Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.

Subject: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Don Firth
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 03:30 PM

I've been cruising cyberspace since 1999. Dial-up. In lieu of just sitting there twiddling my thumbs as I wait for things to load, I've become a whiz at Minesweeper (expert level), and I'm getting pretty hot with Spider Solitaire. But I'm not getting any younger, so I decided to bite the bullet, pay the freight, and hook up to Broadband. Since we already have cable TV, and Earthlink is offering a deal right now (three months at $19.95 a month, free hook-up), we've decided to go for it. The guy from Comcast is coming to hook us up Monday afternoon (Apr. 11th).

Also, to eliminate those uncomfortable periods of heavy sighs and loud throat-clearings when one of us is using the computer and the other is waiting impatiently, Barbara and I have blown the budget and bought HP Pavilion zv5000z notebooks (one each). These in addition to the desktop we already have.

But why stop there? We've decided to go wireless as well. A wireless network will give us maximum flexibility.

I've read articles on wireless networking hook-ups in various magazines, book chapters (Windows XP for Dummies, The Healthy PC, etc.), and numerous web sites, and I'm beginning to get a bit punchy! The problem seems to be terminology. For example, the terms "access point" and "router" seem to be used interchangeably. These terms and others.

Now here's how I have it figured:   

The cable comes in through the wall. The man from Comcast attaches a signal splitter to the cable, hooks up one bit of cable to the television (as before) and another bit cable to a cable modem. Now, if we just had the one computer, he'd hook a wire? cable? from the cable modem to a port in the computer (Ah. But which port?).

But since we're setting up a wireless network, I presume that the bit of cable from the cable modem would be hooked to a wireless router. Install the essential software on each computer. The two notebooks came wireless-ready, but I'll have to do whatever is necessary to the desktop—wireless adapter? Is that a card I need to install?   Configure the software (not forgetting passwords, firewalls, anti-virus software, ad-blockers, and spyware removers!), and Bob's your uncle!   

I'm flailing about here. I have a cable outlet currently hooked up to a TV and a VCR, two notebook computers with wireless cards, and a desktop without a wireless adapter (with printer and scanner attached). I presume that I need to get a wireless router such as a Linksys or D-Link 802.11 b/g and an adapter for the desktop. Anything else? Any recommendations?

Can anyone recommend a nice, clear book on the subject or give me some straight, step-by-step advice? I'd really appreciate it!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Jim McLean
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 05:30 PM

Don,
Here in the UK if my customers have cable broadband which is connected to their main PC by a modem using either the USB port or Ethernet (network card), I use a D-Link 624 wireless cable/router which is connected to the main PC by ethernet (RJ45) cable and the cable modem by the same type of cable, i.e. the D-Link site between the PC and the cable modem. When the D-Link wireless router is configured (very, very simply) it automatically gives an IP number to any laptop which is wireless equipped. Set IE to Never Dial a Connection and each laptop to obtain an IP address automatically and away you go. You may have to install a network card in the main PC.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 06:27 PM

I would suggest considering a wire cable network. Faster and more secure.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 06:46 PM

At home I have a D-Link DSL-504 router with 4 ports. I run three cables out of it: One each to my workstation and to my daughter's next door, and the third to a Linksys WAPS4G wireless router which allows 'er indoors to surf on her laptop downstairs, and me to connect wirelessly when I take my laptop to the conservatory. So, the best of both worlds.

The D-Link was a doddle to set up, following the simple instructions. The Linksys was literally plug-and-play. I didn't even bother to password-protect the wireless signal; we are all firewalled to the hilt anyway, and there's plenty of bandwidth to go round, let the neighbours have some if they want.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 07:20 PM

Don:

You seem to have a good grasp of how to do this. You're just over-complicating it.

We would recommend a Belkin router because their customer support is superb. We had a problem recently and we called on a Sunday afternoon and the tech stayed on the phone with us for an hour and a half until she had everything working properly.

Getting all of the computers to connect to the internet is not too difficult but setting up security is. Read the manual that comes with your router and that should help.

If you want to share a single printer and/or files that will be another matter. A good site to help you with this is Toms Networking. By the way, Belkin sent us to this site.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 08:37 PM

Got a laptop for my wife last week. Knowing nothing about nothing, a tech came in and quickly hooked up a DI-524 router (sounds similar to what El Greko has?). Virus-pop-up controls not fully satisfactory yet, but maybe I will get it done tomorrow.

