Wireless Network
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
OK - well in the end I ordered my ADSL line from Zen Internet (www.zen.co.uk) who let me track my order and didn't try to sell me any hardware... this I ordered from DSL-Warehouse (www.dsl-warehouse)... as listed below:
Order Details:
1xNetgear DG824M 4-Port Wireless ADSL Router (£117.99)
1xNetgear MA521 CardBus 11Mbps Wireless Card (£27.89)
1xDSL-W FT101 Basic ADSL Microfilter (£3.99)
1xNetgear MA111 11Mbps Wireless USB Adapter (£26.91)
Sales: £176.78
Delivery: £5.00
VAT: £31.82
TOTAL: £213.60
They didn't have the Wireless USB Adapter in stock but it arrived a few days later with no extra postage and packing.
Once I had the hardware setting up the network was easy. I was very impressed with Netgear - easy to use and lots of help (not that I needed it).
Drop me an e-mail if you want to know more about anything: py(a)talk21.com
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
more confusion - I rang BT Home Networking 1200 help line (0870 240 8053) and spoke to a very helpful guy called Graham.
He says I won't need a hub or any extra cables because I can use one of my Desktop PCs as a printserver simply by setting up printer and file sharing on that machine.
So while I can't get rid of all the cables I can simply use my existing USB cables and set up one of the PCs as a Printer and network server.
This is good.
OK - More progress I cannot connect a printer to my wireless network without a Wireless Print Server (about £100 each from nickknows.com) The guy I spoke to on the phone was very patient with my dumb questions and warned me off buying a USB print server - he said that all USB products they used to carry have been withdrawn because of "compatability problems".
£100 is too much - I guess next generation of printers will be WiFi compatable anyway so I might as well get a hub and some cables to connect the printers to the wireless network - unless the Home Network adapters can do this - rang BT and gave up after being put on hold for too long.
Checked out HP's wireless printers to see how soon they are likely to be standard issue - sadly it looks like I will have to cable the printers after all.
I have had a good look at the different options. First I thought that the BT Home Network 1200 would be perfect - it has excellent reviews for ease of use and set-up - but it does seem to be much more expensive than other options.
the BT 1200 kit looks great - but once you add additional USB connections for the desk top PCs and printers it adds up to just under £440.
I think I could save some money buy buying a tradtional wired hub and connecting my Desktop PCs and printers to the ADSL modem with cables. One PC already has a network card so i'd save £150 on the wireless connectors but I'd have to spend £50 on a hub and another £30 on cables. Making a grand total of... £370. And then I'd end up with a wired network rather than a wireless one.
Back to the drawing board.
My I am planning to connect:
2 Desktop PC's - one running Win2000 the other WinXP
2 Laptops - one Toshiba Portege 2000 with a built-in WiFi card and one Dell without - these both run XP
2 printers and a scanner
At the moment I use a USB hub and a Belkin USB 4 way switch - which seems to work ok - though when my Toshiba was running Win98 it used to crash everytime I used the switch.
I am going to set up a wireless network with an ADSL connection in my home. Earlier this year I connected a single PC to and ADSL line in Spain with no problems.
How difficult can it be? I am reasonably technically savvy - but I recognise that networking can be a nightmare.
I have checked that I can get ADSL in my area here
and I have spent quite a while reading up about ADSL and Wireless networks at the ADSLguide Which is packed full of information and product reviews.
