We have a home network off our cable modem, with a Linksys hub connecting 3 computers and a laptop. The laptop in fact has a wireless card in it so we can take it anywhere in the house and surf the internet <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

When we were first on the cable modem, direct to one machine, we were swamped with TONS of hacker attacks. Hackers love cable-modem-PCs for putting warez and such on. But as soon as the hub went in, *poof* they were all blocked. So it was great just from the security aspect.

Hi Lisa! I seem to be following you all over the boards today ...

We have a DSL line coming into a SpeedStream hub. Connected to that is an Apple Airport Base Station which is the wireless access point for two iMacs and a PC laptop.

The iMacs are set up for wireless access because we didn't want to snake cables all over the place. Also, if we decide to move one of the iMacs to the living room or somewhere else in the house, it'll just be a matter of unplugging the power cord, moving it, and plugging the power cord back in.

I haven't taken the laptop out to the balcony yet, but with spring here, I'm figuring on working outside any day now. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I've been serious contemplating wireless. I'm really tired of stringing cable. And, now, my youngest son wants his own computer, which is cool because I'm tired of listening to him argue with my oldest about getting on one of my computers. I think that wireless would be the way to go. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I love the wireless connection. I have my son over this weekend, and half the time he's upstairs on the Nintendo and the other half he's down on my computer while my boyfriend's on his. I just bring the laptop along and can hang out with him whereever he is, and surf the net and work while he plays. Since I write gaming reviews, I can type the notes right into an article while he's playing the game <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yup, when it gets a little warmer, I'll be able to carry the laptop out to the table on the porch, watch the birds flying around, and do my work! Right now we have an external wireless transmitter connected to it on a USB cable, which is only the size of a credit card, but on Monday we'll get the internal version and it'll just be like magic <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The transmitter will then go to one of the machines upstairs that we do backups on.

I can't say enough good about these wireless transmitters, they make it SO easy to just wander around the house and get to the web whereever you happen to be.

I had heard that the wireless ones were nowhere near as fast as the ones connected with those lovely <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> cords. Now that I heard you all talking about how great the cordless connection is I wish I'd gone with that.

Well, it's all relative. Your wireless connection is way faster than your cable modem is. So as far as doing anything on the web, your cable modem is going to be the slow-down point. Anything your cable modem can do, your wireless connector will do easily and then be waiting for more data.

If you are connecting two computers to each other, yes, it's faster to have them directly cabled. But we have 4 computers here (3 desktop, one laptop) and they hardly ever talk to each other. The only time we do that is when we back up our systems to the machine with the tape drive, and that's an overnight operation anyway.

So for all normal network use - i.e. web use - it's the cable modem that's the slow part. The wireless connections are just hanging around waiting for it to give them something.

If u have wireless wouldnt someone be able to get into it anyway cuz it's wireless? Like someone getting into someone's wireless cellphone? I would think it would be easier to hack. Just curious cuz i too am interested in hearing more about the wireless system.

Most wireless systems come with very high end encryption schemes. So you actually go to each side of the connection (i.e. the remote machine and the hub) and you have to put in the same encyrption key for both of them before they'll talk to each other. The chance of someone guessing that code is pretty slim unless they sat outside your house in a van for weeks <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Lisa, looks like I'm going to bug you when I want to set up a network for our two computers here. My daughter keeps bugging me about getting on the internet. I'd like to set up the kids computer to dsl. About how much would it cost to set up a wireless network for two computers?

Well, let's see. You don't need your main computer to be wireless because the hub will sit right next to it. And I assume your main computer already has a network card. So all you need is the hub and then one wireless card to put in the remote machne.

Linksys Hub: $149
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005ARK3/

Wireless USB Adaptor: $75
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005AW1H/

That's what we use and it's simply amazing how useful it is <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Especially with that USB connector, you can connect it to any system with a USB port.

extremely useful info guys considering i was just thinking about getting a laptop myself instead of this crummy stationed comp <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> anyway wireless would be the way to go eh? btw i have cable so i have no idea what a hub is, can anyone tell me?

quote: The chance of someone guessing that code is pretty slim unless they sat outside your house in a van for weeks.

Don't mean to but in or anything but eh, if that hacker knows what he's doing he doesn't need to guess such a code. I mean they just write some decryption key if they don't already have one.

But then again no hacker of this calibre would go through the trouble hacking into home user's computers. Allthough i still think that a wireless connection is more vurnarable than a normal one, coz it uses fairly strong signals that can be picked up pretty easy especially by someone in your neighborhood.

Interesting comments here thought I would jump in.I agree wireless is less secure but for average home user should be good.Just enable WEP(wired equivalent privacy)which will hand a encrypted key out for each user on LAN and anyone scanning your net will not be able to get on without key.Also about the hubs which work at layer one (which it just regenerates signals coming from your PC) I would recommmend getting a switch which is probably same price and give each PC full bandwidth to internet.Which a hub will slow down your network because of collisions.(hub does not filter traffic)..Thats all for now hope that explained it as simple as possible?

Hmm we have quite the network at home all wired.
Internet comes in trough a router, then enters a hub, which goes to 4 computers, another hub and a printer.
the other hub goes to another 3 computers.

My dad had a wireless sender box thingy.. not knowing the name sorry. he plugged it in the hub, so his laptop could receive wireless lan while he was sitting outside in the sun.
However as soon as the wireless sender box thing was plugged in the hub, the internet connections for all the computers that were wired to it were dissconnected, and refused to connect.

Anyone know why this could have happened and how to solve it ?