Last time we talked about wired and wireless data transfer between digital devices. We learned that the “advertised” speeds are not necessarily the speeds you’ll experience in the real world, with some real world speeds being only half the advertised.

But does all that matter? Maybe, maybe not, depending on how you plan to use your network. Let’s say you already have an 802.11b wireless router, with an advertised speed of 11 megabits per second (Mbps), which we saw last time can yield only 5 Mbps in most conditions. Let’s say you also have a 3 Mbps (advertised) DSL connection. It should be evident that your wireless router will have no trouble transmitting the full “oomph” (a technical term for bandwidth) of your 3 Mbps DSL. In fact, regardless of how fast your wireless router is, you’ll never web-surf faster than the DSL speed.

So, if you already have an 802.11b router, do you need to buy a newer 54 Mbps (advertised) 802.11g router? For just web surfing, probably not. However, you should consider the router upgrade if you do a lot of transferring of files wirelessly between your computers, as the faster protocol will definitely save you time.

By the way, 802.11b and 802.11g routers and laptop cards are compatible and work perfectly well together on the same network. However, if you have, say, an 802.11g wireless card in your laptop, and you connect to an 802.11b router, you’ll only get the slower 802.11b speeds. And, vice versa. Needless to say, if you’re “starting from scratch”, get an 802.11g router and an 802.11g wireless card and you’ll be at full speed all the time. Also, if you already have equipment based on the 802.11a format, you might as well move to 802.11g, both for the speed increase and compatibility with commercial hotspots outside your home.

So what equipment do you need for a home wireless network (assuming you want to share an internet connection as well as files)? You need a broadband internet connection (dial-up users need not apply). You need a wireless router, which usually has a small antenna attached to it. You need wireless capability in your laptop – either built into the chipset, like Intel’s Centrino platform, or a built-in card like Apple’s Airport, or a wireless card and antenna that slides into your laptop’s PCMCIA slot. You can purchase PCI cards with antennas for your desktop computers as well.

Hardware set-up is surprisingly easy. Instead of connecting the Ethernet cable from your DSL or cable modem to your computer, you connect it to the wireless router. You then connect your main desktop computer to the router via another Ethernet cable. This main computer will be used to control the wireless router, and, due to its direct Ethernet connection to the modem, will have the fastest access in the house.

Configuring the software is the most difficult part of the process. Different wireless routers use different software to configure and control the router. Some use software written specifically for the task. Others simply use your web browser to access the router’s internal controls. Your computer’s networking software will need to be configured as well. In any case, follow the directions included with your router and your computer.

Pay close attention to the network’s security settings. If you don’t want “outsiders” accessing your network and internet connection (yes, your neighbors may be close enough) you can require a password to gain access.

Next time we’ll get into more detail on security, as well as the placement of your router for maximum coverage in your home.

© 2005 Peter F. Zimowski