OK, You've got your broadband connection, now what do you do? If your house is hooked up with a wired network, you can start plugging in your computers. However, if you are like most people, the choice is stringing cable or going wireless. My preference is wireless. It actually is a lot easier once you give it a try. It also looks better since you do not have to drill and pull wire, or run wire along the baseboards. On top of that, it is much more flexible. Want to move the PC across the room? No problem with wireless.
Here is an article I found on hooking up Wi-fi. Hope it helps!
Wi-fi Wireless Internet Made Simple by Maxwell Z. Rubin
Just what is all this Wi-Fi wireless internet stuff they are trying to confuse and torment me with?
It is actually quite simple, useful and most of all convenient.
All you probably want to do is to share your internet connection throughout your home whether it be to other computers or so that you can sit in your bedroom and wirelessly surf the internet or send email. Perhaps as well you wish to share files such as songs throughout the computers in your house, apartment or condo.
Don't let them confuse with all this alphabet soup - b , g , a , 11 megabytes , 54 , 108.
To begin with most any of the systems are beyond overkill. All will go faster than the even high speed broadband internet. Most use the same frequency as the standard cordless phones (2.4 GHz). . Be reassured the phones and the wireless internet in most cases will co- exist and work well with each other.
The most common wireless setups wireless b and g use the frequency most cordless phone use. G wireless internet is sort of a faster b standard. What is important to know is that it is all standardized. B will work with G and G products will work with B. G is said to up to 5 times faster than B that is assuming that you are relatively close. G wireless is very useful primarily if you are sharing large files between computers. For ordinary browsing b wireless is still overkill speed, faster as said than most broadband internet connections. The usual stated range of these wireless products is 300 feet indoors range and 1000 feet outside. The range is basically line of sight. Heavy dense objects - primarily metal, metal doors, metal foil insulation, heavy bricks and pipes and objects such as furnaces, metal filing cabinets will block reception to some degree. As well if the manufacturer makes some ultra high speed claims remember that both the router and wireless network adapters will have to be that brand and that special computer networking hardware feature to work at those high speeds and transmission rates. Remember to that wireless internet transmission speeds fall rapidly with distance.
Wireless internet is basically a radio setup with a transmitter and receivers. The transmitter is a box that plugs into the internet to share your internet connection. This is called a "Router ". . Wireless routers are made by a number of manufactures and the most widely known are the Linksys and D-Link brands. All routers are fairly good now. Tech support may be something to consider for setup ease. Routers are often sold on sale at big box stores as a means of drawing customers who already have at least one computer into their stores. It is reasoned that if a customer wants to buy a router the odds are good that he or she has more than one computer and once in the store will make additional purchases .Perhaps they will be even so fed up with the older computer as the kids have taken use of the newer faster model that the customer will even buy a additional new computer from the store.. The routers that you will find on sale will most likely be the newer g standard routers which will work with your B or G wireless network adapters in your computers.
Secondly you will need a receiver to receive the wireless internet signal at the computer end. You will have several options depending on your setup. If your laptop is a newer model then you may have a wireless "network adapter:" already built into your laptop. If you have an older laptop you can install a PCMCIA wireless network adapter into the credit card sized slot on your laptop. If you have a desktop computer you will have several options. If you have the abilities and are allowed by your warranty to open your computer case then you can install a standard PCI wireless card. The advantage of the PCI cards is that they almost always work, are screwed in so that they cannot be dislodged to stop working. The disadvantage is that the antenna of the card is hidden behind the metal of the computer case limiting reception. Another option is USB wireless adapters. Not only can the USB wireless adapter be installed without opening the case but as well with a USB extension cord the YSB network adapter can be lifted away from the computer to a higher more open place.
Several points on setup to make your life easier. After all networking is often called "Voodoo Science ". First if you are buying both the wireless adapters as well as the router try to buy the same brand, There will be easier setup , perhaps faster speed and tech support will not be able to blame the other vendor's product for setup issues. You can tell tech support even after the return period of the store: "I guess the products are defective and have to be replaced ". There will be no issue of blaming the other vendor's product. Case closed. Secondly most of the routers are setup by a "web based interface ". Some will come with an install disc as wizard. With others you will enter a web address usually 192.168.x.x and a password. To enter this setup interface. The instructions and passwords should be in either your instructional manual or disc that came in the box with your router. If you have a standard cable broadband account then just follow instructions if you have a DSL type of broadband internet connection then you will need the paper the phone company gave you with your internet account name and setup password. The type of connection that you set up in the router for DSL connections is called "POPE" The connection internet connection password is most likely different than your email password. This internet connection password is of very little value to anyone else. If you do not have this information phone your DSL provider tech support.
