advice needed with Wireless ADSL
James
Could someone simply tell me what gear I'd need for wireless ADSL please?
PC World tried to sell me nearly 300 quid of gear which seemed iffy.
I have 2 PC's and a laptop (no card slots). All 3 run XP. I'm not concerned
about all 3 connected, I'd only need 2 at any given time. PC World told me I
couldn't just have one setup as the 1st PC is sat next to the telephone
line. All I really need is for that to connect and also my laptop in living
room.
So, could some kind guys (or gals) tell me the cheapest way to do this
please?
Would I be correct in saying the items below would do the trick?
Ebuyer Wireless 1 Port Ethernet/USB ADSL Modem Router (802.11b Wi-Fi)
(55543)
Belkin 802.11b Wireless Access Point (31034)
Thanks,
James
Tim Auton
You don't need the access point as well as the router thing. You'll
need a USB 802.11b wireless adapter instead. You'll be able to move
this between your laptop and the other desktop PC, but you'll soon get
bored of that and buy another one. The PC by the phone line can plug
into the router thing.
You'll soon get bored of a big lump hanging out of your laptop, so if
the "no card slots" specification is because the slots are full
(rather than because they don't exist) I suggest you remove something
else and get a PCMCIA wireless card. They're cheaper and less hassle.
Tim
--
Love is a travelator.
Michael Salem
> Could someone simply tell me what gear I'd need for wireless ADSL please?
There are various ways to do this. The cheapest would be to buy one WiFi
adaptor for each computer, and a USB ADSL modem, and use Internet
connection sharing. You would set up what's called an "ad-hoc" (sort of
peer-to-peer) network with no wireless access point.
You could add
- a wireless Access point (AP) which may improve performance of the
wireless network.
- a router, which I consider easier to set up than Internet Connection
Sharing (ICS); and most routers give you very useful firewall
protection. (If ICS works right first time, it's OK, but becomes messy
to debug; and WinXP has some sort of built-in firewall, or you can use a
free software one).
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's actually compared an ad-hoc
wireless network with an AP-based one ("infrastructure network").
My personal preference is to use a box which combines:
- ADSL modem
- 4-port router (rather than 1 port)
- wireless AP
Additionally I like routers which have built-in native support for
Virtual Private Networking (VPN), rather than passive pass-through
support: this makes it very easy to make a secure Internet connection to
your network from anywhere in the world; but this does increase the cost
a little.
My recommendation:
- One 4-port "wireless ADSL router" (a box which combines the 3
functions listed above).
- for each computer, either
- a LAN adapter (built in to most machines these days; allows a cabled
network connection which is faster and cheaper than wireless)
OR
- a wireless network adapter, PCMCIA, PCI, or USB.
A good router with VPN support (but not the cheapest) is the Draytek
Vigor 2600G.
Wireless networking gear comes in two main flavours: 802.11b which runs
at 11Mbps maximum, and 802.11g, 55Mbps. For ADSL connection sharing,
only, either will do: the ADSL connection will typically go no faster
than 512kbps. For data transfer between computers on the network, if you
need it, 802.11g is faster.
If you use WiFi, be sure to secure it, otherwise you will potentially
share your Internet connection and your data with your neighbours! I
live in London, and regularly find two wireless networks within range.
If you're not worried about people intercepting wireless traffic, you
can at least prevent casual intruders from joining your network without
really trying by restricting the WiFi to only allow certain network
adaptors to connect (each TCP/IP network device has a unique "MAC"
number).
HTH,
--
Michael Salem
Phöčnix
Simply the cheapest (with cons) method to use is to buy an ADSL modem for
your main PC and a pair of USB adaptors.
I use a previous version of these (link below), follow the link on the page
for Twin pack of same £49.35
<http://www.dabs.com/uk/channels/hardware/networking/productView.htm?quickli
nx=178D>
I already had a modem so added a pair of these over a year ago (then £75).
If these are the same as mine they have a 1.5m lead which allows you to
place them for best reception. Not ideal for the laptop.
Decent modems can be had for under £30.
E.g. http://www.dslsource.co.uk/product_details.asp?idProduct=85
A few £ for a filter and you have done it for well under £100. And it works.
This is what I have BUT not what I would choose from a fresh start. My PC
has to be on for others to connect the net and a problem with my PC means a
problems for those connected through it.. Far better, if you have the
pennies, to look at a wireless router as you have been doing.
You may find the forum at www.adslguide.org useful. It has a networking
section and a hardware section. I would have thought someone could recommend
a good bundle for under £200.
Alan
news:402f4ecc$0$7072$cc9e...@news-text.dial.pipex.com...
> James wrote:
> > HI everyone.
> > Could someone simply tell me what gear I'd need for wireless ADSL
> > please?
>
> your main PC and a pair of USB adaptors.
Agreed - that is exactly what I have. (Well, two desktops with USB adaptors
and two laptops with PCMCIA cards.)
