# Networking PCs - Help Needed



## garvin (May 7, 2002)

This forum is full of IT experts so can someone help me with some advice please.

I want to implement a very simple point-to-point wireless 'network' (bit of a grandious description) at home between a PC upstairs and a PC downstairs. At the moment both run Windows Me at an identical standard.

I am not looking for the most 'whizzo' data transfer rates, although not too pedestrian, but would like simple file sharing and be able to share printers, scanners and the like. In other words I would like to replicate a serial port to serial port hardwired system but wirelessly.

I have looked at network PCI adaptor cards (I have spare PCI slots in both PCs) and also these new USB adaptors. Will they work point-to-point or is some additional hardware required. At the moment I have no plans to put anymore PCs on such a network ......... but then again !!

Any help/advice gratefully received.

TIA


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## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Easiest thing to do is go buy a wireless networking kit - you will get all you need in the pack


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## phil (May 7, 2002)

> Easiest thing to do is go buy a wireless networking kit - you will get all you need in the pack


I'd check the prices before going for a kit. I'm looking myself and they're a bit steep. 
As far as I can tell, you just need two adapters. Bear in mind when you're looking that a lot of the PCI ones require you to plug a PCMCIA card into them (they're basically just a PCI to PCMCIA adapter).


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## garvin (May 7, 2002)

Thanks for responding Guys - I have looked at the kits but they look horribly expensive for what I want to do. You can get PCI network adaptor cards (and I take the warning about the PCMCIA 'add-on' cards) and the new USB adaptors for about Â£40 a piece, so for Â£80 for two it looked quite good - I just want to know if this is all I need or will I find I need an additional hub of some description?


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## David_A (May 7, 2002)

First question - can you run a cable between the two PC's or do you require a wireless connection?

Dave


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## garvin (May 7, 2002)

> First question - can you run a cable between the two PC's or do you require a wireless connection?


It is a long and tortuous route to run a cable between them, plus I want to 'future proof' against moving the specific locations of the PCs. Therefore, I do really want a wireless connection.


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## David_A (May 7, 2002)

I reckon you will need to buy a couple of PCI wireless cards - someone else on here can reccomend some.

I'm not sure if they can talk to each other or if they need a "hub" to talk through. If they do you may want to consider a linksys router (i have one!!) and this particular one will allow you to connect via DSL line etc to the internet and connect via cable as well as wireless into your network.

Bad news is if you need the router - its around Â£100 and the cards around Â£50ea, but its future proof etc

Dave


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

Buy USB 802.11b adapters. Why USB?? having the wireless via USB allows you to place the ariel in the best location, if you use a PCI then the ariel is going to be on the back of your PC, close to lots of (electrically) noisy components.
Actually, USB adapters normally give better performance than PCMCIA cards do!

Once you have them connected, configure them in "ad-hoc" mode witht he same SSID and 128bit WEP (use the same keys on both machines), give each PC a IP address in the same subnet (suggest 192.168.0.100 and 192.168.0.101 with a 255.255.255.0 subnet) and enable file sharing on each machine.


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## garvin (May 7, 2002)

Thanks Kev,

I must say that I was drawn to the USB option cos its a damn sight easier connecting them up ........ click, click and it's done (apart from the drivers and set up of course). However, they now have these USB 'stub' adapters (e.g. Comet Labs Bluetooth USB Adapter or Corega USB Stick-11) which just 'stick out' of the USB port, some with a flick up antenna. I take it you don't recommend this type, rather the wired version that sits on the desktop well out of the way of 'noise'?

Anyone with any experience of such adapters care to comment?


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

I've tried both the little stub ones and the bigger seperate boxes - I've always found the performance of the seperate boxes to be better - better Rx sensitivity.


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## phil (May 7, 2002)

I'm planning on a USB one for my gateway PC, but I don't think I'd want a USB one hanging off the laptop.


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## Dubcat (Jun 10, 2002)

AFAIK you are still going to need a wireless access point. Â This is the equivelant of a switch or a hub. Â I don't think two wireless NIC's can talk directly to each other can they? Â Looking for validation from someone here guys 

If no one responds I'll ask someone clever - chrisTTopher probably knows.


