Computer help needed !

[Trueoo7]

I think I work on my Cobra too much because when it comes to computers I'm not at all fluent so I'm looking for some help. I need to set up my house for wireless internet. I would like to run one.... maybe two desktop computers and a laptop aside from the main desktop computer that now has a cable modem (Broadband) hooked up to it. The house is three floors, main computer is on the middle floor. There will be one upstairs and one downstairs that I would like to run wireless as well as a laptop floating around from time to time.

What do I need to get? If you have names and model numbers that would be great as I've tried to read through some different ones but don't know what to look for or, whats needed. I know I need a wireless router but whats needed on the other end for the computers to pick it up. They are about five years old and are running Windows XP. One has two USB ports and the other doesn't, although I've seen adapters that plug in to the other type of plugs that turn them into USB ports. Cost is also a consideration so if you have a ballpark figure that would help as well.

Technology changes sooo quickly that its hard to keep up.
Thanks

PS I have a 2.4 GHZ cordless phone, I've heard they can interfere with routers.

[Wes Tausend]

...


It's been a few years since we installed a home network, but that is usually typical ...install and forget these trouble-free devices. You'll be buying much newer equipment than we have.

I like to use Office Depot ( http://www.officedepot.com/ ) or Staples ( http://www.staples.com/ ) as local suppliers since they have even been cheaper than many websites in the past. Their stores often carry much of what is shown and described on the website.

Newegg ( http://www.newegg.com/ ) is a reliable and economical web order site and has a comprehensive customer review database and a good information knowledge base to boot,
( http://www.newegg.com/Info/KnowledgeBase.aspx )

leading to off-site help such as
( http://www.pctechguide.com/63Networking.htm ).

Besides the router you will need a Wireless-G USB Network Adapter for each computer. Some laptop adapters are very small and plug into the side or are built in by factory. Make sure they are compatable frequencies such as G that is now most common. Most routers will handle several computers but there is a limit so make sure you're covered. One computer next to the modem which will plug directly into the router (LAN) can probably be plugged in turn directly to the router, also via LAN cable. You can run other LAN cables if it is easy to find a physical path since most routers also handle several non-wireless LAN connections. LAN connection jacks are very common even on older computers and look like oversized telephone jacks. Most routers will reach throughout your home without a booster and possibly to the neighbors if you don't specify security during set-up.

Good luck.


...

[Ron61]

Wes pretty well covered it. I am running two desktops and my laptop through the one modem. If you have newer computers you may have the wireless card built in. I use the Ethernet cable on my desktops as they are older and set right nest to the Linksys Router which has 4 inputs. The laptop has a built in wireless card and I can use it anywhere in the house. I don't even load any of the network software that came with the router and modem. You will need the wireless adapter only if your computers don't have it built in. I also like the wireless mice.

Ron

[wtm442]

Check out the Linksys web site for some good info. They make good products.

Watch out on the security side of wireless (firewall). I can jump on the Internet using one of my neighbor's wireless setups! If I was smart enough, I probably could hack into his/her computer.

[Ron61]

Warren,

Only if it was turned on.

Ron

[wtm442]

Ron
It's on all the time! I only use it with my laptop. I do not have wireless capability with home desktop computer.

My comment was that security is needed with wireless. There are hackers that drive around in cars finding wireless setups. They can hack right into any of your computers that are turned on, right from their car! I'm going thru a wireless setup right now with my laptop while I'm on vacation, but you need to enter a password to set up the wireless connection to a new computer.

Happens all the time. Some hackers consider it a badge of achievement.

[Ron61]

Warren,

I know that. Nothing is secure any more. When we first came out with the cordless phones, we traced three people that were driving around in cars with a handset until they got dial tone and they would then call all over the country and the person with the phone in their house got the big bills. My desktops both use Ethernet cards and cables but my laptop is wireless and I keep the pass key for the modem in another place. But I have put a screen in that limits the range of my wireless part of the modem to just the inside of my house. I can't even take my laptop out on the porch and get a strong enough signal to log onto anything. Of course all anyone has to do is go to the interface box for the phone lines and make their calls. You don't even have to know what line you are using. I used to have one of my test instruments that I could stand out in my yard and listen to every conversation or anything that went through the telephone lines across the street. But it isn't any good now and wouldn't work with fiber optic and laser anyway. And everyone thinks I am paranoid because I run all of my bank and other statements through a shredder.
By the way, how do you like the mini cams that you can get that are a part of an emblem on a cap such as a baseball cap? They record about an hours worth of stuff and are so small you can't see them even looking at the emblems. We are really secure!!!!!!


Ron

[wtm442]

And everyone thinks I am paranoid because I run all of my bank and other statements through a shredder.

