Home Networking on the Rise

This is the new era. It's much easier to setup a network today than it was 2-3 years ago. Now a days, it's plug n play. Just plug it in and play and that's true. Especially when running Windows XP.

I just ordered my first wireless setup (yay). I've been networked for 3 years now (since I got broadband) and it's awesome. The ability to let others use my other computer and share my high speed internet is awesome.

How do you like the wireless network? Does it work smooth? How secure is it?

A friend of mine wants to set one up, and I'm curious too.

what's your opinion?

Brat

said by Brat75:

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How do you like the wireless network? Does it work smooth? How secure is it?

A friend of mine wants to set one up, and I'm curious too.

what's your opinion?

Brat

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The instructions that came with setting it up were not very clear. It says to change the IP of the computer to a 169. in order to access the main menu, but it doesn't say which computer.. one would think it wasn't the computer you want to be wireless since the AP isn't setup to talk to it. ANother thing, no where does it say that after you configure the AP does the IP for the config menu change to a 192. But anyhow..

It took about 20 minutes to setup. I was surfing within 20 minutes. Took me another 5 or so minutes to figure out how to secure it. I enabeld MAC Filtering as well the 13 digit encryption key each wireless system needs.

When I am on the same floor at the AP, I get excellent signal. Downstairs I get "low", but stil get 1.3mbps down and 76kbps up. Not bad at all. However, last night for the first time that I seem to have any problems. I was working on my laptop in the same place and the signal strength went from "Low" to "Very Low" to "No Signal" than came back up. It was just a few seconds so it didn't bother me.

I feel that the Orinoco products are the only products (within this price range of $173) that can offer me these types of speed for my wireles network. I honestly do believe if I had gone with a different brand (Linksys, D-Link, Belkin), I wouldn't have gotten the speed I am getting and the quality of the products.

Seeing how smooth my wireless network, I plan on making my dads computer (on the other side of the house) part of the wireless network. Right now he has his own cable modem. If I go wireless, we can eliminate 1 cable account and he can be part of my network.

Too bad a wireless USB adapter from Orinoco is $115! Maybe later on I'll buy one!

My opinion: Wireless Networks may not be at the top of the list as far as a network goes, but they've gone a long way and it's time that people start testing them out. It's one hell of a network and one hell of an investment. Well worth it. ***** 5 stars!

My mom wanted a wireless network for her laptop to share my brother's cable connection, so I told her what to get. Then, she called me to come over and hook it up. I was like, "Ma, you just plug it in, and it'll work" Ten mins later, she called me back, and it was working. I love technology

said by costasmaz:

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My mom wanted a wireless network for her laptop to share my brother's cable connection, so I told her what to get. Then, she called me to come over and hook it up. I was like, "Ma, you just plug it in, and it'll work" Ten mins later, she called me back, and it was working. I love technology

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You won't love if after she calls you back because Plug N Pray left everything turned on and someone hacked her network and you need to clean up the mess.

said by bassdude:

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You won't love if after she calls you back because Plug N Pray left everything turned on and someone hacked her network and you need to clean up the mess.

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Yea... you cannot charge your mom obscenely high hourly support rates like you can with everyone else.

now 20 133mhz computers with the new "cd-rom" can all share one 56k connection. (only in veitnam)

said by 53059959:

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now 20 133mhz computers with the new "cd-rom" can all share one 56k connection. (only in veitnam)

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LOL... Up until April of 2002, that described my situation perfectly... except the 133MHz part...

The fact that broadband in general was so late in coming to my area was the reason I purchased an SMC Barricade router. It worked fairly well with my USR 56K modem, and once I got the cable modem I just unplugged one and plugged in the other.

I think its more than 10% of U.S. households. And about the statement of '31 percent said they were planning to set up a home wireless network.' Why won't someone buy my wireless card then? lol

Once caps become the norm here, how can you use this equipment? More PC's = more bandwidth being used.

Remote video monitoring? Wonder how much of your 1GB cap that will use....

this is becoming a tech help nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

said by BBC4544:

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this is becoming a tech help nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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Or an opportunity

$100 hour support, 2 hour minimum hehehehehe

YOU BUNCH OF GREEDY.......hey, did you say $100/hour???
Okay, I'm in! LOL

cool

blackjeep you cover SE

pnh102 you cover NE(lucky dog,you got NYC)

i will cover the midwest

anyone want west??????

I'm in for West!!

I could do computer o/S tweaking and hardware support..

With a DSL connection and a Microsoft MN-500 wireless router I am able to give all 4 of the computers in my home internet access on demand 24/7.

We get DSL from SBC Yahoo, and the connection speed is always fast.

The server in the home network is my desktop. This computer is connected directly via ethernet cable to the MN-500 . The printer is shared.

The other desktop is my father-in-law's. He enjoys connecting much faster than the old dial up.
Connecting him to the network is a Microsoft MN 510 USB Wireless Adapter. His printer is also shared.

My wife and I have laptop computers. We can set up anywhere in the house or anywhere within a 100 meter radius. Microsoft MN-520 Wireless Notebook Adapters connect us to the network.

My wife loves to check her E-mail and surf while she uses the shared printers to prepare reports and football pool sheets for work.

MAC filtering and 128 bit WEP provide security against eavesdroppers and hackers. Naturally, passwords are used to protect file security.

The only hard part of all of this was getting the money together.

My older brother and I threw together a wired network for our home. It goes from our cable modem (Road Runner, very reliable and fast. 2Mbit down/384Kbit up.) to router which is in meh computer room, which then goes to a 100Mbit switch in my hallway closet. All of our rooms except the bathrooms and da music room (never gonna set up a network in there!) are networked. The Cat-5e we installed is scabible up to 1000Mbit . The nice thing about the setup is that whenever I host a LAN, I can just hook up another switch or port to an CAT-5 outlet in the wall. And it was cheaper than wireless.

We also have plans to network our computers with some of our neighbors to create a mini neighborborhood LAN.

said by desreversti:

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We also have plans to network our computers with some of our neighbors to create a mini neighborborhood LAN.

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Actually, wireless could be very good for that purpose. Most wireless access points can act as wireless bridges that can connect multiple buildings together.