Wi Fi kit for desktop setup

[Parapunter]

Morning everyone.

Now, I've done a search & can't see the answer to my question, so here goes:

I run a simple two desktop network, that will soon become three. Presently, we use a Belkin cabled router via pci cards that shares the internet connection & a printer.

I want to move the set up to a wireless one, principally to get rid of the cabling that runs around the office - it's unsightly & we keep tripping over it!

Whilst comfortable setting up PC networks (read: I've had my nervous breakdowns learning how to do this & come out the other side) I'm not sure which way to go. Ideally, I'd like to buy a kit that comes with say a router & four pci wireless cards, so I can plug in & go - bearing in mind it's desktops not laptops I'm setting up. Any recommendations?

Thx guys.


Edit - the office is one room & not much bigger than the condemned mans cell at Newgate gaol - so no probs with signal drop one imagines, but not sharing our connection for free would be nice too:ok:

[Conan the Librarian]

Most of the available Wireless modem/routers are both good performers and far less likely to drive you mad than in the past. I use Netgear, whcih has four ethernet sockets as well as wireless and that does me well.

The only thing worthwhile that I can say on this, is to get a fast one. If you are sending a lot of data between computers across your network, then don't bother with the standard 811G speeds of 54MB/Second and get either a 108MB/Sec or 125MB/Sec combo. There will be no difference in internet speed, but there will be much more elbow room for your internal traffic.

Conan

[Saab Dastard]

Parapunter,

There are two obvious approaches - one is to simply replace the Belkin device with a new one of similar funtionality but that also functions as a Wireless Access Point.

So whatever the Belkin does for you in connecting to the internet, firewalling, serving DHCP etc. etc. the new device would do, but it would also act as a WAP.

The second approach would be to add a WAP-only device to the network - this would connect via RJ45 to a port on the existing Belkin unit. Note that this might have to be a cross-over cable, depending on whether the WAP has an uplink port, or the Belkin has a MDI / MDI X port.

The former is probably slightly more expensive, but less of a headache to configure correctly.

You would probably also need to configure the Belkin and the WAP to have non-overlapping DHCP address ranges - assuming you are using DHCP, rather than static IP addresses. Of course it is possible that the WAP you get would simply forward the DHCP request to the Belkin.

Standard WEP or WPA and WNIC MAC address filtering should provide sufficient security - you may also be able to turn down the power of the WiFi network, being in a small space!

If your PCs are at all elderly, watch out for the version of PCI the WiFi cards are vs. the version of PCI slots in your PCs - especially if going for the newer 108 Mbps cards. I posted a warning about this a couple of weeks ago.

You are probably wise in going for kit all from one manfr., but I wouldn't constrain yourself to buying a "kit". Probably easier to find the WAP you want and then choose WNICs from the same supplier.

Also worth pointing out that if your PCs support USB 2.0 you can get USB WNICs - never used them myself, so can't comment on reliability. I wouldn't use them with USB 1.0, though.

HTH

SD

[Binoculars]

:confused: :confused: :confused:

(What did he just say?) :{

[Parapunter]

Thanks guys, particularly SD for your detailed reply. I've plumped for Belkin, installing a F5D7633 & it's al plumbed in & working properly. However, it does seem to be randomly dropping the connection one one pc without warning. Now, I'm going to have a sort through later this afternoon, but any general ideas on this would be appreciated.

Thx
The Punter.