Wireless Router - Advice

[Matt the Shrimp]

Folks,

I was thinking of buying a Wireless Router for my lap-top at home. Do the computer sages of SZ - and there are many of you - have any tips for me...? Do's & dont's, any brands to recommend, what should I be looking for and how much should it cost...?

All recommendations gratefully received.

Thanks all,

Matt

 

[TrueBlue]

Decent one - Netgear
Cheap one (but will do the job) Belkin

 

[Napster]

Don't use it for banking - security is a massive issue.

 

[Yer Blues]

Don't use it for banking - security is a massive issue.

have you seen " the real hustle too?" :)

 

[osymandus]

I actually wouldnt bother with wirless anymore . go for these
(http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/st...gory_oid=-32721&fm=13&sm=1&tm=4&show_all=true)
Just dont buy it from PC world .

You already have plugs , its faster and more secure the wireless (theres a 200meg solution as well). Plus there are otehr variants that have 4 port hubs on them

A nice winner :D

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

I actually wouldnt bother with wirless anymore . go for these
(http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/st...gory_oid=-32721&fm=13&sm=1&tm=4&show_all=true)
Just dont buy it from PC world .

You already have plugs , its faster and more secure the wireless (theres a 200meg solution as well). Plus there are otehr variants that have 4 port hubs on them

A nice winner :D

Thats me sold. Where do you recommend getting one?

 

[Winkle]

Folks,

I was thinking of buying a Wireless Router for my lap-top at home. Do the computer sages of SZ - and there are many of you - have any tips for me...? Do's & dont's, any brands to recommend, what should I be looking for and how much should it cost...?

All recommendations gratefully received.

Thanks all,

Matt

If its one thing thats given me more headaches than a root canal its wireless networking. For some unknown reason everything can be hunky dory and then Mars alines itself with Venus which means that my router doesn't work any more.............. its a minefield, and only a insane man would dabble in it!

 

[Winkle]

Thats me sold. Where do you recommend getting one?

Sounds right up my alley, going find out some more info.

 

[Jay_Shrimper]

I've had a netgear router for just a little over a year and I've not had any problems with it; what so ever.

The main thingy is connected to PC 1 which sends signals out to PC 2 and the laptop! :D

It's wicked.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

All this PC1 and PC2 business is confusing me. I only have one computer. All I want to do is be able to connect to the internet. I have had to relocate my PC to bit in the house which doesn't have a phone line near it, but does have a couple of free plug sockets. I am currently running a phone extension lead from a socket to my PC and don't really want to have to start drilling holes through walls and putting wires under carpet.

All I want to know is will this connect me to the internet without the need for a phone line and without having to go all wi-fi crazy. Is it really just a case of putting a plug in?

 

[Winkle]

All I want to know is will this connect me to the internet without the need for a phone line and without having to go all wi-fi crazy. Is it really just a case of putting a plug in?[/QUOTE]

If Mars is inline with Venus it will, but if Mercury is drifting towards Saturn you will be lost up Uranus!

 

[BlueJ]

Thats me sold. Where do you recommend getting one?

I've got a set of these and they're great little gadgets!! One of the leading UK companies who specialise in this field are based in Vanguard Way, Shoebury - website http://www.homeplugs.co.uk. If you live locally they'll probably even drop them off to you!

 

[South Bank Hank]

Don't use it for banking - security is a massive issue.

I've been using Belkin for years on our laptops and computer at home and was about to recommend them. When the router packed up about a year ago, not only did Belkin replace it (lifetime guarantee) but they upgraded it to the latest model for free.

Having read Napster's post above though, I'm really scared now!

:cry:

 

[Vange Shrimper]

I've been using Belkin for years on our laptops and computer at home and was about to recommend them. When the router packed up about a year ago, not only did Belkin replace it (lifetime guarantee) but they upgraded it to the latest model for free.

Having read Napster's post above though, I'm really scared now!

:cry:

It's only more of an issue if you dont secure the thing in the first place.

Make sure you put encryption onto it and also a network key. Make the password as unusual as possible so that cuts down the risk of people guessing it. But obv one that you'll remember :D

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

I've got a set of these and they're great little gadgets!! One of the leading UK companies who specialise in this field are based in Vanguard Way, Shoebury - website http://www.homeplugs.co.uk. If you live locally they'll probably even drop them off to you!

Folks, thanks for all the tips. Great stuff!

I don't do an awful lot of on-line banking, if truth be told... I still tend to do mine over the phone. Very old fashioned of me, I know - but I rather like speaking to people.

