Anybody have experience with wireless internet? I have a notion to get it for my home. We currently have two home computers networked through RoadRunner. I think it runs about $50 per month for the two of them. I'm thinking about getting a laptop that needs to access the internet. Given the set up of my home office, that will be difficult to accomplish-- big heavy desk and almost inaccessible plug-ins. Would a wireless setup be feasible? Anyone else doing it? Security issues? Thanks.
I have that setup at the moment and have had it for a while with Road runner. It's the best thing out right now. The prices are really dropping on wireless hubs and the speed is getting faster. Most all of the laptops that are coming out have builit in wireless so you can plug and play right into your new network. As far as security, they all have built in firewalls and you can easily setup passwords on the router so that no one can just log in and leech off of your network if they are close enough to your router. The setup is really minimal and self explanitory. Im pretty sure you can go ahead and tell Time Warner that you are setting up a new network so you don't have to pay extra for the network they have setup and are charging you for. You can then get a wireless card for your desktop or just use a cable to hook it up to the new network. You will seriously be happy when you get the wireless setup. I mean what can beat taking your laptop to the bathroom lol....instead of your favorite magazine.
1. Do not broadcast your SSID 2. Enable 128-bit WEP encryption or better. Prices have dropped dramatically in the past 6 months. The 108Mbps 802.11g router + wireless PC card I bought last year cost me $300. Now you can get them for $60 after MIR.
You don't even have to tell Time Warner anything... just buy a wireless router for your cable modem, and make sure you have a laptop that either has built-in wireless, or a wireless card... and you're set. Wireless is great, and its on its way to becoming totally mainstream... sooner or later, every single part of major cities will have some form of wireless internet available. It will eventually become like cellphones, where people actually just subscribe to nationwide wireless services... instead of individual wireless networks (that charge you) like some hotels, MMP, and Starbucks.
with my roadrunner i use Lynksys 2.4GHz broadband router. i have had zero problems. also, a very good (and somewhat poor) friend of mine lives across the street and uses it too .
Wireless can be good. Just make sure your phone isn't on the same frequency as the wireless is. Most 2.4 GHz phones interfere with 802.11g networks. Get a 802.11g wireless router and you should be ok. Netgear and Linksys are 2 good brands to use. * EDIT * : Goofed on 802.11b vs. 802.11g 2.4 GHz interference.
When you take your labtop to places that have the wireless network in place, such as schools, hotels ... does your labtop connect to it automatically?
depends on the settings you have set it can connect automatically if you want to, my ibook used to connect as soon as i brought it back from sleep. my compaq on the other hand requires a few clicks.
Or, make sure your phone has DSS (Digital Spread Spectrum). I had a constant problem with my Linksys 802.11g interfering with all my phones. In fact, I went through a few diff brand phones before I found a Panasonic 2.4 ghz with the DSS. Neither one interferes with each other anymore. Perfect signal on both.
I actually mistyped what I typed... I meant - watch out for 802.11g networks being interfered by 2.4 GHz phones. Sorry...
If it's a Linksys, there should be a tab in the setup where you go and set it. If it's something else, there still should be a tab in the setup where you and set it.
Thats definitely true. Even when I set my Wireless G to only broadcast 802.11b, it still interfered with everything. All my neighbors are going wirelss now too. Nothing is more frustrating than your laptop trying to connect to a neighbor's router rather than your own.
This is one reason why I'm still hardwiring Cat 5e into the house I'm building. I'll be using wireless for certain things, but for streaming video or multimedia in the future or for my main computer, I can't go wireless - the thing's unpredictable. It's even crazier when microwaves interfere with them (and they do). "Honey, I'm going to make some popcorn in the microwave" "Nooooooooooooooo - I'm downloadiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing" "Huh?"