I have had a paper shredder for at least 20 years. Too many dumpster divers out there picking thru the trash.

[Ron61]

Hey, that is great to find another paranoid that I can communicate with. I learned the value of shredders many years ago when working. And test schematics or papers on test results of anything we were trying went into the shredders. Even then it is impossible to stop crooks in high places from selling your information.

Ron

[chopper]

What wtm442 said. Be sure you enable the wireless encryption using either the Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) or Wireless Protected Access (WPA) features which come with your router. The owner's manual will tell you how to set it up with a random alpha-numeric password. Put all of your wireless computers on the network using the same password and you'll be set. WPA is the preferred protocol, and uses 128 bit encryption. I don't claim to be an expert, but what I've read said that it is possible to break 128 bit encryption, but would require several years to do so, far more time than the average hacker wants to invest. That's especially true if your neighbor's system is unprotected, which it probably is. I can usually sit in my den and access two or three of my neighbor's systems. You can lock others out of your system, and you can usually even prevent your system from showing up on other's computers.

I have two Macs at home, a G-5 iMac and a G-4 12" Powerbook. Both are hooked up through an Apple Airport Express wireless router, and use the WPA2 security protocol. We also have a hardware firewall since the wife uses her work computer (a Toshiba laptop) to do work at home. The Apple Airport Express will handle up to 10 computers simultaneously and has a port which can hook directly to a printer, so you can print from any accessed computer over the network. The one problem with the Airport Express is that you can only print on the printer; that is, you can't use it to get stuff from the scanner function to the computer via the modem; you have to hook the printer/scanner directly to the computer to scan documents into memory.

[Wes Tausend]

Originally Posted by chopper

What...

...problem with the Airport Express is that you can only print on the printer; that is, you can't use it to get stuff from the scanner function to the computer via the modem; you have to hook the printer/scanner directly to the computer to scan documents into memory.

Some scanner/printer/copiers will totally work with wireless systems. My wife bought a HP Photosmart C5180 that works well for her. It's currently installed directly (LAN, aka Ethernet cable) to the router beside my ancient ME desktop that I'm using, but would also accept a wireless network adapter, I believe.

I haven't tried to use it since my wireless laptop died, shortly after my sodden brother went to a very naughty poisonous site with it. Could'a slapped him.

I use a direct USB connected scanner/printer/copier on her desktop which was what she was trying to discourage, considering my careless lineage. Then I transfer the scanned file via LAN, or now a little 1GB USB micro-drive. It's the way I learned to originally do it. I'm too lazy to re-learn unless I must. I think I have her convinced that the HP C5180 software won't work with Win ME.


...

[bomelia]

Ar ar ar!

This gave me an idea. I hacked into most of your computers and installed a file on your C: drive called NTDETECT.COM. Nothing you can do about it. And as long as you do not try to open it, or delete it, nothing bad will happen.

Mike

[wtm442]

Mike
I just hacked into your computer and had some fun with your avatar while you were sleeping. Thanks .....

[Ron61]

No wonder she looks tired this morning. Mike you had better put an Anti Warren block on her or he will have Turtle with her next.

Ron

[Excaliber]

Buddy of mine stopped by the other day, showing off his new Iphone. He took a picture and then promptly emailed it to me. Curious, I asked HOW he was accessing the net/e-mail at my house? Said he can access almost anywhere through someones wireless internet connection. No doubt one of my nieghbors has wireless and it's not protected, so the phone just 'hooks up' and piggybacks on their system. At his HOME he stopped his internet service, he just piggybacks off the neighbors wireless for his HOME computer! A little slower than being connected directly, but it's free.

Somebody saw on their computer that his IP was piggybacking on them, they blocked his IP. He 'reset' his IP and was back in buisness.

[bomelia]

Originally Posted by Ron61

No wonder she looks tired this morning. Mike you had better put an Anti Warren block on her or he will have Turtle with her next.

Ron

Warren? Turtle? Warren, are you a turtler? My avatar is NOT impressed with turtlers.

Mike

[427 S/O]

Ron, please explain why, (sometimes) when I click to bring up a picture, not necessarily here, a blank box appears with a small 'x' in the upper left hand corner?.

Thanks in advance

[Ron61]

Perry,

Are you clicking on a link or an actual picture and trying to expand it? I haven't had that problem here but most of the time such as in e-mails and some sites, that means the picture was created by a program that your computer won't read and has an extension that isn't recognized. If you get another one, copy and paste it here so we can look at it. I get several forwarded e-mails that have the box and red x and most of them have the extension ltr or something like that. If you have it happen here, be sure to post where you were at when you tried to open the picture.

Ron

[427 S/O]

OK, thanks.........