Wireless.... at home ... is this option ok

What advantage would that kind of card offer compared to just a regular wireless access point thingy? I would be surprised if that kind of card were cheaper than a wireless access point thing...

Anyway, am online using some neighbor's WLAN right now...Spanish people apparently don't like WEP, fortunately!

 

R2K,

I have had really good luck with SMC, which I got at Frys (god i love that place).

BTW, you can use different brands with each other. I have an SMC router, one laptop with an SMC PCI card, another one with a Linksys PCI card and my old laptop with a Netgear.

 

[off topic]
Rockets2K, the splitter idea sucked. Had to spring for a 4 port switch that I uplinked from the router. Now I have 5 computers on the network with 2 open ports left over.
[/off topic]

 

Alot of people I know who have wireless routers at home for their DSL or cable connection report having multiple drops for unknown reasons as opposed to when they had a direct or wired router they did not have this problem. This may be the squeaky wheel syndrome or an actual problem with EMI or RF problem with common frequencies. I was looking into this myself and couldn't pull the trigger.

 

I just set up a Wireless network at my folks' place. All Linksys -- the DSL/Cable Router was a REAL b**** until last night, when I found the answer. I'd flashed it to firmware 1.5, and it would work fine for a few hours, then the whole router would stop responding -- you'd have to power-cycle it and reset it manually, and it would work for another few hours. The solution is to do a hard-reset (hold in reset button 60 seconds with power on, keep holding it down, power off for 10 seconds or so, then power on with the button still depressed for another 10 seconds). 1 day now with no problems.

I've heard good things about netgear and dlink, but I've also heard bad things. Since I did the hard-reset of the Linksys, it's been pretty solid. I'd expect more from them though -- I've always bought Linksys networking products for my personal use, and they rule. However, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt this time.

 

I hear that netgear is the worst, but it works just fine for me. No problems at all.

The price differences are pretty insignificant, so I would go for the one that a sales clerk recommends(At Best Buy, the guy recommended one made by Cisco Systems).

 

/offtopic reply

Yea...remember, I said that it was an iffy solution at best..thats why I just broke down and got me another switch instead of using splitters when I needed to upgrade the size of my network.

I have the funkiest setup...two 4 port Linksys switches, a Linksys cable router, and a Dlink wireless cable router...the computers all go thru the switches, and then the machine that my PNA subnet goes thru feeds into the Linksys router, which then feeds into the wireless router which also has the switches uplinked to it...which then feeds into the cable modem.

It isnt conventional, but it works.

/offtopic reply ends



Vengeance...

I have had the same problem with my wired Linksys cable router after upgrading to firmware 1.5...it would work for a couple of hours....then it would quit responding until I reset it.

I ended up flashing back to the old firmware...and havent had the problem since.

Seems like Linksys has a buggy firmware revision.

but I agree, for the most part...Linksys has been a reliable product..and if I have a choice..I always buy them for my personal use. At least until I can afford Cisco..

 

Don't be so excited about Cisco. I started with Cisco wireless and even though their hardware may be good, their software sucks.

I have used Linksys routers for years and think they're a great value. I still use the Cisco wireless access point (but even Cisco support couldn't get WEP working for me), and mixed wireless cards. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase any more Linksys products. My sense is that Netgear is a step down from Linksys, and Dlink is trashy, but it's JMHO.



Mooch,

I split the cable w/ no problems.

 

I've got a Cisco WAP here at work, and it's fantastic. However, I really don't see any value in having it over any of the other Wireless stuff I've used. It has a HUGE amount of options, but I don't really have any need for that level of configuration. I certainly wouldn't recommend Cisco for anyone other than a sysadmin, but then again, it's so expensive, it's not really an option for your average person . . . I got WEP working on my Cisco, but it's a lot of work. The thing about Cisco is that you really have to KNOW what your doing through and through. So much of it is command-line based too. I don't dare even touch the configuration of our Cisco switches here at work . . .

What the salesman was probably referring to was Linksys, which is now owned by Cisco. I don't know if the products will get any better or not, but Cisco is first-class.

 

if you are asking if you can get wireless internet connection on your laptop in the bathroom, the answer is yes.

 

I think you are probably correct, R2K. But the connection, I just realized, is currently using a split, one going to the TV, the other one connected to the modem. I don't understand it, but I'm vaguely remembering the cable guy asking if I wanted internet activated on that line or something to that effect.

Damnit