[n0estoy]

Ok here's the deal. The internet connection is downstairs, which really limits my surfing, because my room and my comp is upstairs. My pops doesn't want to go through the hassle of wiring my room for dsl, but i got him interested in a wireless solution. We have a hub or a router...dunno the difference (someone plz explain) downstairs, and it's connected to one comp. How would a wireless modem work out for me?

 

[cluthu]

>How would a wireless modem work out for me?
Technically, you wouldn't want a wireless modem, as you're connecting wirelessly to a pre-existing setup rather than a purely wireless, external network. What you would need is a wireless transmitter and receiver. I haven't used it myself, but I've heard some people say good things about the Intel Anypoint series.

http://www.intel.com/anypoint

A hub is a central area where the cables in a non-daisy chained network meet. It's also known as a concatenation or network concentrator. Basically it's just a sophisticated switch that's able to transmit information around the network at once. A router is used to split a network into multiple pieces, allow for a changing in network hardware or protocol (say from 10BaseT to FDDI or Ethernet to X10, say), and also tend to serve the purpose of working as a firewall to separate your internal network from the Internet at large. Suffice to say, if you have a router you'd probably know it, seeing as how they're quite a bit more expensive than a hub.

Assuming what you have *is* a hub, was it provided by your DSL provider or did your family install it seperately? If it's a personal hub, a rather low cost solution to your problem (that is, assuming your parents wouldn't mind) would be running some Cat5-cable from your hub, through the ceiling (since you'd said your room is upstairs) and into an Ethernet card in your computer. Cat5 is ultra-cheap, and Ethernet cards can be had for like $10.

 

[n0estoy]

thanx for the link. the hub was provided by the isp. the problem is my dad doesn't want to run the wires through the ceiling. he was thinking of using our second telephone line (which we don't use) to get the dsl signal to my room, and then running that secondary line into the hub...or something like that. i'm not sure anymore. the problem is we're having trouble finding someone to do it, so he's more willing to use the transmiter and receiver setup. again, thanx for the link and the info.

 

[takwu]

another popular brand for wireless networking is Linksys
http://www.linksys.com

They have quite a few products for wireless networking. However, like the Intel, it is rather expensive.

I personally use a phoneline network. Basically it utilizes the extra bandwidth your phoneline can handle, and the already existing wiring within your house, to establish a network. Linksys also has a line of products for that. It's a much cheaper way to have a home network than going wireless, without running new wires.

Also, new phoneline network systems are capable of 10mbps, that's more than wireless networks I think.

 

[n0estoy]

we're looking into some 11Mbps equipment.

 

[n0estoy]

we got the linksys wap11 and the wireless usb adaptor, but are having trouble setting it up. we've spent at least two hours, but can't get the 2 comps to see eachother, and i'm not getting a dsl signal to my room. :eyes: this is going to be a headache.

 

[Betamax]

Maybe interference. Try switching off tvs radio etc.. as a test

 

[n0estoy]

we just placed both pc's in the same room and are getting a great signal, but the network still isn't working. each computer detects the other's printer and mine can detect an internet connection, but the computers don't appear together in the network neighborhood, and i'm not actually able to get online.

 

[Dan]

Quickbit:

Hub - lowest from of infromation packet routing. Called broadcasting. It splits the bandwith between all connected computers (100mbs is only 50mbs for two computers, 33mbs for 3, and so on). With a hub, only one device can "talk" at once. Which can cause collions if two devices try to communicate at the same time, causing compleate data loss.

Switch - Fastest form of information routing. Uses store-and-forward to allow true 100TX (100 upstream/100 downstream)information transfers. It allso prevents collison of data which hubs suffer from. Also streangthens signals (like a repeater) that pass thru to allow greater distance between connection points.

Router - Main connection point that must be used every 255 computers (except in very specal cases, such as some cisco routers). It is a computer that can be set up to keep track of all the computers on its network, to act as a firewall, and a main connection point. It has all the abilities of a switch.

Connections usually go Router-> Switch-> Hub-> PC.

Ok, now one thing about intel anypoint, thoes were the biggest disapointement i have ever used. I have used many telephone networking solution, and none gave me the problems that thoes anypoint did. Signal loss, slow connectons, interfearence, you name it.

But wireless is great. (for slow connections). Do you use any internet connection sharing software? Are all of your connections via USB port? Is there more than one networking interface in either computer? Have you tried lowering the transmit rate to 1Mbs?

 

[takwu]

andré,
first off, if you cannot see both computers in network neighborhood, that's ok, windows is buggy for that. Make sure both computers have TCP/IP and both use the same Primary Network Logon (in the Network properties). If still don't see all computers in nethood, forget it, it's not that important.

now, about your internet connection.
if you got the WAP11, it does not have the internet sharing function built-in.

to have built-in internet sharing, you could either add a BEFSR11, or exchange your WAP11 for a BEFW11S4.

If you want sharing without getting either of those, you could use Microsoft's Internet Connection Sharing, which comes with Windows ME. Or buy a third party program that do similar things. However, with either of these software, you need to dedicate one computer as the server, and the other can only get internet connection from the server when it's turned on.

There might be a third option, if your DSL provider has it available. Which is buying another account thru the same DSL modem. It costs a little more per month, but you don't need to share the internet connection, just share the modem.

 

[n0estoy]

thanks for all the replies guys. we've decided that wirless is not the solution for us, since i think the rooms are a too far apart for an optimal signal. mebe we'll take that road in a few years when the technology had advanced. we've decided to use our secondary phoneline for dsl, and have someone come in and set it up, so that i can plug into the wall from my room. thanx again.