Next install the wireless adapters. Windows XP has its own wireless utility program installed. With previous versions of windows (Windows 98, 2000 and ME) you will have to install the utility program that the manufacturer provided on the install disk. Most of his install manuals have 2 different sets of instructions - one for Windows XP, the other for the remaining operating systems.
When you setup the router you will be given a choice of whether to turn on the security features so that other people can drive up in front of your house and freeload your internet signals. It is anyone's choice whether they wish to use this feature or not. Believe me there will be no shortage of wireless internet connections for those freeloaders - estimate is 60 %. You can say to yourself if someone wants to waste gas to sit in front of my home to download songs or whatever good for them . If you wish to turn on the scrambling to sign onto your internet it will be in the advanced wireless or wireless security section of your router control panel. There are a number of choices. Most common is a setup called "WEP" (Web Enabled Protection)... This is available in a standard 64 bit or more secure 128 bit WEP settings. 64 bit setup is easier. 128 bit has you enter a long string of characters twice. Lots of fun with mistakes on entering those digits correctly. The easier to use security setup routines will allow an easy to use phrase code generator. For example in the phrase code generator you enter the word Badgerlinux. The number / character code will then be generated that you must enter both the router and wireless adapter ends of your system. WEP is considered by purists not as secure as a newer system called WPA. Not all of the older hardware supports WPA. You may look at it as - if someone in my area can break into my WEP protected wireless system then that is the least of my troubles.
Lastly the biggest problem with wireless internet networks in neighbors. That is right neighbors. It is estimated that 40 % of wireless products are returned to big box stores. There are 12 available channels available in the wireless router settings. For convenience and to aid setup most brands of routers place the default channel of their routers as channel 6 right in the middle of the 12 channels available. It does not take much a signal at all to confuse your wireless adapter. You will see signal strength of your wireless route signal but you will unable to get a solid internet connection. Worse yet this phenomenon of no internet connection may be sporadic. In many cases you will not be able to even spot the culprit in your wireless configuration software. Remarkably wireless internet signals can travel a fair distance and may even appear to come out of nowhere. Worse yet the interference may be on sporadic. And as said it does not take much of a signal at all to leave you with no internet connection.
The answer is simplicity itself. "Change the Channel ". There are 12 available channels in your router setup control panel. The next 2 choices for wireless channel selection are at the 2 ends of the spectrum - channels 1 and 11. However it may simply be a matter of trial and error.
Wireless internet is rather amazing, you can surf the world, download songs, send email and transfer files conveniently at high speed and at some distance away from your internet connection. In addition you do not have to call or pay electrician to string the internet network wiring in your home. And if you wish to move the computers or even move just pickup and make the move.
If in the end you are having troubles on setup do not feel afraid to call tech support. Someone in India or the Philippines will be more than happy to assist you. Remember in the end you have the ultimate threat of all , that is to take your new Wi-Fi wireless products back to your store of purchase.
About the Author
Max Z. Rubin Agricultural Chemist Linux as well as vintage computing http://www.vintagecomputermanuals.com http://www.badgerlinux.net
Broadband Internet Options
The widest use of broadband for residential use is for connecting up to the Internet. Most websites these days are too demanding for a dial-up connection. So a lot of newcomers here are looking for a guide on the terms and options for residential connectivity. Here is an article that covers the different options.
I want to explain further How To Choose The Right Residential Broadband Service by Jon Arld
The first thing you need to know is what is Broadband access? Broadband is defined as any data transmission that exceeds 600 bits per second. There are also residential and commercial versions of broadband and they are very different from each other. This is in terms of price, size and ability and, for the purposes of this article, we will be focusing on residential. For business, even a small business, they are much further ahead with a T1 line, but that is a different story.
There are three primary versions of Broadband Internet access available to the typical residential subscriber. The three kinds of broadband are DSL, cable and satellite. Each has its pluses and minuses and you should be familiar with them because these differences will help you decide which service is best for you and your individual needs.
DSL Digital Subscriber Service
Local and national phone companies offering broadband access offer this service. It accomplished the required data transfer rates by using two separate channels. One channel is used for data and one is used for voice communications. This allows them to push more information through the same size pipe.
The first advantage that most people like is that their phone calls do not interrupt their Internet usage or the other way around also works. You can achieve the higher speeds (128Kbs to 24,000Kbs) that you need to take advantage of most of the offerings on the Internet. The costs are also low, which for some is an advantage. For the best speeds with DSL you need to be within 2Km(1.25 miles) of a central office, beyond that and your speed drops dramatically. DSL is offering by most phone companies (although it is normally the most expensive option) as well as both local and national carriers.