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## kce821tt (May 17, 2002)

You'll still need a wireless access point, and don't forget to change the default password, otherwise that dodgy looking guy with a laptop sitting outside your house in a TT may be able to use your bandwidth/steal your bank account details/hack into your computer(s).(WEP isn't totally safe)
In my personal view, I feel it is safer to have a hardwired network, hence the Netgear DG814 I bought, but if wireless is the only option, then so be it, and in today's society, most people will probably go this route - although wireless adapter cards are much more expensive than 10/100 ethernet cards, and there's always that personal verses company expense thing if the company doesn't have wireless networking.


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

No you don't need a wireless accesspoint to communicate between 2 or more PCs.
802.11b has 2 modes: 
*infrastructure*; the PC communicates with an accesspoint.
*ad-hoc*; PC's communicate directly with each other on a peer-to-peer system. Upto 32 PC's can be on the same ad-hoc network, but they all share the same 11M (theoretical) bandwidth... it's not fast!
2 or 3 PC's connected together via ad-hoc is fine.


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## phil (May 7, 2002)

> No you don't need a wireless accesspoint to communicate between 2 or more PCs.
> 802.11b has 2 modes:
> *infrastructure*; the PC communicates with an accesspoint.
> *ad-hoc*; PC's communicate directly with each other on a peer-to-peer system. Upto 32 PC's can be on the same ad-hoc network, but they all share the same 11M (theoretical) bandwidth... it's not fast!
> 2 or 3 PC's connected together via ad-hoc is fine.


I take it you're talking about 11M cards Kevin. This will double if you use 22 M cards, right? Or does the 22 split for send/receive?


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

I'm talking about 802.11b and 802.11g standards.
22M isn't a standard, but a modification of the 802.11b standard by a couple of manufacturers, however I believe the same is correct... all the PC's on the ad-hoc network will share the same bandwidth.

Actually, this is also true of infrastructure mode as well, all PC's and the AP share the same 11M bandwidsth as they are all sharing the same channel, that's why if you have more than one AP they should be on different channels.


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## Mike_G (May 27, 2002)

I've been considering the same thing.

I want to distribute broadband around the house (well to my PC/xbox/laptop) - Is it feasable with a wireless card for each and an access point ? (so cost will be (~3xÂ£50 +1*Â£70 =~Â£220)

Is there a significant downside to this type of setup, especially the 'sharing' of the Broadband modem? or special SW requirements ?

Thanks in advance,

Mike


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## garvin (May 7, 2002)

Thanks to all who responded, especially Kev. Two 802.11b Wireless USB Adapters on order - should be with me on Friday


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## jgoodman00 (May 6, 2002)

> I've been considering the same thing.
> 
> I want to distribute broadband around the house (well to my PC/xbox/laptop) - Is it feasable with a wireless card for each and an access point ? (so cost will be (~3xÂ£50 +1*Â£70 =~Â£220)
> 
> ...


The downside to sharing a connection this way, is that you need the computer which maintains the internet connection running whenever you wish to connect to the internet. This may or may not be a problem.

Routers are pretty cheap, & also provide the added security of a hardware firewall.


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## Mike_G (May 27, 2002)

jgoodman00 - thanks.

Am i correct in describing an access point as being the same thing as a router ? (as you can tell I'm not very techie)

the kit below is what i was looking at (http://security.cclcomputers.co.uk/acatalog/ components\communication\wireless LAN)

D-Link DWL-120 USB 11M Wireless IEEE 802.11b 11Mbps Wireless Ethernet LAN USB Adapter -Online Price Â£47.60 Including VAT at 17.5%

D-Link DWL-900AP+ AirPlus Access Point 
An Access Point that gives 2.4GHz wirelessLAN users fast, secure access to an IEEE 802.11b wireless Local Area Network.
Online Price Â£90.08 Including VAT at 17.5%

Is that All I need ?

Thanks again,

Mike


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## KevinST (May 6, 2002)

An AccessPoint allows wireless PC's to connect to your Wired LAN.
Now, depending on what broadband technology you have (Cable or DSL) and what sort of existing equipment you already have, will define what "router" you need.

So...
If you have cable, and already have a cable modem with ethernet out then you could get a gateway device that has wireless, e.g. 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless Cable/DSL Gateway, the LinkSys BEFW11S4 or the Netgear MR314.

If you have DSL then you'll need something with a DSL modem built in... e.g. the Netgear DG824M.

All of these products will give you internet sharing capabilities by acting as the "router" between all your wired and wireless PC's and the internet.


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## Mike_G (May 27, 2002)

KevinST,

Many Thanks,

Mike


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