Basic Questions- please help!

Hi
I'd like to be able to have wireless internet access in my home but
need some basic advice. All i want to do is use my laptop around my
home to connect to the internet. Please can someone help?
I have a centrino laptop so it's 802.11b wifi enabled.
I have BT Broadband and connect with a BT Voyager 100 USB ADSL modem.
Do i now simply need a wireless broadband router? What are the
differences between models? Should i be looking out for anything in
terms of speed/performance etc.? Would any be compatible with my BT
Broadband connection?
I have some credit with a US website so am hoping to get one from
there. For example:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...Tab=1&NoMapp=0
Would this work?
Many thanks
Steven Mills

Start here http://www.adslguide.org.uk/

General opinion is that USB ADSL modems are bad news. A combined wireless
router/ADSL modem would be best.

Steven Mills wrote:

> Hi
> I'd like to be able to have wireless internet access in my home but
> need some basic advice. All i want to do is use my laptop around my
> home to connect to the internet. Please can someone help?
> I have a centrino laptop so it's 802.11b wifi enabled.
> I have BT Broadband and connect with a BT Voyager 100 USB ADSL modem.
> Do i now simply need a wireless broadband router? What are the
> differences between models? Should i be looking out for anything in
> terms of speed/performance etc.? Would any be compatible with my BT
> Broadband connection?
> I have some credit with a US website so am hoping to get one from
> there. For example:
> http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...Tab=1&NoMapp=0
> Would this work?
> Many thanks
> Steven Mills
USB ADSL modems can be problematical so are generally best avoided.

However, you could simply add a wireless base station to your existing
setup. Better choice, though is to add a wireless ADSL router. This has the
added advantage that you don't need to keep the main computer on all of the
time.

I can't comment for other kit (check out one of the web sites doing
comparisons) - but I can say that the Draytek Vigor 2600G is a fantastic
bit of kit and adds many other features too (which means that it may well
be too expensive for what you want).

I think that the main features you should look for are - on the ADSL side,
a decent firewall facility. And on the wireless site: TWIN removable
aerials so that you can get the best coverage; good WEP security.

When you do get set up, remember that moving the receiving aerial by as
little as an inch can make a large difference to the reception so if you
are having problems, try moving slightly.

--
Julian Knight, http://www.knightnet.org.uk/
Sheffield, United Kingdom
Security, Directory, Messaging, Network & PC Consultant
Instant Messaging:Jabber=(E-Mail Removed), Yahoo!=knighjm

Thanks for your comments.
Spoke to someone who suggested that i don't need a router, just a
wireless access point. So does anyone have any idea if this model
would work?:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=D700-2210
Thanks

Julian Knight <news002@[127.0.0.1]> wrote in message news:<JrRgc.31807$(E-Mail Removed)>.. .
> Steven Mills wrote:
>
> > Hi
> > I'd like to be able to have wireless internet access in my home but
> > need some basic advice. All i want to do is use my laptop around my
> > home to connect to the internet. Please can someone help?
> > I have a centrino laptop so it's 802.11b wifi enabled.
> > I have BT Broadband and connect with a BT Voyager 100 USB ADSL modem.
> > Do i now simply need a wireless broadband router? What are the
> > differences between models? Should i be looking out for anything in
> > terms of speed/performance etc.? Would any be compatible with my BT
> > Broadband connection?
> > I have some credit with a US website so am hoping to get one from
> > there. For example:
> > http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...Tab=1&NoMapp=0
> > Would this work?
> > Many thanks
> > Steven Mills
> USB ADSL modems can be problematical so are generally best avoided.
>
> However, you could simply add a wireless base station to your existing
> setup. Better choice, though is to add a wireless ADSL router. This has the
> added advantage that you don't need to keep the main computer on all of the
> time.
>
> I can't comment for other kit (check out one of the web sites doing
> comparisons) - but I can say that the Draytek Vigor 2600G is a fantastic
> bit of kit and adds many other features too (which means that it may well
> be too expensive for what you want).
>
> I think that the main features you should look for are - on the ADSL side,
> a decent firewall facility. And on the wireless site: TWIN removable
> aerials so that you can get the best coverage; good WEP security.
>
> When you do get set up, remember that moving the receiving aerial by as
> little as an inch can make a large difference to the reception so if you
> are having problems, try moving slightly.