The wireless connection for the laptop is nice since she can operate it in any room, on the back deck or whatever.

I see google has two links to wireless router sales at the base of this thread.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 08:55 PM

Wireless connectivity trades off some speed for the portability. The fastest speed is available wired, so use a combination of wireless for the laptops that will be used anywhere, and wired connections for those points at which a desktop will be. Your router will connect to either as per El Greko of 09 Apr 05 above.

You CAN complicate things by adding wired points for positions of laptops that will be located regularly at some points where you will want the higher speed, but you will need sufficient router ports to deal with the total number of points - this may mean getting a more expensive router.


Power Failure.

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) can be useful for desktops, but you will then also need to ensure that your monitor and router/modem also have UPS access, or your link will go down on mains power failure. A UPS only has a very limited capacity, the more drain, the less time.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: OtherDave
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 09:52 PM

Don,

To try to address the questions as you framed them:

"The cable comes in through the wall. The man from Comcast attaches a signal splitter to the cable, hooks up one bit of cable to the television (as before) and another bit cable to a cable modem."

So far, so good. The cable is bringing signals into your house. The splitter allows you to send some signals to the TV and some to the cable modem, as you say.

"Now, if we just had the one computer..."

You could use a special Ethernet cable to connect from the cable modem to the computer. That computer would need an Ethernet connection ("Ethernet port," "LAN port"). Might be built in (looks like a wide version of a phone jack), or you might have to install an "Ethernet card" (circuit board). There are Ethernet cards for both desktop PCs and laptops. Desktop version would be $10 US or so.

"...a wireless network...cable from the cable modem would be hooked to a wireless router."

Yes -- though this would be true if you had, say, two computers in the same room and could connect them directly to a router. The router's job is to, um, route the signals to one or more computers.

My wireless router (D-Link DI-614+) can connect up to four computers, and it has four ports on the back, which means it could handle four wired connections, if the PCs could reach it.

"Install the essential software on each computer. The two notebooks came wireless-ready..."

They may have most of what they need to get to the wireless router, then. If the wireless cards are active, the notebooks should detect the presence of the wireless network -- once you've set it up, which usually requires a hard-wired computer (one directly connected to the router). Of course, you could use Ethernet cable (from the computer store) to connect one of the laptops to do the setup.

Depending on your configuration, if you have a computer in the same room as the router, you could hard-wire that computer to the router (hard-wiree: connect it directly with Ethernet cable).

"...but I'll have to do whatever is necessary to the desktop—wireless adapter? Is that a card I need to install?"

Your desktop machine needs a wireless card; it's the wireless version of the Ethernet card I mentioned earlier. Has a small antenna on it, to catch the wireless signal. Comes with software so the computer knows what's going on.

"Configure the software (not forgetting passwords, firewalls, anti-virus software, ad-blockers, and spyware removers!), and Bob's your uncle! "

You've got the big picture. Your cable company will probably have some install kit to help your computer recognize that it's now using the cable connection.

802.11b = older, somewhat slower wireless transmission rate. 802.11g = faster... but if you have one 802.11b device on your lan, then the overall throughput slows. I myself have 802.11b (i.e., slower). I may upgrade when the total cost of replacement drops below $40. Or not. I'm lazy.

Most important to remember is that the wireless speed is (a) theoretical and (b) computer-to-computer. Your lan will certainly be faster than your internet connection, which is nowhere near the 54 megabits of 802.11g.

(In other words, 802.11g lets you send stuff fast between wireless router and PC, but you don't get stuff any faster from cable model to router.)

The distance you can have a computer from the router is also theoretical -- walls, doors, floors, thickness of objects, solar flares all play their part. That said, I've been working away happily for about 18 months with no problem except when the cable goes out.

"Any recommendations?"

I have a D-Link router and a D-Link wireless card in the desktop -- others are fine, but I didn't want to mix apples and papayas. D-Link was very helpful when I set up the router. For what it's worth, I have a Linksys cable modem. None of this equipment has been any trouble.

Other advice once you get your lan set up, you want to make sure it's as secure as possible. You will have the opportunity to give your lan a name -- don't take the default name (HOME, MS HOME, LINKSYS, other clever names). Give it an odd name.