Cable
This is exactly what it is, a coaxial cable of the same variety you use for receiving your cable TV signal. Your local cable company provides this service. Speeds are generally 1.5MB, 3MB and even 5MB in some markets. Your area has to have access to cable service in order for you to be able to have cable Internet service.
This is known as an always on service in that you are always connected and that is a two edged sword. You have instant access to everything that you want and it is a bad thing because the bad guys also have instant access to your system. It is highly recommended that you use a firewall and anti-virus software to protect your system from those that are up to no good.
Satellite
This service is available through companies like DirecTV, Dish Network and Hughes. They provide access to the Internet through both a phone line and a satellite dish. The upload is achieved using a phone line and the download side is through the satellite dish. This will mean longer time to upload files and faster times downloading files.
The advantage to this is that you only need access to a phone line and a satellite subscriber service. This frees you in having service anywhere there is a phone line installed. The disadvantage to this is that, during high wind events or severe storms, you may lose your satellite service and, thus, your Internet access. Also note that many satellite providers will LIMIT how much you can use the system over the month, and when you reach that limit, they will "throttle" your connection down to a much slower speed.
Note that even the top-end satellite systems are not going to be as fast as the majority of DSL or cable options. Also note that some things are not available to you with satellite Internet service, such as the ability to use VOIP phones. VOIP will not work reliably on a satellite connection, simply because of what is called "latency", or the time it takes for the signal to get processed after it goes to the satellite and comes back to earth.
About the Author
Jon is a computer engineer and long-term world traveler who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge and findings. You can read more about DSL and Cable Internet vendors and offerings at his web site at http://www.dsl-cable-inside-info.com
I want to explain further How To Choose The Right Residential Broadband Service by Jon Arld
The first thing you need to know is what is Broadband access? Broadband is defined as any data transmission that exceeds 600 bits per second. There are also residential and commercial versions of broadband and they are very different from each other. This is in terms of price, size and ability and, for the purposes of this article, we will be focusing on residential. For business, even a small business, they are much further ahead with a T1 line, but that is a different story.
There are three primary versions of Broadband Internet access available to the typical residential subscriber. The three kinds of broadband are DSL, cable and satellite. Each has its pluses and minuses and you should be familiar with them because these differences will help you decide which service is best for you and your individual needs.
DSL Digital Subscriber Service
Local and national phone companies offering broadband access offer this service. It accomplished the required data transfer rates by using two separate channels. One channel is used for data and one is used for voice communications. This allows them to push more information through the same size pipe.
The first advantage that most people like is that their phone calls do not interrupt their Internet usage or the other way around also works. You can achieve the higher speeds (128Kbs to 24,000Kbs) that you need to take advantage of most of the offerings on the Internet. The costs are also low, which for some is an advantage. For the best speeds with DSL you need to be within 2Km(1.25 miles) of a central office, beyond that and your speed drops dramatically. DSL is offering by most phone companies (although it is normally the most expensive option) as well as both local and national carriers.
Cable
This is exactly what it is, a coaxial cable of the same variety you use for receiving your cable TV signal. Your local cable company provides this service. Speeds are generally 1.5MB, 3MB and even 5MB in some markets. Your area has to have access to cable service in order for you to be able to have cable Internet service.
This is known as an always on service in that you are always connected and that is a two edged sword. You have instant access to everything that you want and it is a bad thing because the bad guys also have instant access to your system. It is highly recommended that you use a firewall and anti-virus software to protect your system from those that are up to no good.
Satellite
This service is available through companies like DirecTV, Dish Network and Hughes. They provide access to the Internet through both a phone line and a satellite dish. The upload is achieved using a phone line and the download side is through the satellite dish. This will mean longer time to upload files and faster times downloading files.
The advantage to this is that you only need access to a phone line and a satellite subscriber service. This frees you in having service anywhere there is a phone line installed. The disadvantage to this is that, during high wind events or severe storms, you may lose your satellite service and, thus, your Internet access. Also note that many satellite providers will LIMIT how much you can use the system over the month, and when you reach that limit, they will "throttle" your connection down to a much slower speed.
Note that even the top-end satellite systems are not going to be as fast as the majority of DSL or cable options. Also note that some things are not available to you with satellite Internet service, such as the ability to use VOIP phones. VOIP will not work reliably on a satellite connection, simply because of what is called "latency", or the time it takes for the signal to get processed after it goes to the satellite and comes back to earth.
