question: i am getting a laptop from a family memeber that is about a year old b/c she is purchasing a new one and i wanna set up a wireless "network" in my place. basically i wanna connect the laptop and my desktop to my DSL through a wireless router, so if i wanted i could use both computers online at the same time from different locations i can do that. what equipment do i need? or more specifically does anyone wanna recomend a brand for the router, network cards, etc? gracias.
I know less about wireless than wired, but I have set up a wireless network for someone recently and had good success with LinkSys. Be sure to use WEP, and change the router's ID at a minimum for security.
Make sure to setup your router/access point to only accept the MAC address from your wireless card. The MAC address is usually on the back of the card. This will prevent unwanted computers using your network unless you want to create a wireless hotspot for anybody to use. I have a Linksys router that has this capability built in and is easy to setup via the web-broswer based interface.
So, basically you will need a wireless router (802.11b should be good enough), and you'll want to hook up your desktop directly to the router, using a wired connection. Then of course a wireless 802.11b card for the laptop. When you set up the router, be sure to enable WEP security, which will generate a key. Then when you want to add the laptop to the network, you'll need that WEP key in order to let it use the router. Shouldn't be too difficult at all, I've got a similar setup at home. Its helpful to use the same brand for all the hardware. I've got Linksys myself. Other people prefer Netgear or D-Link, but really any of them will do (read: buy the cheapest one ).
Actually, I would suggest the LinkSys Wireless-G router. Over at SlashDot there is a discussion about all kinds of "aftermarket" firmware upgrades. Changing the SSID and enabling WEP are the two most important things you can do for security. The MAC thing isn't a bad idea, but is a bit of a hassle if you have friends over for a wireless LAN party or something. MAC addresses can be spoofed, so it's not foolproof. SSID and WAP are like a username/password combo for your network, and encrypt the comms so you can't be "sniffed". The MAC address limitation is like biometrics.
I'm assuming that if you have a wireless router in your house (or apartment) and do not do anything to it, it means that your neighbor can use your connection, right? What's the range of a wireless router?
If you don't secure your router, anyone walking by can connect. Not only can they access the internet that way (and your ISP will think it's you), they have unfettered access to your LAN - any unsecured shared directories, etc. Range varies - I think most routers will give you 100-150 feet. But that can be reduced by obstructions, so even in your own house with one AP (depending on where it's situated) you may not be able to connect.
Just to give you a rough idea, I currently have an older Apple Airport base station (802.11b) downstairs and I usually use my laptop in my bedroom upstairs. The only problem I experienced is that my cordless phone uses the same frequency, the Airport signal cuts off when the phone rings. I solved that problem however, by moving the phone base station to where the singals wouldn't cut each other off. I also have a friend who lived in a 2nd floor apartment, and could take his laptop to the coffeeshop downstairs and surf the net there. sidenote: after helping my roommate set up wireless connection on his PC, I realized how incredibly user un-friendly the LinkSys software is, especially when compared to Apple's Airport Utilities.
I like the router web interface, but when I set up two laptops for a client, the client driver software sucked. Very difficult to get the settings the way you wanted, and very squirrelly.
I think Linksys is good for like 800 feet indoors or something. Something insane, I know that. And even more crazy outdoors. 802.11g is faster than 802.11b. But.... If you get a "B" router, and try to connect a "G" wireless card to it, I don't think it'll work. A "G" router should connect to a "B" wireless card. So you may wanna get the "G" router. It's up to you. Yes. Change your SSID and all that. And write that stuff down. I also hear that even if you change all that security stuff, it's still accessible to anyone walking by. But if you're using credit card numbers wirelessly, that's all encrypted using SSL or whatever.