesn't interfere with my portable phones, so I hope I'll be safe on that count with just the normal filers.

Bunches,

Celene 'cranberries drunk, lamb dead, croutons burnt: it's beginning to smell alot like Christmas'

[CrackerJack]

Hyperbaja, have used a program called ghost.
It does a mirror image of the original.

[OceanCommotion]

CDMA:
Has anyone networked their house with one of the new systems that are available? Any words of wisdom?
I've been using linksys stuff at the house and it works well. I don't worry a whole lot (but I do a little) about heavy encryption at this point because I live in a fairly rural area and idiots cruising around in their cars with antennas hanging out the window trying to jock WISPs and other networks just doesn't happen around here. But network sniffing is definitely becoming a rather large problem in metropolitan areas. So I would try to figure out encryption sooner rather than later like Harbormaster suggested.

As far as some of the other questions go about different types of internet access and wireless networks go, I wouldn't even try to have a wireless home network and use dialup access. I'm probably the exception to the rule and have a 2mbit connection in my home office, but it's mostly for work. You definitely need either DSL or cable. And as far as interference goes, anything transmitting around the 2.4ghz spectrum can cause interference to most wireless networks.

Almost forgot- enabling 128 bit encryption on your wireless devices will always result in slower performance, but you're better safe than sorry.

[ToonaFish]

Thanks Jay, good info and duly noted!

For the high tech home that has everything:

http://www.mouserug.com/mousgal.html

[McGary911]

As soon as cable modems become available by me, i plan on going wireless for sure. As stated, encrpiption is important, as is making sure to turn on WEP (wireless equivalent protocol). That will keep out 99.99% of unwanted guests. The reason that many of these systems are so insecure is that the default configuration is the lowest possible security, which makes it more of a plug it in and go type thing. A little tweaking of the security that comes with the system will make you plenty safe.

I can see it now, me sitting on the beach across from my condo, laptop and hi speed internet.........yeah, that'll drive the ladies crazy for sure :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[OceanCommotion]

Those mousepad/rugs are killer!!!

[Fish boy]

Chris,
I have a cable modem attached to a linksys wireless hub. With XP, my computer basically set up itself. All i did was make a new network connection, and XP automatically detected the network.

I had reservations at first, but once I started, it took about 45 minutes total. Could have been about 5-10 minutes if I had the slightest bit of computer literacy.

I tried a couple of different wireless cards, but the one I had the most luck with is a 3com card. I do not know how I ever got along without it.

Good luck.

Fish

[HyperDonzi]

words of wisdom-buy quality routers, back up important files, oh yeah, do this before you try hooking up anything, my dad got a router for christmas and is moving back in so we try to hook them up to the cable connection, but nothing works to plan, and now my computer with all my music, movies, programs, passwords (all not backed up of course!!) is now dead. and the irony of it is that i got a 60 gig drive a few days earlier for christmas.

[Greg Maier]

Chris,
If you really want proper wireless security, you need to use software that dynamically changes your wep (wireless encryption protocol) key. I'm not sure about the newer 128 bit keys, but the 40 bit keys can be compromised rather quickly. Breaking a 40 bit wep key is childs play for that hacker that lives next door and has nothing better to do than run a wireless sniffer that is intercepting your traffic. I can give you some names of software that will handle this for you. Then again, if all you are doing is looking at Donzi Girls, who cares ! wink

[HyperDonzi]

A 128 Would take around 8 Hours according to CNN, so give it 4.