# Wireless broadband at home



## jonhaff (May 20, 2002)

I have just got ntl broadband and was looking at wireless network in the home. I only have one laptop but dont want it connected by the modem cable all the time. Any recommended access points / PCMCIA cards? I was looking at Linksys broadband G.


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## Mayur (Jan 29, 2004)

Sorry to hound you Jonhaff... but if you had an Apple Powerbook, airport all built into the unit and all you'd do is buy the Airport hub and hook your cable modem to it  since you don't have a Mac... you could buy a Linksys wireless base station and get a compatible card for your laptop and hook the cable modem up. Should work fine. Please remember to set your security up properly, the reason I say this is because I can pock up someones unsecured Linksys network from my study!

Good luck.


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

Get a wireless cable/DSL router or Gateway, plug it into your cable modem (assuming your cable modem has ethernet out), configure the AP part of the router/gateway - put the same settings into the wireless card... and you're done!

Personally, I wouldn't go for any draft 802.11g products (including those marketed as "54g") until the 802.11g standard is ratified (probably sometime around June this year). Although many "54g" products interoperate with each other there's a potential of problems when the standard is ratified... especially interop with .11b products.

.11g is currently on Draft 6.1, many "54g" products are still on draft 5 specification. Yes, it's possible that all that will be needed is software changes... but ask the vendor if they will provide free software... or replacement hardware if rewquired, to meet the .11g standard


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## ir_fuel (Jan 10, 2003)

i have 2 pcs hooked up to TAH NET using belkin wireless access point and 2 belkin wireless netw cards. Works like a charm


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## snaxo (May 31, 2002)

I've been looking into this (using BT ADSL rather than NTL though) and I'll probably be going for the following:

http://www.insight.com/uk/apps/brands/m ... ge_id=1494

Looks like a good bit of kit for me. The PCM card for your Laptop will be around the Â£40-Â£50 mark also.

Damian

PS I've phoned Netgear and they confirmed this works with BT Broadband, and also, XBOX live


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## baker (May 13, 2002)

I have the same config.

1 PC connected to ADSL Modem via USB
1 Laptop

I bought belkin Wireless PCMCIA for the laptop and a USB wireless connector for my PC.

Works really well for about Â£100

Try http://www.dabs.com


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## christtopher (May 7, 2002)

Oh goody another wireless networking question! 
I reckon you should buy Cisco Jonhaff its much better than any of that cheap stuff, and if you ever want support you know who to come to! ;D

Kev's comments about 11g is certainly good advice.


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## Wak (May 6, 2002)

> i have 2 pcs hooked up to TAH NET using belkin wireless access point and 2 belkin wireless netw cards. Works like a charm


I also bought Belkin based on quality, lifetime guarantee and its was easy to set up and works a treat.

Initially had a problem of dropping connections...but this isolated to a fridge motor kicking in and cured by using a surge protector plus on the Belkin access point!

Since then Its been problem free, fault free an works a treat!

Am also taking Kevs advice and waiting for standards to be confirmed before looking into the "G"'s in wireless.


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## sam (May 7, 2002)

I use a Vigor 2600 router/firewall/ADSL/4port switch. You can get a wireless version which a number of people at work have and have heard nothing but praise. I have my non-wrieless version connected over ethernet to an 11meg Apple Airport.

Can't get the cisco VPN to work (that's down to me not the kit) but everything else is great. As for security, I use the granite walls of the house as a shield to those trying to listen in.

Sam


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## jonhaff (May 20, 2002)

from the articles and product descriptions the G systems cope with the B and A ones as well so why not go for it and get one that will do all 3?

Im sure the Linksys broadband router G does this?


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

Read my post above... .11g is still draft - it's not a finished standard. Until it's ratified, then there's a strong possibility that current "54g" products will not work correctly with "proper" .11g prodycts.

Although the .11g standard says that .11g and .11b should be able to interoperate, the same is not true for .11a

.11a uses 5GHz range, .11b and .11g use the 2.4GHz range (although they use different encoding).

You will be able to buy tripple channel AP's (access points) and NICS in the future (but the radio part of the design is a nightmare).

Once again - my professional opinion is to avoid any "54g" or pre-release 802.11g products until the 802.11g standard is ratified.