> This is what I have BUT not what I would choose from a fresh start. My PC
> has to be on for others to connect the net and a problem with my PC means
a
> problems for those connected through it.. Far better, if you have the
> pennies, to look at a wireless router as you have been doing.
True. But I have no plans to change my setup as it's all working fine.
If I was buying it again from scratch I would definitely get the 802.11g
kit, as the file transfer speeds over 802.11b can be quite slow.
Final piece of advice is: don't buy from PC World - decide on the part
numbers you need and do a search for the cheapest at www.kelkoo.com.
Cheers
Alan
Matt Snowdon
news:MPG.1a994756a...@News.individual.NET...
> James asked:
>
> > Could someone simply tell me what gear I'd need for wireless ADSL
please?
>
> There are various ways to do this.
<snip>
Quick question, what does a wireless network do to internet ping times?
Specifically for gaming? I'm guessing there must be some additional delay
added over wiring directly to an ADSL router?
Any thoughts gratefully appreciated,
Matt
John Jordan
Salem <a$-b$1...@ms3.org.uk> writes
>
>I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's actually compared an ad-hoc
>wireless network with an AP-based one ("infrastructure network").
My experience of ad-hoc networking is that it's a pain to get working on
some cards, unreliable and slow. I really wouldn't recommend it to
anyone given the small price difference from APs.
>My personal preference is to use a box which combines:
>- ADSL modem
>- 4-port router (rather than 1 port)
>- wireless AP
It's a bit all-eggs-in-one-basket, which can be a pain given the general
quality of router firmware. Decent value ADSL+router+AP solutions aren't
too common either, with the Origo solutions really the only option at
the low end. I've used a couple of those though briefly and they seem
fairly solid if lacking in setup options.
Separate APs and ADSL->Ethernet modems are overpriced too though. To be
honest I have trouble recommending a single "good" option. Maybe just
get an Origo and see if you can put up with it.
--
John Jordan
John Jordan
<askme...@btopenworld.com> writes
>
>Quick question, what does a wireless network do to internet ping times?
>Specifically for gaming? I'm guessing there must be some additional delay
>added over wiring directly to an ADSL router?
The overhead is less than 10 msec here with both Dlink and Linksys
wireless routers. I have no idea how much less than 10 msec it is, but
traceroute claims that the latency stays below 10 msec right out to the
sixth hop.
A potentially worse problem is connection unreliability. Some card/AP
combinations can drop connections fairly frequently for a few seconds at
a time, particularly if the signal is a bit weak.
--
John Jordan
Paul Hopwood
>Could someone simply tell me what gear I'd need for wireless ADSL please?
>PC World tried to sell me nearly 300 quid of gear which seemed iffy.
>I have 2 PC's and a laptop (no card slots). All 3 run XP. I'm not concerned
>about all 3 connected, I'd only need 2 at any given time. PC World told me I
>couldn't just have one setup as the 1st PC is sat next to the telephone
>line. All I really need is for that to connect and also my laptop in living
>room.
>So, could some kind guys (or gals) tell me the cheapest way to do this
>please?
The cheapest way would be to get a cheap Wireless Access Point and
wireless adapters for each PC. You could then connect the PC nearest
to the telephone socket using an ADSL modem and share the connection
using Internet Connection Sharing or similar routing/proxy software
such as SyGate, WinGate, WinRoute etc.
However I would not suggest this is the best way of doing it for a
number of reasons; mainly because the PC with the modem will have to
be left on to maintain the Internet connection, it will be connected
"directly" and thus exposed from a security POV and connection sharing
software is, at best, a little "flakey" compared to a hardware
solution.
A better solution, at marginally more cost, would be to get a combined
Wireless ADSL modem/router. If either/both of the two desktop
machines are in the vicinity of the telephone socket I'd be inclined
to get a router with in-built switch, fit 10/100 cards to the PCs and
connect them using Cat-5 cables which would be faster, cheaper and
more reliable than wireless. You'd then just need a wireless adapter
for your laptop. You should be able to do the whole job for half, or
even a third, of what PC World were suggesting.
--
>iv< Paul >iv<
James
"Tim Auton" <tim.auton@uton.[groupSexWithoutTheY]> wrote in message
news:21vt20durhtqvb483...@4ax.com...
No PCMCIA slots at all on the Advent laptop only 2 USB's :(
I already have the ADSL modem but I've had enough of a telephone cable
running through the kitchen into the living room and people tripping up on
it.
Anyway, after reading all the posts I'm more confused now than before <G>
Thanks anyway,
James
Michael Salem
> Decent value ADSL+router+AP solutions aren't
> too common either, with the Origo solutions really the only option at
> the low end.
As I'm always trying to keep up-to-date, I'd ask why you consider these
routers to be so much better than the others? (I count the Draytek
Vigors which I prefer as low-end equipment, though they may be at the
high end of the low end; Cisco & friends are high-end).
