Help: wireless peer-to-peer question.

Hello,

I have 2 computers that used to be connected by a hub and twisted pairs.
Since moving, I'm trying to figure out how to connect'em using wirless
technology. One is an older computer without USB and the other has USB ports.
They both run on win98. Since I haven't seen a 'modem router' yet, let's
assume that they are not connected to internet in anyways, although one of
them is, using a dial-up modem. The 2 computers are only 20 feets apart
divided by a glass patio door.

1: If I purchase 2 wireless network cards, can I connect'em as peer to peer
or do I need to purchase something else?
2: Which brand or product do you recommend?
3: Do I need to get a specific type? ie.: wireless-B ( whatever that is?
<shrug>.)

Thanks.

Peter.

_ <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have 2 computers that used to be connected by a hub and twisted
> pairs. Since moving, I'm trying to figure out how to connect'em using
> wirless technology. One is an older computer without USB and the
> other has USB ports. They both run on win98. Since I haven't seen a
> 'modem router' yet, let's assume that they are not connected to
> internet in anyways, although one of them is, using a dial-up modem.
> The 2 computers are only 20 feets apart divided by a glass patio door.
>
> 1: If I purchase 2 wireless network cards, can I connect'em as peer
> to peer or do I need to purchase something else?

Sure, you can connect them directly to each other, using what is called an
Ad-hoc network. In WiFi there are usually two network modes available,
Infrastructure (which uses a central wireless access point to manage all of
the other wireless nodes), or in ad-hoc mode, all of the nodes will see each
other directly.

What you'd be looking for is Ad-Hoc mode, and it's a little more initial
setup required to get going. You will have to not only choose wireless
network's identification name, the SSID, but also you will have to configure
each card manually with an IP address and subnet mask so they can talk to
each other. Then later you might decide you want to either enable security
encryption or not, and if you do enable, you'll have to synchronize their
passwords with each other.

> 2: Which brand or product do you recommend?

Take your pick, Dlink, Netgear, Linksys, 3Com/USRobotics, even Microsoft.
The last one, Microsoft, is going out of business soon, so now might be a
good time to pick up a Microsoft broadband device, they should be on
clearance sale.

> 3: Do I need to get a specific type? ie.: wireless-B ( whatever
> that is? <shrug>.)

Wireless-B should be just fine for most peer-to-peer file transfer stuff,
running at 11 Mbps. But it won't be as fast as the newer Wireless-G, which
runs five times faster at 54 Mbps. And there are various proprietary
versions of those protocols available from each of the manufacturers which
often doubles the speed of either B or G networks. So a 11 Mbps network
would become 22 Mbps, and a 54 Mbps would become 108 Mbps. In a case like
that you will need to absolutely have the same brand of wireless network
cards (eg. Dlink and Dlink, or Netgear and Netgear).

Yousuf Khan