Next, look in the manual or the help file for the wireless router and see how to turn off SSID broadcast. SSID is the name of your lan; when I set my system up, the default was for the router to broadcast the name, which means anyone within range can see it's around.

After that, make sure you set up the wireless router with whatever wireless security comes with it (the default had been "leave key off," meaning, "don't bother with passwords"). Follow the manufacturer's suggestions, set up a difficult password (mixture of letters and numbers, don't name it after your dog, etc.).

This way, someone will need to know the name of your network (mine has a name from a language other than English), AND will have to know the password (the "key") in order to connect.

It's worth the effort. Hang in there. Expect some setbacks and expect to need the tech support people.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: hesperis
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 10:16 PM

The best thing to do is to not go wireless on the desktop, just put the router near it and connect the cable to the modem, the ethernet cable from modem to router, and another ethernet from router to desktop. It will be a slightly faster speed and it's not like the desktop's going anywhere.

If you're way the hell out in the middle of nowhere don't bother with securing the router unless you feel like it. If you're in a town, definitely read the manual for the router and secure it.

Don't get a linksys router, go with d-link or the one recommended above.

A 4-port wireless router has 4 outgoing ethernet cable ports plus the wireless thing. So not everything needs to be wireless, you'll have 4 ports if you need to wire things anyway. 802.11g is fastest but 802.11a is on a different frequency that might not interfere with cellphones. 802.11b seems to be standard.

If your laptops support g I'd go for a g-capable router.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 09 Apr 05 - 11:09 PM

FIREWALL!!!!

A delightful, insightful, "preacher friend" spent a few weeks in my home....not so very long ago.... He had a laptop and several other "machines" that were connected into the local "net."

Upon his suggestion, we cruised around the the "local neighborhood".....If this   "public air-space" were accessable ten years ago....Good Lordy!!!! What might have happened!!!!

PLEASE - Be VERY careful .....when going wireless. There are a lot of "creeps" waiting in the wings - and none of them are preachers.

Sincerely,

Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 10 Apr 05 - 01:20 AM

Our router is plugged into the same power strip as the cable modem and the wired computer. So, when we turn off the wired computer, the whole network goes down. But, the wireless computer can still connect to the internet because it can see at least three other wireless networks nearby, none of which has proper security. It's not hard to set up the security as Gargoyle and others have mentioned.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 10 Apr 05 - 02:29 AM

You'll get a new Modem from the ISP, but you have to buy your own Router- ours is a Netgear model which was 'editors choice' recommended in the computer magazines. These today are nearly always both wired and wireless.

Older computers don't have any Lan in them, so you have to buy a card for that. Newer ones do, so you dont have to buy one except, if you chose to use the wireless option. In that case if your machine is brand new it will already have the wireless networking built in, so all you need do is boot up, the router on, Windoze will automaticaly log in or ask you for some data, eg what do you want to share, do you want a password, do you want dot net and all that rubbish- The Windoze exam over you dont need to do anything else.

In fact with newer machines you really dont need to install anything except in some cases Router management sofware which allows you to boot people off your Lan if they begin to use your wireless services - yup that happened to us and it was quite a big deal encrypting the log on and providing a harder password to keep them out.

Speed, today there is really nearly no noticable difference between 811b and 811g off of a broadband connect, simply because the upstream is 'slower' and only if you move big files between computers would it make any difference. In that case the time saving is almost irrelevant; and, with today's security hassle I don't expect you'll elect to share anything among your computers OVER the Lan; instead, like me, you might consider USB virtual drives - little memory sticks that you plug into a USB port - to move big files around. Ours is a 500 meg deal and no bigger than a ciggarette lighter.

That method provides the best security of all. BTW later if you upgrade your printers etc., todays state of the art stuff is ALREADY wireless, so again all you have to do is plug em in and everything self configures.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 10 Apr 05 - 08:06 AM

Don't use a USB modem. Even if it comes "free" from your ISP.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Jim McLean
Date: 10 Apr 05 - 11:35 AM

Make sure your wireless router works with a cable modem.

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Apr 05 - 03:58 PM

Hi, Don,

Lots of advice coming over the transom. Let me see if I can help without tangling the information further.