About the Author
Jon is a computer engineer and long-term world traveler who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge and findings. You can read more about DSL and Cable Internet vendors and offerings at his web site at http://www.dsl-cable-inside-info.com
DSL Technology
For the more techie readers of this blog, here is a good article I found on upcoming developments in new DSL Technologies.
Consumer Demand Drives Development of New DSL Technology by Scott Best
With ever growing demand for better and faster access to the internet by consumers, major technology companies are rushing to develop new technologies to meet these demands. But there have been problems along the way.
One of the first problems to be considered in developing new technology is the current infrastructure or currently available equipment on which broadband services are supplied. Most all DSL service in the world travels over standard phone line, which in most cases has been in place for many years. The lines are basically straight copper, in some cases there may be somewhat newer twisted pair copper lines, but none the less still pretty much standard copper telephone wire.
DSL was originally designed to be used over just such lines with the aid of line filtering, and has for the most part done its job very effectively. But with the increase in demand for high speed access, companies are finding it difficult to supply the increases in speed and reliability that consumers are demanding. One of the major limitations of DSL is travel distance. DSL looses speed and reliability the further away from the companies switching or exchange center. At the exchange, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) terminates the DSL circuits and aggregates them, where they are handed off onto other networking transports. Ideally users need to be within 15,000 feet from the DSLAM server, using current copper line technology.
Other transport systems in many cases may well be fiber-optic lines that can handle thousands of times more bandwidth then can standard copper transmission lines. As companies upgrade systems, and more and more DSLAM terminals are supplied with fiber-optic access. DSL service to consumers will get better. The hope is of one day having fiber optic lines in place completely up to consumer use points, or in the home. To have a fiber optic infrastructure in place would open up vastly improved network connection abilities, but it isn't something that will happen any time soon. Upgrading systems will take many years.
In 2004 a technology was developed by Texas Instruments that helped the world leap ahead onto the internet superhighway. The technology called Uni-DSL which means "One DSL for universal service" brought new elements to the world of DSL. Uni-DSL made it possible to add voice and video to data that could be transmitted effectively over a single digital subscriber line. It also helped local companies stream line their services while adding to the effectiveness of DSL service over all. VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol was born of this new technology, as was on demand or live streaming video for the consumer
There are several competing forms of DSL, each adapted to specific needs in the marketplace. Some forms of DSL are widely used standards and some are proprietary. Due to existing infrastructure not all are available in all places. Each standard has its own unique equipment and protocol requirements. ADSL or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is the most common type in use today. Other types include SDSL or Symmetric DSL and VDSL referred to as Very High-Bit-Rate DSL. Both ADSL and VDSL have new technology associated with them that change their nomenclature slightly to ADSL2+ and VDSL2. These two technologies are both in use and are being further developed. Depending on who you talk to, ADSL2+ is the best for users with distances further then 3,000 feet from the DSLAM center and VDSL2 for those in the short run distances.
The focus now seems to be on the upstream side of Broadband access. With more and more people working from home, and more families communicating over the internet, it doesn't take long to realize that although down stream speeds might be great, upstream or uploading information is still not meeting the consumer demand level.
If you have every tried to share a video from a camcorder with family members across the internet, you have probably noticed that it still isn't as easy as you might like. The demand for upstream bandwidth has come to center stage and is a large part of what is driving today's research and development.
But with every change, time is needed for it to filter into point of use. Every new protocol demands change in every aspect of how Broadband access is delivered to the consumer. From the program that needs to be written that will accommodate the new setups, the machinery that handles every aspect of the physical delivery system, to the modem you have that connects your computer to the internet. Everything needs to work together.
What will tomorrow bring for consumers in the way of Broadband access? Only tomorrow will tell. Some believe that we may have reached the limit of speed that can be achieved using existing infrastructure and until new fiber-optic lines are more readily available that speeds won't improve much. Yet new ideas and technology are still being developed to help bring better internet access to the world over existing infrastructure.
Will there be fiber-optic lines in every home soon? Someday, most likely, but not in the very near future. At present it just isn't cost effective for companies to implement the kind of changes needed to upgrade everyone to the latest and greatest types of DSL systems, but slowly as new systems are built and upgrades are made, where possible, fiber-optic cables are being put in place. With each upgrade, with each new system structure built, the goal of fiber-optic lines in every home becomes more of a reality for us all.
