Networking your home computers

H

HornHawk

250+ Posts
How many of you have actually done this? is it really as easy as it appears to be when I'm just standing there looking at the box thinking I want to do this?

I want to be able to network my laptop with my desktop so I can use the laptop anywhere in my home and still access the internet. I also might want to be able to access the files on my desktop, but that is not as important (although there are a lot of files on the desktop that I wouldn't mind being able to transfer to the laptop).

All suggestions, horror stories, product recommendations are welcome. Thanks for your help.
 
You need a wireless access point/router and a wireless NIC for your laptop. You should be able to get both for under $100 (I am assuming you already have cable or DSL). I have had mine up for 3 years...very few problems.
 
Get yourself a wireless router and it pretty much configures itself. Plug in the cable modem, hook it up to the WAN port in the router, plug in your desktop to the router and setup your laptop with a wireless nic and you should be good to go. Its fairly easy if you follow the instructions.
 
listen to LovinBBQ... linksys wireless is ****. 3Com makes great stuff, and my father got a Dell with an awesome wireless card in it (range wise), but I'm not sure if it's dell brand or otherwise.

it's especially easy to do a wireless network with windows XP... it's virtually foolproof.
 
Thanks for the replies. I was going to go to Lake Charles tonight because my family was out of town, but I think I'll blow that off and waste my evening putting this all together.
 
The Link pc magazine's site has lots of good info on this. just click on the link and search for home networking or wireless networking. Lots of good info on this that is written so it can be understood by normal people.

Don't forget to turn on the security features and change the default passwords etc or the neighbors or a wardriver could steal bandwith or access files on your computers when they were hooked up to the network.
 
I'll put a plug in for Microsoft's Wireless/Wired Router. I was skeptical initially about how good it might be (with MS's name on it). The router works flawlessly - we share two wired desktops and a wireless laptop connection through this router to our cable modem. Been doing this for two years and never a down moment (as long as we have electricity).

A neanderthal can install this.

Microsoft sells a MS500 and MS700 model.
 
I have had a Linksys wireless router for two years and have had zero problems.

By the same token, I don't trust their NICs. I use a Proxim Orinoco A/B/G card with my laptop. It's a little more expensive (the 128-bit WEP card cost me $70-80 online) but it's rock solid.
 
when i set up mine for my father, he had a linksys wireless router and i put a linksys wireless usb adapter on it, and it sucks. maybe it's just that it's usb and not a pci card, but it doesn't work well at all. that's the main reason i have beef with linksys.

did you end up trying to install it yesterday?
 
Another route to go is HomePlug, which is Ethernet over your existing electrical wiring. Here's an example : Netgear Wall-Plugged Ethernet Bridge


Pros: very easy to set up (buy one for an outlet by your router or primary computer and another for wherever else you want Ethernet), can be moved around to any other outlet

Cons: only 10 Mbps, house must be under ~4000 sq.ft, some say the adapters are ugly

Total Cost: $100-140 for 2 adapters
 
I didn't buy it yet--I decided to go to Lake Charles instead.

Now I wish I had installed a home network system.
mad.gif
 
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