I've heard stuff about the power-socket / internet thingy, and they sound very good to me. Presumably, they also get around the wireless router / security problem as well, is that right?

From the looks of the Homeplugs website, you need to get two of their plugs to make the system work - i.e. the cheapest package you can get is £68.86 inc VAT. Is that also the case with this one, on the PC World site - or does their £43.54 price include the adaptors at both ends that you need to make the system work...?!

Yours, in luddite-ness,

Matt

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

its faster and more secure the wireless (theres a 200meg solution as well). Plus there are otehr variants that have 4 port hubs on them

I will be interested to meet the person who has 200Mb internet connection at their home. :;):

These devices from my experience need to have their own power socket and not one from an extension lead. Great little things that I put in a mate of mines a few years ago. I am surprised they have taken so long to come into the publics awareness.

Naps - are you just trying to scaremonger again. If people know how to secure they connection and use the right level of encryption then wi-fi is secure enough.

The following steps can help

1. Use the strongest encryption level. (Not WEP)
2. Do not broadcast your SSID
3. Restrict access to certain MAC addresses
4. Do not use DHCP

 

[BlueJ]

Folks, thanks for all the tips. Great stuff!

I don't do an awful lot of on-line banking, if truth be told... I still tend to do mine over the phone. Very old fashioned of me, I know - but I rather like speaking to people.

I've heard stuff about the power-socket / internet thingy, and they sound very good to me. Presumably, they also get around the wireless router / security problem as well, is that right?

From the looks of the Homeplugs website, you need to get two of their plugs to make the system work - i.e. the cheapest package you can get is £68.86 inc VAT. Is that also the case with this one, on the PC World site - or does their £43.54 price include the adaptors at both ends that you need to make the system work...?!

Yours, in luddite-ness,

Matt

Basically u need a router already - im using the BT home hub atm which obv has the wireless capacity as well, but ive found these plugs are a lot more reliable. Just bung an ethernet cable from ur router into a home plug at one socket, then plug another homeplug into a second socket near to ur additional computer (or games console, PVR, etc.) and run a second ethernet cable to that device (with netgear i think u get a 2m cable anyway but u can pick them up really cheap). Great thing about those netgear ones are they have four ethernet ports on each!!! Only thing that can really go wrong is if you have more than one electrical loop in ur home, in which case data can only be transmitted to devices on the same loop. Also, it might not work if u try and put the homeplug into an extension socket, having said that mine are setup like that and they work fine.

And a little bit of additional info for you, apparently BT are looking into supplying homeplugs for use with their BT vision service in the future. Data tranfer speeds for those ones on PC world are currently 85 mb/s although it is claimed that the 200 mb/s are required for transmitting HD TV through broadband.

Looks like the PC world option is for a single plug, so I'm guessin the homeplugs.co.uk deal is better. If uve got the front call both companies up and try and haggle - no harm in tryin!!

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Cheers TPS. Good point about separate electrical circuits... I think, however, all mine run off one ring main, so I should be OK.

Just to clarify your point about Routers... I have got a broadband modem, which I presumed I would simply leave as it is, and plug it into one of these socket router thingys. Is that right?

Finally, Andee... I need to speak to you about security!

:eek:

Matt

 

[Durera]

Cheers TPS. Good point about separate electrical circuits... I think, however, all mine run off one ring main, so I should be OK.

Ignorance here, but how's that work in flats?!

 

[osymandus]

I will be interested to meet the person who has 200Mb internet connection at their home. :;):

These devices from my experience need to have their own power socket and not one from an extension lead. Great little things that I put in a mate of mines a few years ago. I am surprised they have taken so long to come into the publics awareness.

Naps - are you just trying to scaremonger again. If people know how to secure they connection and use the right level of encryption then wi-fi is secure enough.

The following steps can help

1. Use the strongest encryption level. (Not WEP)
2. Do not broadcast your SSID
3. Restrict access to certain MAC addresses
4. Do not use DHCP

You mean a 200 Megabit conection running on Cat 6 to 1Gb Nic's . Nah would never happen (ok maybe 125 ;) ) , allowing massive bandwidth for anything you like to stream in your house ;)

I agree completly on the above , however its the performance issue really , most will peek out (wifi) at 50 (if your lucky).

I also know a few peopleruuning the power one via extention bars (845ones i believe ) and they've managed around 70 ). 1 server and 4 nodes so not bad.

The seperate ring could just be overcome with a switch in teh middle couldnt it ?