So is the DSL connection that you have now as fast as it will get? Today, maybe yes, but most assuredly the future will improve it, and who knows, tomorrow may be the day. More DSL information at http://myfreedomdsl.com
About the Author
Scott Best is a freelance author in association with http://myfreedomdsl.com You can see more of Scott Best's articles in the archive at http://myfreedomdsl.com/newsletters/
Consumer Demand Drives Development of New DSL Technology by Scott Best
With ever growing demand for better and faster access to the internet by consumers, major technology companies are rushing to develop new technologies to meet these demands. But there have been problems along the way.
One of the first problems to be considered in developing new technology is the current infrastructure or currently available equipment on which broadband services are supplied. Most all DSL service in the world travels over standard phone line, which in most cases has been in place for many years. The lines are basically straight copper, in some cases there may be somewhat newer twisted pair copper lines, but none the less still pretty much standard copper telephone wire.
DSL was originally designed to be used over just such lines with the aid of line filtering, and has for the most part done its job very effectively. But with the increase in demand for high speed access, companies are finding it difficult to supply the increases in speed and reliability that consumers are demanding. One of the major limitations of DSL is travel distance. DSL looses speed and reliability the further away from the companies switching or exchange center. At the exchange, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) terminates the DSL circuits and aggregates them, where they are handed off onto other networking transports. Ideally users need to be within 15,000 feet from the DSLAM server, using current copper line technology.
Other transport systems in many cases may well be fiber-optic lines that can handle thousands of times more bandwidth then can standard copper transmission lines. As companies upgrade systems, and more and more DSLAM terminals are supplied with fiber-optic access. DSL service to consumers will get better. The hope is of one day having fiber optic lines in place completely up to consumer use points, or in the home. To have a fiber optic infrastructure in place would open up vastly improved network connection abilities, but it isn't something that will happen any time soon. Upgrading systems will take many years.
In 2004 a technology was developed by Texas Instruments that helped the world leap ahead onto the internet superhighway. The technology called Uni-DSL which means "One DSL for universal service" brought new elements to the world of DSL. Uni-DSL made it possible to add voice and video to data that could be transmitted effectively over a single digital subscriber line. It also helped local companies stream line their services while adding to the effectiveness of DSL service over all. VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol was born of this new technology, as was on demand or live streaming video for the consumer
There are several competing forms of DSL, each adapted to specific needs in the marketplace. Some forms of DSL are widely used standards and some are proprietary. Due to existing infrastructure not all are available in all places. Each standard has its own unique equipment and protocol requirements. ADSL or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is the most common type in use today. Other types include SDSL or Symmetric DSL and VDSL referred to as Very High-Bit-Rate DSL. Both ADSL and VDSL have new technology associated with them that change their nomenclature slightly to ADSL2+ and VDSL2. These two technologies are both in use and are being further developed. Depending on who you talk to, ADSL2+ is the best for users with distances further then 3,000 feet from the DSLAM center and VDSL2 for those in the short run distances.
The focus now seems to be on the upstream side of Broadband access. With more and more people working from home, and more families communicating over the internet, it doesn't take long to realize that although down stream speeds might be great, upstream or uploading information is still not meeting the consumer demand level.
If you have every tried to share a video from a camcorder with family members across the internet, you have probably noticed that it still isn't as easy as you might like. The demand for upstream bandwidth has come to center stage and is a large part of what is driving today's research and development.
But with every change, time is needed for it to filter into point of use. Every new protocol demands change in every aspect of how Broadband access is delivered to the consumer. From the program that needs to be written that will accommodate the new setups, the machinery that handles every aspect of the physical delivery system, to the modem you have that connects your computer to the internet. Everything needs to work together.
What will tomorrow bring for consumers in the way of Broadband access? Only tomorrow will tell. Some believe that we may have reached the limit of speed that can be achieved using existing infrastructure and until new fiber-optic lines are more readily available that speeds won't improve much. Yet new ideas and technology are still being developed to help bring better internet access to the world over existing infrastructure.
Will there be fiber-optic lines in every home soon? Someday, most likely, but not in the very near future. At present it just isn't cost effective for companies to implement the kind of changes needed to upgrade everyone to the latest and greatest types of DSL systems, but slowly as new systems are built and upgrades are made, where possible, fiber-optic cables are being put in place. With each upgrade, with each new system structure built, the goal of fiber-optic lines in every home becomes more of a reality for us all.
So is the DSL connection that you have now as fast as it will get? Today, maybe yes, but most assuredly the future will improve it, and who knows, tomorrow may be the day. More DSL information at http://myfreedomdsl.com
About the Author
Scott Best is a freelance author in association with http://myfreedomdsl.com You can see more of Scott Best's articles in the archive at http://myfreedomdsl.com/newsletters/
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