Best wishes,
--
Michael Salem
John Jordan
Salem <a$-b$1...@ms3.org.uk> writes
Well, I don't know where you buy your Draytek stuff from, but AFAICT the
2500 (ADSL+router) typically comes in at over 100 quid, and wireless is
extra on top of that. That's strictly mid-range money to me :-)
For comparison, Ebuyer sell the ASR-8400 ADSL+router for 37 quid and the
AWR-7210 ADSL+router+802.11b for 63 quid. If you're on cable rather than
ADSL you can get the Linksys BEFW11S4 router+802.11b for 46 quid.
I wouldn't claim that these products are "good", although I haven't had
much trouble with them, but they're certainly cheap.
--
John Jordan
Michael Salem
> Well, I don't know where you buy your Draytek stuff from, but AFAICT the
> 2500 (ADSL+router) typically comes in at over 100 quid, and wireless is
> extra on top of that. That's strictly mid-range money to me :-)
That's where I misunderstood you. The Vigors were a godsend as routers
that performed well with true VPN support at a fraction of the cost of
Cisco etc.
Someone I know is using a Sonicwall hardware firewall which doesn't have
VPN support as standard. Adding the VPN support option costs a LOT more
than a whole Vigor router with firewall, wireless, and all. Plus the
cost of a Vigor each year in maintenance contract. (I would assume the
Sonicwall has its advantages, though that's not necessarily true these
days.)
Martin
>
> A better solution, at marginally more cost, would be to get a combined
> Wireless ADSL modem/router. If either/both of the two desktop
> machines are in the vicinity of the telephone socket I'd be inclined
> to get a router with in-built switch, fit 10/100 cards to the PCs and
> connect them using Cat-5 cables which would be faster, cheaper and
> more reliable than wireless. You'd then just need a wireless adapter
> for your laptop. You should be able to do the whole job for half, or
> even a third, of what PC World were suggesting.
>
>
Hi Paul,
I currently have two PCs networked (by cable) via a 4 port combined ADSL
"Modem"\ Router. Is it possible to have a 3rd PC wirelessly networked by
plugging some sort of wireless access gizmo into the router, with a
corresponding device on the 3rd PC?
OSs are (mainly) Windows XP and Mandrake 9.1. The 3rd PC would be XP Home.
If so, what are these devices properly called?
Thanks
Martin
---
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Michael Salem
> I currently have two PCs networked (by cable) via a 4 port combined ADSL
> "Modem"\ Router. Is it possible to have a 3rd PC wirelessly networked by
> plugging some sort of wireless access gizmo into the router, with a
> corresponding device on the 3rd PC?
Yes
> OSs are (mainly) Windows XP and Mandrake 9.1. The 3rd PC would be XP Home.
With a router, it doesn't matter what you're using
> If so, what are these devices properly called?
Wireless Access Point (AP).
I'm doing exactly that on my main network (set up before combined
ADSL/router/Wireless boxes were available).
HTH,
--
Michael Salem
Martin
Yes, it does.
Paul Hopwood
>> A better solution, at marginally more cost, would be to get a combined
>> Wireless ADSL modem/router. If either/both of the two desktop
>> machines are in the vicinity of the telephone socket I'd be inclined
>> to get a router with in-built switch, fit 10/100 cards to the PCs and
>> connect them using Cat-5 cables which would be faster, cheaper and
>> more reliable than wireless. You'd then just need a wireless adapter
>> for your laptop. You should be able to do the whole job for half, or
>> even a third, of what PC World were suggesting.
>I currently have two PCs networked (by cable) via a 4 port combined ADSL
>"Modem"\ Router. Is it possible to have a 3rd PC wirelessly networked by
>plugging some sort of wireless access gizmo into the router, with a
>corresponding device on the 3rd PC?
>OSs are (mainly) Windows XP and Mandrake 9.1. The 3rd PC would be XP Home.
>If so, what are these devices properly called?
You need a wireless access point and network card/adapter.
Both devices will need to support the same Wi-Fi network standard;
there are several - 802.11a, b and g. If you're not too concerned
about speed you can pick up 802.11b (11Mbit/s) models cheaply. The
more recent 802.11g standard is 54Mbit/s but more costly.
I've never actually encountered a machine running Linux with a
wireless network card so can't recommend any particular model for
Mandrake 9.1 compatibility but you'd be hard pushed to find one which
*didn't* work with Windows XP so I'd be inclined to check the Linux
groups and take it from there.
--
>iv< Paul >iv<
Paul Hopwood
>> OSs are (mainly) Windows XP and Mandrake 9.1. The 3rd PC would be XP Home.
>With a router, it doesn't matter what you're using
From a networking perspective it doesn't, but he'll need to check he
can get Linux drivers for the wireless network adapter.
--
>iv< Paul >iv<
Martin
Thanks Paul - very helpful.
BTW I've been playing around with PCLinuxOS by Texstar today - looks good.
Have you tried it? The HDD install worked well.
Martin