Best router and adapter bundle?

Broadband is coming to this area at the end of next week and I've been
looking around for the best wireless router and desktop PC adapter bundle.

Am I best going for a PCI card or a USB adapter?

I thought I'd found a good deal on a Linksys WAG54G with USB adapter bundle
but on Googling newsgroups there seemed to be a considerable dissatisfaction
with Linksys.

So, any advice will be gratefully received!

Thanks

Andy




---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.776 / Virus Database: 523 - Release Date: 12/10/2004

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:30:15 +0100, "Andy Heer"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Broadband is coming to this area at the end of next week and I've been
>looking around for the best wireless router and desktop PC adapter bundle.
>
>Am I best going for a PCI card or a USB adapter?
>
>I thought I'd found a good deal on a Linksys WAG54G with USB adapter bundle
>but on Googling newsgroups there seemed to be a considerable dissatisfaction
>with Linksys.
>
>So, any advice will be gratefully received!
>
Look at the 3com on offer at Dabs, and others probably. A USB adapter
will be more versatile than a pci card.

My advice is to avoid USB - uses up waaaaay to many system resources!

Jon

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:30:15 +0100, "Andy Heer"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Broadband is coming to this area at the end of next week and I've been
>looking around for the best wireless router and desktop PC adapter bundle.
>
>Am I best going for a PCI card or a USB adapter?
>
>I thought I'd found a good deal on a Linksys WAG54G with USB adapter bundle
>but on Googling newsgroups there seemed to be a considerable dissatisfaction
>with Linksys.
>

I haven't seen many bundles advertised that include a PCI card. They
are almost always a PCMCIA/Cardbus card (for laptops) or a USB
adapter.

So if you want to use your desktop machine wirelessly (why?), you will
want a package with a USB adapter.

You *will* want at least one machine to be connected with wires for
setting up the system, because if you get something wrong in the
wireless settings (quite easy), you will be stuffed otherwise.

As far as recommendations go, I bought the 3Com package via Misco a
few weeks ago, and have been very happy with it. But that was with a
PCMCIA card, not the USB one (both are available as bundles from
Misco, but the only device I want to connect wirelessly that doesn't
have it built in is my Wife's laptop).

"Alex Heney" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:30:15 +0100, "Andy Heer"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Broadband is coming to this area at the end of next week and I've been
>>looking around for the best wireless router and desktop PC adapter bundle.
>>
>>Am I best going for a PCI card or a USB adapter?
>>
>>I thought I'd found a good deal on a Linksys WAG54G with USB adapter
>>bundle
>>but on Googling newsgroups there seemed to be a considerable
>>dissatisfaction
>>with Linksys.
>>
>
> I haven't seen many bundles advertised that include a PCI card. They
> are almost always a PCMCIA/Cardbus card (for laptops) or a USB
> adapter.
>
> So if you want to use your desktop machine wirelessly (why?), you will
> want a package with a USB adapter.
>
> You *will* want at least one machine to be connected with wires for
> setting up the system, because if you get something wrong in the
> wireless settings (quite easy), you will be stuffed otherwise.
>
> As far as recommendations go, I bought the 3Com package via Misco a
> few weeks ago, and have been very happy with it. But that was with a
> PCMCIA card, not the USB one (both are available as bundles from
> Misco, but the only device I want to connect wirelessly that doesn't
> have it built in is my Wife's laptop).

Alex mentions that you will want to have one PC hardwired, this is not
necessary if you use the BT Voyager ADSL modem router with adapters. I
successfully loaded software and was up and running in minutes. There may be
some routers that are more awkward to configure, so as Alex suggests that
one may need to be hard wired do this however, I will just point out that
there are alternatives.

Tom Buchanan

On 15 Oct 2004, in uk.telecom.broadband, "Tom Buchanan" wrote:

>"Alex Heney" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message

>> So if you want to use your desktop machine wirelessly (why?),

Is there any reason to dispell the possibility it is inconvenient to use
cable from the location best suited for the router to the location where
the computer is generally used ?

Someone I know has a PC in the attic, and wireless makes considerable sense
in that household (admittedly he also has a laptop and would himself not be
using the attic PC, as it belongs to his brother).

>> You *will* want at least one machine to be connected with wires for
>> setting up the system, because if you get something wrong in the
>> wireless settings (quite easy), you will be stuffed otherwise.

>Alex mentions that you will want to have one PC hardwired, this is not
>necessary if you use the BT Voyager ADSL modem router with adapters. I
>successfully loaded software and was up and running in minutes. There
>may be some routers that are more awkward to configure, so as Alex
>suggests that one may need to be hard wired do this however, I will
>just point out that there are alternatives.

Whether it is easy or not to get going, it is definitely useful to have a
cable 'just in case'. If you'd managed to set something up which blocked
wireless access, you, too, Tom, would be needing a cable to get it back !