"Steven Mills" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Thanks for your comments.
> Spoke to someone who suggested that i don't need a router, just a
> wireless access point. So does anyone have any idea if this model
> would work?:
>
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=D700-2210

You can use a Wireless Access Point if you want, but if you do - you will
still need your BT Voyager 100 USB ADSL modem to be attached to a computer
with the WAP attached to this - for your laptop to have access (and a WiFi
card for your laptop)

If you only have the laptop (and no other computers), a WAP would be of no
use to you. and you are much better off getting an wireless router with a
built in ADSL modem instead <-- this option would also replace your USB
modem. Again, you would need a WiFi card for your laptop with this option as
well.

Regards
Sunil

Thanks
I only have the one laptop so the wireless router with ADSL modem
seems my best option. Bit confused about firewalls too- i have norton
internet security 2003 which includes a firewall- is the router's
firewall needed? will it cause me any complications?

"Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<c65g62$841g6$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> "Steven Mills" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> > Thanks for your comments.
> > Spoke to someone who suggested that i don't need a router, just a
> > wireless access point. So does anyone have any idea if this model
> > would work?:
> >
> http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=D700-2210
>
> You can use a Wireless Access Point if you want, but if you do - you will
> still need your BT Voyager 100 USB ADSL modem to be attached to a computer
> with the WAP attached to this - for your laptop to have access (and a WiFi
> card for your laptop)
>
> If you only have the laptop (and no other computers), a WAP would be of no
> use to you. and you are much better off getting an wireless router with a
> built in ADSL modem instead <-- this option would also replace your USB
> modem. Again, you would need a WiFi card for your laptop with this option as
> well.
>
> Regards
> Sunil

"Steven Mills" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> I only have the one laptop so the wireless router with ADSL modem
> seems my best option. Bit confused about firewalls too- i have norton
> internet security 2003 which includes a firewall- is the router's
> firewall needed? will it cause me any complications?

It shoudnt cause any problems.

However, you can always switch off/bypass the routers firewall or uninstall
the Norton software.

Regards
Sunil

Steven Mills wrote:

> Thanks
> I only have the one laptop so the wireless router with ADSL modem
> seems my best option. Bit confused about firewalls too- i have norton
> internet security 2003 which includes a firewall- is the router's
> firewall needed? will it cause me any complications?
>
> "Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<c65g62$841g6$(E-Mail Removed)>...
>
>>"Steven Mills" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:(E-Mail Removed). com...
>>
>>>Thanks for your comments.
>>>Spoke to someone who suggested that i don't need a router, just a
>>>wireless access point. So does anyone have any idea if this model
>>>would work?:
>>>
>>
>>http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=D700-2210
>>
>>You can use a Wireless Access Point if you want, but if you do - you will
>>still need your BT Voyager 100 USB ADSL modem to be attached to a computer
>>with the WAP attached to this - for your laptop to have access (and a WiFi
>>card for your laptop)
>>
>>If you only have the laptop (and no other computers), a WAP would be of no
>>use to you. and you are much better off getting an wireless router with a
>>built in ADSL modem instead <-- this option would also replace your USB
>>modem. Again, you would need a WiFi card for your laptop with this option as
>>well.
>>
>>Regards
>>Sunil
You should keep both, they wont get in the way of each other and a personal
firewall does a slightly different job.

--
Julian Knight, http://www.knightnet.org.uk/
Sheffield, United Kingdom
Security, Directory, Messaging, Network & PC Consultant
Instant Messaging:Jabber=(E-Mail Removed), Yahoo!=knighjm