wireless

[harwood red]

Can anyone tell me the best option for a wireless set up. Got my son a lap top for christmas and want to link it to this comp for broadband. Have to say this is one thing I haven't got a clue about

[entwisi]

you need a modem router to replace the BB modem you currently have (Are you on cable or standard ADSL over BT line as this changes which box you need).

Then you can either wifi both or have the main PC wired and the laptop using wifi. There is a certain amount of 'security' that needs to be applied but your friendly local techie will normally help out

There is a 'cheaper' way but it would mean the main PC would need to be on for the lappy to get internet access and to be honest a router gives the main PC an extra layer of security thats worth having.

Your looking at ~£50 all in.

[harwood red]

thanks for that Ian and I am sure I will be calling on our local friendly techie for some help

Is it worth contacting Tiscali who provides the broadband to see if they offer any wireless equipment to their customers??

Before all that though I will have to get him some antivirus stuff on it too

[entwisi]

Anti Virus AND firewall are a must. Don't think about connecting to the net without them or you will have a worm within 20 seconds.

Don't bother with Tiscali, they will charge top dollar, this does answer my Q though, standard ADSL modem router

*Cough* PC World have the following in stock at £40

LINKSYS WGKPC354G WIRELESS 54MBPS MODEM ROUTER AND LAPTOP CARD
http://www.pcworld.co.uk:80/martprd/...ull&tabIndex=1

Ignore the not comaptible with XP, its usual PC world not knowing what the heck they are talking about. Its chuffing ethernet FFS.

Available by collect at store so you can reserve one then call in to pick it up. Dead convienient even if it is PC world. Linksys kit is decent quality(I have one).

There are many others but TBH this would be fine and its cheap( I paid over £100 for my first modem router)

(Forgot to add, the PCMCIA card will be handy as a spare if the laptop is already wifi enabled.)

[***Mr D***]

If he is looking to play on line games on the lap top, dont go wireless.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Does wireless slow it down?

[entwisi]

You 'can' get slower pings which can affect gaming. Depends on numerous factors.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I suppose I'd need to be fast first

[jamesicus]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Does wireless slow it down?

I don't play games on my 'puters so I cannot comment on wireless compatibility for that purpose. I also am not familiar with products offered in Britain.

In my experience we have no significant slowdown using wireless at our house (and no reports of significant slowness from other family members using wireless at their houses).

I use a "WebGear" router from my wife's PC with our local Cable Company broadband feed -- it serves my two laptops located in my workroom which is three rooms distant -- I have found intervening walls/structure & distance from the router to be a speed detriment -- I am running at 56 bmps -- fine for my web authoring and testing activities on one laptop and e-mail & word processing on the other.

Additional wireless hookups from house visitors also results in some slow down -- two additional 'puters results in about 48 bmps for all.

James

[entwisi]

I'd be very surprised if you are getting 54mps 3 rooms from your router. 80211G drops significantly as signal degrades in steps. IIRC the first drop is to 48, then 36 then 24 etc. Incidentally, 'b' networks are quoted with range up to 100M, G qre quoted only up to 30M as soon as you get walls etc in the way this drops further(hence my surprise if you are getting 54M throughput, ignore what it says its connecting at, try sending a large file between two computers.) also adding a 11b device into a 11g network slows them all down a bit.

[jamesicus]

Originally Posted by entwisi

I'd be very surprised if you are getting 54mps 3 rooms from your router

Be surprized! I regularly maintain 54Mbps (56 my miss-type) -- as I type this.

.......... try sending a large file between two computers ..........

Do that all the time.

[entwisi]

You don't happen to live in Japan do you (Walls made of tissue paper )