| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Behemoth |
Advice Wanted - Wireless BroadbandMy OH has got NTL coming on Friday to install Broadband. The PC is in the attic and I don't want wires trailing up the house if I can avoid it, especially those installed by NTL who take the quickest most direct route with little regard for appearances.What do you have to do to go wireless? |
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| sean |
Won't they just drill through the outside wall wherever appropriate? That's what Telewest did on our last house | ||
| Behemoth |
Don't know - we've already got cable and phones from them so I'm assuming it's coming down the same 'line' and something will be needed to connect the cable box to the computer. However the cable box is on the ground floor and the PC is on the second. In between is lots of new plaster and lovingly restored original Victorian features, plus carpets and furniture. I want to keep a stranger with a staple gun away from these if I can. | ||
| tahir |
HGard wired connections are definitely my preferred option, haven't got great experience of wireless | ||
| tahir |
In that case you need to go wireless, someone on here MUST know about the stuff. | ||
| jema |
Wired Luddite myself. Never used wireless ever 
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| nora |
I have got a wireless laptop and it works by a wireless router being plugged into the phone line and the laptop can be used anywhere in the house. Is that what you were meaning? | ||
| dougal |
Dunno about the cable/NTL side at all.
But I believe their "modem" connects via twisted pair ethernet. There are *routers* made that take that connection and share it with wired *and* wireless machines. Such would likely cost around £70... You might find a wireless-only one a bit cheaper. Since you are thinking of going UP two floors, its probably a good idea to look for something that could - if required - take an external aerial or 'antenna' as the yanks like to say. Most 'omnidirectional' aerials will ordinarily give principally horizontal coverage (unless you hang it on the wall!) The router will also provide the various security features that you really need. It ought to have a configurable firewall, for protection from the internet. That apart its about protecting the wireless side. It really ought to do encryption of the network traffic. (WEP is not very secure, WPA is much better) It could limit connection to only specified machines (but that doesn't prevent eavesdropping). It could hide your network name - which does hinder eavesdropping. And you need a wireless interface for your computer. Some laptops have it built in. Otherwise it can be added as a usb 'plug' or a PC card... Mains machines can use the usb ones too. But you will get a longer aerial (and hopefully better signal) by using a card that goes into a PCI slot... Have a look here http://www.dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=1&sec=1 D-Link are a pretty repectable, established, specialist networking company. They are not the cheapest, but then they are rather cheaper than Cisco stuff... |
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| Jonnyboy |
Wireless router connected to your broadband link, and a wireless card for your PC.
Make sure you have a secure network or your neighbours will be piggybacking on your connection for free. |
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| jocorless |
I have wireless and so does a number of the bods in my office
I use a Vigor Draytek Wireless Router but the preferred option seems to be NetGear. As you are on Cable its a little different - you need a cable dsl router make sure it has a built in firewall and router with it - also make sure its the 802.11g standard NOT and 802.11b as that is an older slower standard This one looks more or less what you need http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=107538 Then of course you need the wireless cards for laptops and computers - I use a Belkin internal wireless card in my PC - very cheap on Ebay but again look for an 11g variety Only thing to watch out is that you may find that the signal is a bit flaky depending on the thickness of your walls but until you get one you can't test that - However at the end of the day all wireless routers usually come with 4 or so wired ports If you go down the wireless route make sure you hide the network name and turn on WEP - this prevents people from jumping onto your network - the instructions how to do this should come with the router I wouldn't swop my wireless LAN for a Wired one again even if its still not perfect Joanne |
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| jocorless |
BTW that lot exhausted my entire knowledge of Wireless
Joanne 
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| Lozzie |
We have hard-wired broadband but our Chinese exchange student was delighted to discover that apparantly, we also have a wireless system working in our house.
 Uh??
As far as we can figure out, she is picking up OUR NEIGHBOUR'S "signal" (or whatever it is) with her wireless-capable machine. If you have such a thing, and neighbours living close by, you could just try connecting wirelessly (is that a WORD?) and see what happens ... |
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| dougal |
I'd like to stress that *WEP* is nowhere near as secure as it was intended to be. That's why *WPA* was developed. You *should* look for a router (and wireless computer interface) that will handle *WPA* not just WEP. Jo, I note that your shop also offer this http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=107948 which does have WEP. The use of an external directional aerial seems possible. These days you'll have difficulty buying 11b stuff new - its all 11g. (But on eBay of course you'd need to watch out.) BTW the limiting of network access to specified computers uses the MAC number (a long unique serial number on all network interfaces) to identify the "whitelist". (But this is only about stopping neighbours using your connection - as distinct from 'listening in'. |
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| jocorless |
hmmm - So turning on WPA means adding in a white list of MAC addresses
I had enough trouble turning on WEP 
*Off to go and have a look at the Draytek website Joanne |
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| dougal |
NO NO ! They are different things. Protecting against different dangers! |
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| portwayfarm |
Can confirm and agree with all the above so no point giving out same info. We use Telewest for Broadband love it on phone and internet at sametime. Have a wireless house using an Airport as we have Macs. Netgear are quite good as well. Ours are plugged in on the landing upstairs there is a little gap under one of the beams that they fit in nicely and that gives them a central location and keeps them out of the way.
Once you have it you will never go back having the facility to be out in your garden and on the laptop is excellent. Much more family friendly. |
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| dougal |
Whitelist allows only those computers to use the network - prevents neighbours using your connection.
WPA (and the intention of WEP) is to make sure any "listener" can't make sense of their evesdroppings... Totally separate. Both worthwhile. |
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| jocorless |
Ahhh sorry its been a long day 
I've jsut had a look at the Vigor website and am now wondering why I didn't set up WPA in the first place - possibly cos I hadn't a clue what it was So I'll be changing it over to WPA in the next few days Joanne |
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| michael |
Re: Advice Wanted - Wireless Broadband
That sounds like the setup we have. When we moved house, I organised with NTL to re-install a cable-TV and cable-modem broadband connection, and wanted to put most of my computers in the attic out of the way. We live in a terraced house that had been re-wired (badly) about 20 years ago, and so there was a reasonably easy way to push the cable up through the inside of the house, to the first floor. Getting from the first floor into the attic was much harder, if your other half hates dust and mess then suggest he/she goes shopping for this bit. The nice man from NTL would not install the cable through the ceiling, but he did make a very long cable, more than long enough to reach comfortably into the attic, and after plugging it into the modem to check everything was working, he left me to install the cable neatly. This setup works fine for me, because I have a computer as a network server and router, and it was reasonably easy to install network cables (structured cabling) throughout the house, all meeting up at a network switch in the attic, and providing network connectivity to computers in any room in the house. I have since installed a wireless access point, which gives wireless access throughout the house and garden, and probably to the surrounding houses too.
I really recommend NTL cable-modem broadband, because (apart from today!) it has been very, very reliable. There was an "issue" with my account that meant we were disconnected for a few hours, but very friendly and helpful people at NTL sorted out the problem.  We have been very happy NTL broadband users for four or five years now, having upgraded from the free dial-up service. (Anyone remember that?)
I don't have much experience with wireless. Installing wires may be the most difficult to begin with, but if installed properly and professionally, they will give trouble-free connectivity for many years, and it is definitely my preferred option. There will be no issues with interference or eavesdropping, and as technology improves you can install faster equipment to transfer data faster, or use structured cabling to carry tv, video, cctv, burglar alarm, or telephone. Wireless networking will never be as fast or trouble-free as a wired connection, but is very convenient when you've set it up successfully and it works properly. Sorry if this is a bit long winded. 
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| Behemoth |
Thanks for all the advice - my OH has called off NTL while we work out the best way to do it. I'm not too woried about our the neighbours, the immediate ones who would be in range are OK. We're probably going to call our mate who built the computer, give him a couple of bottles of wine and leave it to him.
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| Behemoth |
Well we got it done - relatively straight forward in theory.
First I bought my wireles router and card for the PC from CCL for about £50. NTL Broadband monkies arrive - big sighs when we say the computer's in the attic. Slightly cheer when we say we've got wireless. They spend exatly 2 mins (OH timed them) in the house fiddling with the box and then leave. Get my techy mate to install the router and card as the instructions were useless seemed to be based on the premise that you'd done it before and intimate knowledge of WAN/LAN networks really is how you get your jollies. Broad band works. Cable TV now has lost channels 1-4, other channels self select at random. Complain to NTL who promise to send an engineer two days later. Broadband stops working. TV still off. Complain to NTL who say they'll have to send an engineer for that as well. First Engineer fails to trun up. Apologetic NTL call saying he's gone AWOL, isn't answering his phone and hasn't logged any of his jobs as being done all day. Reschedule. Have to Reschedule the reshcedule as OH has to go to work. Engineer turns up on time -says he'll do both - very efficient and critical of the contractors they've got doing the installations, he visiting lots of people. Re installs the Broadband turns out they hadn't 'tuned' it properly and had used the wrong connector. Looks at the Cable TV and finds that hasn't been tuned properly and this explains the lack of intractive facilities which we had mentioned when calling on other matters several times. I had come to the conclusion that interactive tv was a waste of time. Now it works I still think this. 6 days later it all works just in time to see Newcastle get beat by Man U. Great. |