Your cable/DSL modem is plugged into the cable or phone jack, and from there, you plug it into a router when you want more than one computer to use it. There is an additional benefit to using a router, even if you have only one computer, in that the router acts like a firewall, and your computer (in theory) can't be seen behind it. It cuts out a huge amount of the "attacks" that your personal firewall will detect. Yes, you should still buy a software program to act as a firewall (I like Symantec's Personal Firewall). When you use this, turn off the XP firewall in each new computer and on the desktop if it uses XP (the firewall is set "on" by Microsoft as default, and this happens after you install Service Pack 2).

Your desktop computer should be near enough to the router to be plugged in directly. Your router can be 802.11b or 802.11g (many now are equipped to run as either). Your laptops will be new enough to be using the 802.11g cards, and while in theory they are "faster" the phone and cable can't deliver the information any faster than what the "b" can carry anyway, but I suspect going "g" is probably a good idea, because more and more other devices can be networked and will be in the "g" range.

You would be well served to set up your router to use a network and password. (I do this by taking my Netgear CD and loading it in the computer to bring up the Netgear protocols.) There are defaults that are standard on the devices (Netgear, for example, uses "admin" for the router name and "password" for the password, with "Netgear" being the name of the network). If everyone who passes by with a laptop knows this, or has a or device that can search for wireless networks (those devices cost about $50 now), they can either tap in and use yours, or can cause mischief and block you out of your own network by changing the network settings (in which case you turn the router off, push the reset button, and get smart and set up a network).

I checked into the network setup myself this week. I had my wireless network set to use a password at the wireless card on the kids' computer, and they had to log in each time the computer was turned on. I asked our library IT guy about this, who suggested a change. The unique id of the network card is on the Linksys device, and I'll tell the Netgear router that only that wireless device may use this network.

Hope this helps. It will feel quite luxurious to have the speed, your own computers, and the full use of the telephone all at the same time! Whoooeeee!

Maggie

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Don Firth
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 01:06 PM

Good stuff! Thanks for the responses, folks. With a busy weekend, I haven't had a chance to do much other than scan, but I'll be going over everything in detail shortly. The Comcast installer will be here soon--

I'll have to get a router and other stuff, but I'll keep you posted. Again, thanks a million!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 06:03 PM

Best read the answers before you buy the stuff, Don! You might have to make a few decisions on which equipment based on our answers.

You may also find that the internet service providers will offer to set up a wireless system for you. Earthlink had an offer like that a couple of years ago--I don't know if they still do, because I didn't take them up on it. It's a waste of money when you pay rent on the equipment every month long after when you would have paid it off if you bought it yourself. It isn't difficult to figure out how to set it up yourself.

Maggie

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Don Firth
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 05:46 PM

Well, I said I would get back and let folks know how it went, and it's been awhile.

I wound up tearing out what's left of my hair and putting curses on everybody from Bill Gates to Hewlett-Packard to Earthlink to Al Gore for inventing the internet in the first place (!?). Death, doom, and destruction!! Fun and games.

A large part of the problem was that, at the same time we were trying to set up the wireless system, Barbara and I were dealing with our new Hewlett-Packard Pavilion zv5000z notebook computers. They came loaded with Windows XP, complete with SP-2. I hadn't downloaded SP-2 to my desktop because I read (here on Mudcat and other places) that lots of folks had a passel of problems after downloading and installing it. Since I'd surrounded myself with a firewall, an antivirus program, and miscellaneous pop-up blockers, spyware killers, and such (a couple of moats and several draw-bridges), I figured I was pretty safe, and I'd wait until Billy-boy got the bugs worked out (if ever).

Well, anyway, it appears that since MickeySoft got so much flak for being so porous to hackers, sneak-thieves, and poltroons, SP-2 has turned Windows XP into a real nervous Nelly. Overly cautious. Downright paranoid.   In trying to use our HP notebooks, Barbara and I kept getting "Data Execution Prevention" error messages whenever we tried to do much of anything. She transferred a bunch of photos from her digital camera to her HP, then whenever she tried to pull them up, she got a "Data Execution Prevention" message and it shut the program down. I would be plugging along writing something on my book and—ka-BLAM!—"Data Execution Error" and it would shut Word down and I'd lose what I'd just written. Even when I tried to open "Windows Explorer" (I find it more convenient that "My Computer" for managing files), "DEP" would suddenly appear before I could do anything, and Windows Explorer would shut down. Bugger All!!!