Even ChrisTTopher from that dodgy Cisco company Â agrees with me.
Anyway - don't buy Cisco Â  Â


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## jonhaff (May 20, 2002)

hummm..
If I wasnt planning on expanding and I only have one access point and one PC and it all works on the units (i was about to get) then whats the problem?

Sorry I m a non tecky on this stuff.


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

the problem is that is there's a "proper" .11g or a .11b transmitter within range then your performance could be comprimised, the other person's performance could be compromised... worst case, when both systems are on... nothing would work!!

Because both .11g and .11b use 2.4GHz, one appears to the other as interferance unless it knows how to deal with it properly.

Using a different channel would improve things... but you could forever be changing channel as other diferent networks come on and off line Â :-/


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## jonhaff (May 20, 2002)

thanks... it now makes sense!!


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## sam (May 7, 2002)

I agree about the dangers of using draft 802.11g products (any draft product) but if we all waited for standards to be approved, we'd still be using 1200/300 baud modems (or psosibly two tin cans and some wet string).

Many of today's stadards came from what was common practice rather than someone sitting down and defining from first principles.

If something is for home use, I wouldn't worry too much.

Sam


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

Hmm - not too sure I agree with you!
Standards are needed so that 2 different manufacturers products will interoperate correctly.
If we were not talking about wireless then I would agree with you - get pre-standard products from the same manufacturer and you'll be fine.

However we are talking wireless products here - products that could at some point start to interfer with your neighbors wireless products.
It doesn't matter if it's home or office, you're playing in the wireless space where there's no way that you can say "my new pre-standard product will never communicate with other pre-standard or post-standard products"

As always, it's upto the purchaser... however, as I read in a recent report on .11g... "The manufacturers all know what 'draft' means, make sure you(the purchaser) also do."


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## sam (May 7, 2002)

I take your point about interferance with others, you're right. There is a risk and it may not work now or in the future.

However, if the draft standard is being used by all current manufacturers, isn't it a standard already? I assume that all current kit is to the same (draft) standard and therefore at the moment you're safe to use the kit anywhere with any other kit? In effect 11g is standard (albeit in draft).

Does this make sense?

Sorry for making this such a dull thread.


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

Not dull - I love this stuff  (others do find it dull though :-/ )

OK, Broadcom brought out their rangge of draft .11g products a couple of months ago and used the marketing name "54G".
To my knowledge, 54G products are currently on draft 5 of the .11g standard... the latest draft from the IEEE 802.11 sub-comittee is 6.1.
Now, Broadcom are releaseing updated drivers for their "54G" chipsets to the manufacturers of the equipment, but we, the consumers, have to wait for the manufacturers in rebuild the products firmware with the new drivers, and test... and maybe fix code to work with the new drivers.
There are 2 other manufacturers of .11g chipsets - neither of which have released them to the market, they appear to be waiting until the standard is released, or at least until it stops changing so much!

There is also a risk that to upgrade a "54G" product to a ratified 802.11g product may require more than just a firmware change.. there's a (slim) possibility that new hardware may be needed. Of the manufacturers that are shipping "54G" products, I don't think any are providing a warranty that they will replace it free of charge with a .11g hardware if required :-/


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## sam (May 7, 2002)

Broadcom - do they make end user products or chip sets?

I have on order an Apple powerbook which comes with 802.11g which will work with my Apple Airport using 802.11b. I assume that the powerbook 802.11b will be ok even if the 11g gets changed?

I plan to get the upgraded 11g Apple Airport once the powerbook arrives which will work (according to Apple). As I live in the middle of nowhere with no adjacent neighbours and have granite (rf barrier) walls, I should be ok.


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## sam (May 7, 2002)

KevinST,

Just re-read your last post and see you've answered my question doh!

Sam


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

Broadcom just do the chipsets. They then sell to manufacturers who develop products using the chipsets and associated drivers.

It may be worth talking to Apple and asking if they will upgrade the internal draft 802.11g NIC to ratified 802.11g for free... even if it requires new hardware?
If your plan is to get a .11g AP later (after the 802.11g standard is approved)... there's a chance that your pre-standard laptop will have problems with the post-standard AP :-/
I would suggest that you get the AP now - that way at least both laptop and AP should be compatible.


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