Also be aware that unless you go with the more expensive and higher frequency 802.11a, you might have issues with interference from 2.4 GHz phones or microwave ovens, especially if you are in a crowded area.

Throughput is also an issue...actual throughput for a single pair of radios in 802.11b is maybe 2-3 Mbps at best. If you're using it for internet, then no big deal, but if you're going to do file transfers between PCs, it's always going to be faster to wire them together, even if you only use plain 10 Mbps Ethernet.

Finally, although security is not as pourous as some may lead you to believe, you definitely need to take precautions to secure your wireless network.

Another option might be the new PowerLine or old HomeLink technologies that use your electrical wiring or phone outlets to connect PCs. They have issues too, but may be your only option depending on how much interference you have where you live.

Hope that helps,

- Saki [faqs]

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We have two computers that we plan on using for the internet here. The computers are roughly 36 feet apart. Using dial-up we have determined is a bad choice due to the cost of multiple accounts, a seperate phone line, and cost to re-wire the phone in the house as there is only one phone jack, 24 feet away from where one of the computers is, 60 feet away from the other (currently I have an incredibly long phone cord snaked through 4 rooms to reach the jack (and this is the closer computer). So we figure that based on price and ability to run two computers over it, Comcast Broadband is the best choice.

I'm trying to determine the best way to connect the two computers that are 36 feet apart to the cable modem. The house has no basement or attic. There is a crawlspace underneith the house but it would be hard to fit a human underneith there. There is a crawlspace above but it doesn't extend all the way to the room the second computer is in. It is virtually impossible to change the locations of the computers to make it easier. Between the two rooms are a bedroom, bathroom and a utility room (water heater, etc). There is a hallway that runs part of the way down, but it is interrupted by the bathroom.

To get the line for the cable internet in here, Comcast is going to have to drill a hole through the wall and bring it in that way. They had to do the same for the cable as this place never had cable installed.

Also keep in mind this is a rental property.

Does anyone have a good idea of an inexpensive easy way to connect the two computers so they can share the same line?

Thanks again.

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Of the three wireless protocols - 802.11a/b/g - the "a" version works fairly well but is also rather expensive. Unless there is absolutely no other solution, wireless is not the answer.

My solution was to run CAT-5 cable around the baseboard with U-shaped staples holding it in place. It doesn't look all that great, but it works well (four computers hard-wired to the router, one linked wirelessly). And, when I leave, I can rip it out and repair the staple holes very easily.

~ GaySatyr

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For the rest of my useless post, I'll labor under the assumption that you've chosen a wired network:

CAT5 is a bit expensive. The best way to get it cheaply is to buy it by the foot in a roll, the problem is that you need a crimper and a bit of expertise in order to put the male connectors on the ends. Unless you know someone who does this regularly (someone who installs permenent LANs on a regular basis), I would recommend laying out the money for the pre-made cables. Depending on how you have to run the cable, having one made for you (or making it yourself) may be your only option though, as pre-made cables usually aren't readily available if you need more than 50 foot lengths. I'm not sure what the cheapest option is though. As far as a router/firewall, I'm extremely happy with my Linksys. For you, a 4 port router would be more than enough (this is what allows you to share the broadband internet connection from your cable modem). It would also be a NAT firewall (which would allow you to block unused internet ports and help protect you from a number of internet security liabilities) and it would run you about $70-$80 or so. The model number for the 4 port is BEFSR41 I believe. I have the 8 port, but they are virtually identical.

Could I have composed a more useless post? I think not! :) Good luck to you Flash. If you need help with it, there are obviously many here who have a lot of experience with this kind of thing.

EDITED--One more thing. I would highly recommend AGAINST using Microsoft's "Internet Connection Sharing" in Windows to share your internet connection. You can do this instead of getting a router, but it is complicated to set up, is terribly frought with problems, and doesn't offer the same protection for your network that a hardware router/firewall does. Just my little two cent warning there... :)

Mike L.

Edited by - MLyons on 4/4/2003 9:35:31 PM

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Edited because I didn't want to ignore Jay911's comment on his experience. As a network engineer, I've been involved in several wireless projects. Unless I could do a site survey to map Flash's environment I can't recommend wireless to him because it's not a predictable solution. If Flash can try before he buys, then it might be worth investigating, but that's the only way I'm prepared to recommend it.

Edited by - hardware on 4/5/2003 12:14:34 PM

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I use linksys at work and at home. It sucks balls. About 15 times a day I lose connection to the router which is in the other room about 20 feet away. I have to disable my wireless nic, then enable it and hope for a connection. If my antenna touch any metal part on my desk, I lose connection.

At home, I'm in my bedroom right now, I DO have a connection, but signal strength is LOW, my router is in the living room, next room over.

Apparently, I hear linksys is not the way to go for wireless, but netgear?? I havent tried dlink yet.

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We had the same problem with a D-Link router...things would be fine for a while, but then the wireless connection would drop and you couldn't re-establish until the router was power-cycled.

Anyway, for business use, you probably should be using a professional solution (Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, etc. are all mom & pop or home networking equipment). Products like Cisco's Aironet and Proxim's Orinoco are meant for business use and generally have more power and reliability. Sure, they're more expensive, but worth it for business.

- Saki [faqs]

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The home network is a combination of wired and wireless. I use wireless mostly for the laptop and the PocketPC which helps run the home automation stuff.

However, the Linksys wireless range kinda sucks. Like Saki, I've got a lot pf plaster walls, and it seems to have a negative effect. I can't get much play outside in the backyard, so I added a second access point and will be playing over the next week...

So, I guess I'm saying your milage may vary. :-) It sure beats running wires; but performance may stink.

It also depends on how much sharing you plan to do between the two computers. Since wireless performance is way inferior to wired for computer-to-computer transfers, that may be a detemrinig factor. However, your cable modem should top out at around 1Mbs, so the 2Mb connection you're going to get to your wireless access point shouldn't have any appreciable impact on your download speeds...

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One notebook is an IBM X21 using its built in 802.11b NIC hardware. It worked instantly with the Netgear access point. The other system is an old HP Pentium 180 using a PCMCIA 802.11 card from Netgear. (Both systems are running Windows 2000). The drivers that came with the Netgear PCMCIA card sucked. It worked but would drop signal constantly. Installing the latest drivers downloaded from Netgear's website fix everything. Now it performs as well as the other system.

I think wireless is perfect for this application. These two computers are used 99% of the time for web browsing. Keep in mind that we do not have any external sources of interference around us.

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~ GaySatyr

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DenverDon

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If you are willing to substitute satellite service for cable service for your television access, it is a viable option for broadband as well.

~ GaySatyr

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