I googled a lot and found out that lots of folks were having the same frustrating problem. So, on a couple of geek forums (fora?), I found out that if DEP was preventing me from doing something I knew was safe, I could go to "Control Panel," chase through a couple of screens, and disable it for whatever program it kept trying to shut down. This was after I had called HP and a couple of other help desks (talked to people with east-Indian accents who introduced themselves as "Kevin" and "Britney") who told me that I must have a virus or that wouldn't be happening. The only problem with that explanation was that we hadn't yet been on the internet with either of the HPs; if we were lumbered with viruses, they had to have come pre-installed on the notebooks! Anyway, a geek-forum told me how to solve the problem and it's okay now.

It was while we were shaking out some of the bugs in the new notebooks that I was trying to get the wireless system set up. Shoulda remembered:   one problem at a time! The fellow from Comcast came out and installed the cable modem and got us set up that-a-way, so we could connect any of the computers to the modem with an Ethernet cable, then Barbara zipped out to Radio Shack and picked up a Linksys WRT54G 802.11b/g router (good reviews—PC Magazine "pick of the month"). After duly reading the manual (printing out the 80 page PDF file on the CD that came with the router) and trying several times to follow the set-up program (should have been ridiculously simple, but I was still dicing with DEP at the same time), I hit a point of frustration where I though about eschewing modern technology entirely, s**t-canning the computers, buying a set of THESE along with an inkwell and a pack of parchment, and doing my writing with that. Quite elegant, really! Panache!

But in a cooler moment, I remembered what people kept telling Martin Gibson:   

"Get Professional Help!!"

So I did.

I remembered that John Ross, the fellow who arranged the Coffeehouse Reunion Concert (Geezers' get-together) at the 2003 Northwest Folklife Festival, is a writer. In fact, among other things, he writes computer books. Furthermore, he's written one entitled The Book of Wi-Fi (here; it was published early in 2003, so it deals with 802.11b, but the basic principles of installing are essentially the same). I picked up the phone and called in the cavalry. John came over a couple of days later and set the whole thing up for us! It took about four hours because he ran into a few glitches, but he knew how to solve them. We offered to pay him for his services, but he refused. We owe him a fine dinner!

Anyway, we're up and running.

We immediately discovered that there we're in a hotspot. Four other wireless set-ups in the same apartment building (or very close by), two of which are not secured. Ours is. John set us up so we're nice and snug. Stealth mode. According to Shields Up!!, we're invisible.

We haven't set up a home network yet (tying the three computers together—gonna wait 'til I have some work done on the desktop, including getting a wireless card installed, before I do that), but we can both go cruising through cyberspace at the same time while receiving phone calls (including, of course, the ones telling us that we've won a free trip to Bayou Loup-Garou, Louisiana, to look at some investment swampland).

Thanks to all for your suggestions and advice. I really appreciated it. It's been quite an adventure, but all seems to be functioning well now. It's really nice to be able to sit here and write, and when I want to look something up, just pop onto the Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary, Wikipedia, Seattle Historylink, or anything else, and have the whole thing happen seamlessly. It's really a pleasure now! It's like the world is literally at my fingertips!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: M.Ted
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 06:25 PM

On the subject of securing a wireless network: I was stopped in traffic near the entrance to a large, famous tunnel the other day, my wife was on her laptop noodling, and suddenly said, "Hey, I'm online"--somebody in one of those expensive buildings with the most famous view in the world was sharing wireless access with several thousand cars an hour--we were there for quite a while, too--

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: Amos
Date: 21 Jun 05 - 10:26 PM

Geeze, Don -- get a Mac and you can have an Airport network running in about twenty minutes.

But never mind.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: Going Wireless. Need advice.
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 04:38 PM

Thanks for this thread, Don.

I've a question. Have just tried Shields Up, didn't know about it before reading about it here. Anyway, our network PC passed with flying colours except one port, which it lists as "0" and it replied to a PING.

I've printed out six pages of stuff about getting rid of the Windows File and Print Sharing over my TCP/IP, but I'll be darned if I can find it anywhere in order to untick those boxes. Help, please? In as simple of terms as possible. Thanks, folks!!

kat