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"Should I use a Wireless Access Point?"

I think I posted needing knowledge of Wireless Networking before, but its now confirmed and I am moving into the future and getting broadband... I took my time.

Anyway, I was going to use a PCI Wireless Card and a wireless PCMIA Card to link my Desktop on XP Pro to my laptop on Home.

I found a Linsys Wireless Access Point:
http://www.ebuyer.com/ customer/products/index.html?action= c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292 ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=37480

And I will use this PCMIA:
http://www.ebuyer.com/ customer/products/index.html? action=c2hvd19wcm9 kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid= 50840

(If the links dont work, remove the spaces I had to put in.)

Basically, what I want to know is:
1. is a WAP better than just having a PCI Card linking to a PCMIA?
2. do I still have to set-up an adhoc network? Or will using a WAP mean I need a different sort of network set-up?
3. Will using Netgear and Linksys together cause any problems?
4. The WAP has a range of 1500ft apparantly. If I get a m8 with the same WAP, what sort of pings can I get playing him? He's about 100metres (330ft) away?

Thanks in advance for any help. Me = totally networking noobie and I'd rather hear info from experienced people than just general overviews of stuff off google :D.

Thanks again.


Dan.

I think I posted needing knowledge of Wireless Networking before, but its now confirmed and I am moving into the future and getting broadband... I took my time.

Anyway, I was going to use a PCI Wireless Card and a wireless PCMIA Card to link my Desktop on XP Pro to my laptop on Home.

I found a Linsys Wireless Access Point:
http://www.ebuyer.com/ customer/products/index.html?action= c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292 ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=37480

And I will use this PCMIA:
http://www.ebuyer.com/ customer/products/index.html? action=c2hvd19wcm9 kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid= 50840

(If the links dont work, remove the spaces I had to put in.)

Basically, what I want to know is:
1. is a WAP better than just having a PCI Card linking to a PCMIA?
2. do I still have to set-up an adhoc network? Or will using a WAP mean I need a different sort of network set-up?
3. Will using Netgear and Linksys together cause any problems?
4. The WAP has a range of 1500ft apparantly. If I get a m8 with the same WAP, what sort of pings can I get playing him? He's about 100metres (330ft) away?

Thanks in advance for any help. Me = totally networking noobie and I'd rather hear info from experienced people than just general overviews of stuff off google :D.

Thanks again.


Dan.

Ok, I just found this:
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=435&scid=36
So It does work like a PCI card, but still, is it better?

A wireless access point is used to connect multiple wireless enabled units, be it PCs, laptops, Xboxes, PDAs etc all to the one network connection. Now this would likely mean plugging the access point into a router.

Now you can run an ad-hoc connection between two PC's, this can be via a PCI card in a desktop, or a PCMCIA card in a laptop, or a USB dongle in either. But for this to work you need to have the broadband connected to one of the computers (say the desktop) and then have that one on whilst you use the internet on the other.

This would mean that you have to have the desktop online so you can access anything online via the laptop. This always happens in ad-hoc networks.

The simpler version would be to get this:
[URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=56082[/URL] or any other router. This would render the ADSL modem obsolete, assuming it is ADSL you get and not cable. A plain wireless router without an ADSL modem built into it much cheaper, this is what you would need with a cable broadband connection.
[URL]http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=60572[/URL]

Taking your links in turn: the first one in your original post is not a wireless access point, access points stand alone as part of a network and are not needed to be connected to a computer to operate. What it was, was simply a USB dongle, it works to connect a PC to a wireless network, in the same way that link 2, a PCMCIA wireless card does. Using these two together however would allow you to create an ad-hoc network.

As for the range, it might work it might not. Google the thing and see if you can find a review that anywhere near remotely backs up those sort of claims. It just does the job of an internal PCI wireless card.

Theoretically if you got a wireless router with long enough range, theoretically your mate could use your broadband. However real life conditions are somewhat different.

Any other questions?

Thanks for your time buddy, you've been a great help.

I dont want to have to share the broadband with my m8, but play LAN Games of Battlefield Vietnam and UT2004 with him, so theoretically what sort of a ping mite I get?


Dan.

?

I genuinely don't know what sort of ping times you would get. I don't currently have my wireless network set up to even test it for you.

A quick google search throws up something in the range of 50ms on average.

wow, beats 56k... thats virtually no lag at all :D. Mite have to seriously consider this... 5 ppl across a town estate using the same Linksys thingy would be a laff.

danieldone wrote:
> wow, beats 56k... thats virtually no lag at all :D. Mite have to
> seriously consider this... 5 ppl across a town estate using the same
> Linksys thingy would be a laff.

You'd get a lot more than 5 if you didn't restrict MAC addresses...

Seriously though, I don't expect the wireless signal to be useable much outside your house. However, you can just take your laptop down his house and try it out beforehand.

Also, I would strongly advise you to get some kind of router liek wot NB linked you to. Having all your traffic routed via a dedicated PC is inefficient and a security nightmare.

suppose so, and I will get a router in the near future. I would get one now, but I am restricted by something called money which I have none of.