Need Wireless Networking Advice

So im setting up a network in the home im living in for the next 2 years

I am deciding to get either dsl or cable depending in pricing.

I will hook the dsl and wirless router into my computer and than get cards for the other 2 desktops in the house

what is the best way to do this?

What all Do i have to buy and how does it all hook up

how much will it cost?

anyone know any places to get some nice networking kits? i only see kits with laptop cards and i need desktop or usb devices

what is a acess station, do i need to get a reg router and one of these, wtfux

You don't need a regular router. The most straightforward solution is you get a cable (or DSL) box from your ISP, and buy a wireless access point router ($80 or so) which connects to the cable/DSL box with an ethernet cable.

If your cable company allows you to supply your own equipment instead of renting/buying it from them, you could buy a combination cable router/wireless access point as a single unit, which is nice because it's one box instead of two, but possibly a pain to get to work with your ISP.

Most wireless access points have 3-4 hardwired ethernet ports as well as being wireless, so typically you use an ethernet cable from the access point to anything that's right next to it (like your desktop system). No point in using up the wireless bandwidth anymore than you need to.

Laptops usually have builtin wireless, or else a PC card that you stick in the side. Or a USB dongle you can stick in, but I haven't seen too many ppl use those; the card is easier.

For a desktop system that's not hardwired, you can either get a PCI wireless card, or a USB unit. Both $30-$50 I think. Not sure which is better. It's nice to keep stuff off the USB if you can, especially if you use a USB mouse. But you might not get great reception with the PCI card, especially if the orientation is such that you've got your big metal case between you and the signal.

I just set up a wireless network in my house on Saturday, I used this:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=3951&dept=3944&product_id=2129139&path=0%3A3944%3A3951%3A126297%3A126311

have had 0 problems and everything worked the first time I hooked it up

If you can help it, try to use PCI cards for your desktops and PC cards for your laptops. USB networking isn't the most reliable in my experience.

i'm using the same thing zuldane bought, no problems at all

just run a line from your cable modem into the wireless router and you're set. enable encryption though, or people will (may) be snagging your bandwidth

Just to warn you, with wireless the theoretical maximum transfer rate is 11 mbps and in reality you only get about 50% of that. But from my experience, the cisco wireless access point very reliable.

what bout netgear?

Working for a big ISP here in techsupport i can tell you that linksys is the best way to go, Also we are a cable provider and i can tell ya that cable modem is defintly the way to go over DSL as long as upload is no the most important thing. For all of our home networking customers i can normaly get you online in an instant by just hooking the router up to the modem and then rebooting the modem/router/computer. Make sure that after you hook up the new router that you reboot the modem other wise it will not recognize the new pice of equipment.

stickynutz wrote:

Working for a big ISP here in techsupport i can tell you that linksys is the best way to go, Also we are a cable provider and i can tell ya that cable modem is defintly the way to go over DSL as long as upload is no the most important thing. For all of our home networking customers i can normaly get you online in an instant by just hooking the router up to the modem and then rebooting the modem/router/computer. Make sure that after you hook up the new router that you reboot the modem other wise it will not recognize the new pice of equipment.

I totally, completely 100% disagree with this. Linksys is decent but Netgear is far superior. I have a Microsoft router (MN-620 laptop/router kit) and it works pretty well so that's an option too. If you can help it, go with Netgear first, Microsoft second, and Linksys third.

I get calls all the time about Linksys routers going out. Yes, the initial setup is easy but it's easy with all routers. However, it seems like a high percentage of Linksys routers need constant attention or they stop working properly.

Zuldane wrote:

I just set up a wireless network in my house on Saturday, I used this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=3951&dept=3944&product_id=2129139&path=0%3A3944%3A3951%3A126297%3A126311 have had 0 problems and everything worked the first time I hooked it up

Yeah thats what a good friend or should I say ex friend has in his house.

Works nice.

Nuldaan wrote:

stickynutz wrote: Working for a big ISP here in techsupport i can tell you that linksys is the best way to go, Also we are a cable provider and i can tell ya that cable modem is defintly the way to go over DSL as long as upload is no the most important thing. For all of our home networking customers i can normaly get you online in an instant by just hooking the router up to the modem and then rebooting the modem/router/computer. Make sure that after you hook up the new router that you reboot the modem other wise it will not recognize the new pice of equipment. I totally, completely 100% disagree with this. Linksys is decent but Netgear is far superior. I have a Microsoft router (MN-620 laptop/router kit) and it works pretty well so that's an option too. If you can help it, go with Netgear first, Microsoft second, and Linksys third. I get calls all the time about Linksys routers going out. Yes, the initial setup is easy but it's easy with all routers. However, it seems like a high percentage of Linksys routers need constant attention or they stop working properly.

It's hard to generalize. They're like disk drives: some people hate one brand; some people love them. I will say that although Linksys has sort of a good name because they're a big player, I won't use them anymore, for the reason Nuld says. The ones I've used tended to suffer performance that got worse and worse until you power cycled them, which you had to do about once a day. Maybe they're better now than they used to be. Netgear have also has its problems, although more in the "not adhering strictly to specs" department; I haven't had problems with the ones I've used. I use and a few friends use SMC, and I've haven't heard any problems.

Another thing to consider is wireless in a house is nowhere near the advertized range. Removable antennas (which not all brands have) could allow you to run one of the antennas to another floor or something. Or some brands (I think Linksys, unfortunately, but maybe others) allow you to run a second access point in "repeater" mode, to rebroadcast the signal to a part of the house the first access point can't reach. I'd say, in a typical two story, 4,000 sq foot house, you'd just barely be able to reach the farthest corners with a faint signal from a centrally located AP, and you'd probably get occasional signal losses.

Those ranges are pretty accurate in my experience, Sin.

I believe the only companies that sell anything to extend the range of your network are Linksys and D-Link. Linksys uses a signal booster. Basically, it hooks into your router and doubles your signal's strength and theoretically, your range. This has it's good and bad points but it's far superior to the alternative.

D-Link sells an actual range extender which would be ideal except I've worked with these 3 times and have yet to get one to work properly. Another complaint I have with D-Link is that they are the K-mart of routers. They're a little cheaper in price and ALOT cheaper in quality.