On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 12:04:33 +0000 (UTC), "Tom Buchanan"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>"Alex Heney" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>> On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:30:15 +0100, "Andy Heer"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>Broadband is coming to this area at the end of next week and I've been
>>>looking around for the best wireless router and desktop PC adapter bundle.
>>>
>>>Am I best going for a PCI card or a USB adapter?
>>>
>>>I thought I'd found a good deal on a Linksys WAG54G with USB adapter
>>>bundle
>>>but on Googling newsgroups there seemed to be a considerable
>>>dissatisfaction
>>>with Linksys.
>>>
>>
>> I haven't seen many bundles advertised that include a PCI card. They
>> are almost always a PCMCIA/Cardbus card (for laptops) or a USB
>> adapter.
>>
>> So if you want to use your desktop machine wirelessly (why?), you will
>> want a package with a USB adapter.
>>
>> You *will* want at least one machine to be connected with wires for
>> setting up the system, because if you get something wrong in the
>> wireless settings (quite easy), you will be stuffed otherwise.
>>
>> As far as recommendations go, I bought the 3Com package via Misco a
>> few weeks ago, and have been very happy with it. But that was with a
>> PCMCIA card, not the USB one (both are available as bundles from
>> Misco, but the only device I want to connect wirelessly that doesn't
>> have it built in is my Wife's laptop).
>
>Alex mentions that you will want to have one PC hardwired, this is not
>necessary if you use the BT Voyager ADSL modem router with adapters. I
>successfully loaded software and was up and running in minutes. There may be
>some routers that are more awkward to configure, so as Alex suggests that
>one may need to be hard wired do this however, I will just point out that
>there are alternatives.
>

It's not so much the initial configuration. Most routers, if you just
use defaults for everything, will work out of the box with most
adapters.

But then you are leaving your WiFi network wide open to hijacking.

Most people will want to set up security of some sort. And all it
takes is mistyping a character in the key on the router, and you will
not be able to access it at all until you can use a wired connection.

On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 21:13:42 +0100, Peter M <us-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On 15 Oct 2004, in uk.telecom.broadband, "Tom Buchanan" wrote:
>
>>"Alex Heney" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>
>>> So if you want to use your desktop machine wirelessly (why?),
>
>Is there any reason to dispell the possibility it is inconvenient to use
>cable from the location best suited for the router to the location where
>the computer is generally used ?
>

It's possible, but seems quite unlikely. Most people getting ADSL will
have had a dial up connection previously, and if it was convenient for
that, it still should be for ADSL.

But that is certainly a possible reason.

"Alex Heney" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 12:04:33 +0000 (UTC), "Tom Buchanan"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>"Alex Heney" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
>>> On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:30:15 +0100, "Andy Heer"
>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Broadband is coming to this area at the end of next week and I've been
>>>>looking around for the best wireless router and desktop PC adapter
>>>>bundle.
>>>>
>>>>Am I best going for a PCI card or a USB adapter?
>>>>
>>>>I thought I'd found a good deal on a Linksys WAG54G with USB adapter
>>>>bundle
>>>>but on Googling newsgroups there seemed to be a considerable
>>>>dissatisfaction
>>>>with Linksys.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I haven't seen many bundles advertised that include a PCI card. They
>>> are almost always a PCMCIA/Cardbus card (for laptops) or a USB
>>> adapter.
>>>
>>> So if you want to use your desktop machine wirelessly (why?), you will
>>> want a package with a USB adapter.
>>>
>>> You *will* want at least one machine to be connected with wires for
>>> setting up the system, because if you get something wrong in the
>>> wireless settings (quite easy), you will be stuffed otherwise.
>>>
>>> As far as recommendations go, I bought the 3Com package via Misco a
>>> few weeks ago, and have been very happy with it. But that was with a
>>> PCMCIA card, not the USB one (both are available as bundles from
>>> Misco, but the only device I want to connect wirelessly that doesn't
>>> have it built in is my Wife's laptop).
>>
>>Alex mentions that you will want to have one PC hardwired, this is not
>>necessary if you use the BT Voyager ADSL modem router with adapters. I
>>successfully loaded software and was up and running in minutes. There may
>>be
>>some routers that are more awkward to configure, so as Alex suggests that
>>one may need to be hard wired do this however, I will just point out that
>>there are alternatives.
>>
>
> It's not so much the initial configuration. Most routers, if you just
> use defaults for everything, will work out of the box with most
> adapters.
>
> But then you are leaving your WiFi network wide open to hijacking.
>
> Most people will want to set up security of some sort. And all it
> takes is mistyping a character in the key on the router, and you will
> not be able to access it at all until you can use a wired connection.
>

Alex,

All my security was set up wirelessly, 128 bit WEP, hidden SSID etc. I have
never had to use cable to set up or adjust settings. It is totally WIFI,
does exactly what it said on the tin!

Tom Buchanan

On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 12:56:09 +0000 (UTC), "Tom Buchanan"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>"Alex Heney" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news(E-Mail Removed).. .
>> On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 12:04:33 +0000 (UTC), "Tom Buchanan"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
<snip>
>>>Alex mentions that you will want to have one PC hardwired, this is not
>>>necessary if you use the BT Voyager ADSL modem router with adapters. I
>>>successfully loaded software and was up and running in minutes. There may
>>>be
>>>some routers that are more awkward to configure, so as Alex suggests that
>>>one may need to be hard wired do this however, I will just point out that
>>>there are alternatives.
>>>
>>
>> It's not so much the initial configuration. Most routers, if you just
>> use defaults for everything, will work out of the box with most
>> adapters.
>>
>> But then you are leaving your WiFi network wide open to hijacking.
>>
>> Most people will want to set up security of some sort. And all it
>> takes is mistyping a character in the key on the router, and you will
>> not be able to access it at all until you can use a wired connection.
>>
>
>Alex,
>
>All my security was set up wirelessly, 128 bit WEP, hidden SSID etc. I have
>never had to use cable to set up or adjust settings. It is totally WIFI,
>does exactly what it said on the tin!
>

So you didn't get anything wrong. You were lucky, or more likely, you
were careful, and had some idea what you were doing.

Neither did I, as it happens.

But if I *had* made a mistake entering the SSID, or the WPA key, then
I'd have been stuffed without an ethernet connection.

--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
I didn't cheat, I just changed the Rules!

To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom