wireless networking

i have a ntl cable modem connection and my housemate wants access to it to check her emails. she has a computer upstairs

as far as i can see, all i need is
a wireless router:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=51436

and a wireless lan card for her pc.
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/prod...2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=64618

if anyones got any better (or hopefully cheaper) solutions please tell me or if i've got the wrong end of the proverbial stick here

cheers

 

rory,
you've chosen a wireless 'b' router there which is the slower standard. it's pretty cheap for a wireless router but you are paying for what you are getting. if you can afford it go for one with at least wireless 'g' and also (at extra cost of course) one with a built in hardware firewall.
you also may want to look into just going for a crossover cable and letting windoze do the connection sharing (assuming you both run xp) of course you'll need to run a cable but it will cost about 20 quid for the cable and a few minutes with a drill. i mention this as you may find that some wireless routers / ap's won't penetrate the floor / ceiling of your residence. this depends on the buildings construction, distance between ap's and the ap's signal strength so make sure you have a place with a decent return policy.
cheers


julian

 

the computer thats connected wirelessly doesn't need ot be fast. the one directly wired to my computer needs to be fast though. that router has a firewall built in according to specification


how much cheaper would it be for wired?

 

Rory,
If you just wish to network a second computer to your main one then as Julian says a wired network with a couple of NIC's will work just fine, i have just done this this week.
I have my new main computer and it has a RJ45 input jack already fitted to the MoBo along with the network controller stuff. The second computer is an old slow Compaq unit that I'm tarting up and giving to my lad. I fitted a new Network PCI card to it ( £5 from local dealer) then connected a 15 metre Ethernet cable*( Approx £5 off e-bay - highly rec seller - next day delivery ! and voila 10 quid later it worked.
Windows XP has a wizard to walk you though the set-up on both machines ( I have XP pro on both ) it really is foolproof, ( and trust me I need foolproof )
The thing that really surprised me after i'd set up is that although my lads computer lags far behind mine in specifications, surfing the net, downloading programs, e-mails , etc felt just as fast on his machine as mine, i honestly couldn't feel or detect any difference between the two machines. Whether they could both sustain this kind of speed whilst both machines where doing heavy downloads at the same time I haven't tried yet ( i still only have one monitor at the moment and so I was just setting up and testing for the moment ). As i don't do any online gaming or heavy stuff i can't see that it will be a major issue.

I'm upgrading to 1MB braodband at the start of next month too so this should help things along if there should be any probs.


*I actually used the new straight Ethernet cable with a cross-over adaptor that I already had as i intend to get a router in the future, due to my eldest daughter getting a laptop soon.
For just two machines though, a crossover RJ45 Ethernet cable coupled with two Network Interface cards ( only if required ) really is a very effective, simple, cheap solution.


Hope this Helps.

 

i am already using my ethernet port for my modem. i dont' want to have my computer on when she has hers on

 

Ah , I see....scratch my idea then.

 

rory,
there are 2 wireless standards 'b' and 'g'. the b standard is slow at 11mbps and the 'g' is fast at 54 mbps. iirc the 'g' standard also has a better range too. 'g' is backwardsly compatible with 'b' so the stuff you want to buy but you won;t be getting the best out of the pc card you mentioned.
there are even faster versions but they are usually proprietory (us robotics for example do one) where both router and pc card must be the same make however there are often bundle deals. these work by using 2 channels (out of 11 or 12 available channels) to communicate rather than 1 and have speeds up to 108mbps. this can however cause reception difficulties and is more prone to interference from microwave ovens and cordless phones.
sorry didn;t see the firewall mentioned.
cheers


julian

 

Wireless is definitely the way forward. We have the D-Link stuff in the house here, the modem's G compatible, can't recall what the card is in the back of the machine I'm using, but it's working well. It's generally advisable I believe to have the same make of card as your router etc.