HUbs and routers

Hello

I have difficulty with some of the termnology so please forgive the basic
nature of this post......

However, I already have Broadband working fine through and ADSL modem
supplied by by ISP. I want to set up a wireless network, mainly to stream
music through the house, but possibly later use a laptop away from the
desktop.

So I an assuming I do not need a router that also has a broadband
connection, I just need one which will set up a wireless network and I''d
be able to access the Internet on any future laptop through my desktop and
through the existing broadband connection.

Is this correct?

TIA

Ewan

You will need a Wireless Router.

Examples:
http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=544
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=226
http://www.netgear.com/products/prod...ID=151&view=hm
etc.

A wireless router usually has a WAN port that connects to your DSL modem or
Cable modem, three to four LAN ports that you can use to connect to PCs via
Ethernet, as well as the WLAN connection (in form of an antenna) to connect
wirelessly. There are several standards: 802.11b (older but still very
popular, widely used, fast), 802.11g (newer, faster, downward-compatible to
802.11b) or 802.11a (DOA) as well as hybrids of these.

If security is a concern for you, make sure you chose a product that
supports WPA as encryption. This is the newest standard and supposed to be
much more secure than WEP, which can be easily hacked.

Of course, you will also need a wireless adapter for the PCs that should
connect wirelessly. No matter what brand you chose, when buying equipment
from one vendor only you will have less problems when contacting their
support as they will not be able to play the "That must be a problem of the
other vendor" game.

I would start selecting different models from some of the vendors via their
website and then to get a feel for these vendors (price, quality, support,
customer staisfction, etc.) you can browse Amazon.com and study the product
prices and customer reviews.

Any other questions?

Charles


"e & f" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c19los$gtj$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello
>
> I have difficulty with some of the termnology so please forgive the basic
> nature of this post......
>
> However, I already have Broadband working fine through and ADSL modem
> supplied by by ISP. I want to set up a wireless network, mainly to
stream
> music through the house, but possibly later use a laptop away from the
> desktop.
>
> So I an assuming I do not need a router that also has a broadband
> connection, I just need one which will set up a wireless network and I''d
> be able to access the Internet on any future laptop through my desktop and
> through the existing broadband connection.
>
> Is this correct?
>
> TIA
>
> Ewan
>
>

A good source for comparing 802.11a vs. 802.11b vs. 802.11g:

http://www.linksys.com/products/wirelessstandards.asp

"e & f" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c19los$gtj$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello
>
> I have difficulty with some of the termnology so please forgive the basic
> nature of this post......
>
> However, I already have Broadband working fine through and ADSL modem
> supplied by by ISP. I want to set up a wireless network, mainly to
stream
> music through the house, but possibly later use a laptop away from the
> desktop.
>
> So I an assuming I do not need a router that also has a broadband
> connection, I just need one which will set up a wireless network and I''d
> be able to access the Internet on any future laptop through my desktop and
> through the existing broadband connection.
>
> Is this correct?
>
> TIA
>
> Ewan
>
>

Charles

I do have one question which confuses me..

What exactly do I plug into the router from the DSL modem?

I have an Alcatel DSL modem suppled by BT. It connect to a USB port
(which I have in a hub) and the modem itself has a connection via a cable to
the DSL filter. If I disconnect the connection between modem and fliter
and connect it to the router, I am assuming the "loop" is connected from the
router to the computer with the Ethernet or wirless connection, is this
correct?

Regards

Ewan

"Charles" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Kq%Zb.15973$(E-Mail Removed) om...
> You will need a Wireless Router.
>
> Examples:
> http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=544
> http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=226
> http://www.netgear.com/products/prod...ID=151&view=hm
> etc.
>
> A wireless router usually has a WAN port that connects to your DSL modem
or
> Cable modem, three to four LAN ports that you can use to connect to PCs
via
> Ethernet, as well as the WLAN connection (in form of an antenna) to
connect
> wirelessly. There are several standards: 802.11b (older but still very
> popular, widely used, fast), 802.11g (newer, faster, downward-compatible
to
> 802.11b) or 802.11a (DOA) as well as hybrids of these.
>
> If security is a concern for you, make sure you chose a product that
> supports WPA as encryption. This is the newest standard and supposed to be
> much more secure than WEP, which can be easily hacked.
>
> Of course, you will also need a wireless adapter for the PCs that should
> connect wirelessly. No matter what brand you chose, when buying equipment
> from one vendor only you will have less problems when contacting their
> support as they will not be able to play the "That must be a problem of
the
> other vendor" game.
>
> I would start selecting different models from some of the vendors via
their
> website and then to get a feel for these vendors (price, quality, support,
> customer staisfction, etc.) you can browse Amazon.com and study the
product
> prices and customer reviews.
>
> Any other questions?
>
> Charles
>
>
> "e & f" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:c19los$gtj$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello
> >
> > I have difficulty with some of the termnology so please forgive the
basic
> > nature of this post......
> >
> > However, I already have Broadband working fine through and ADSL modem
> > supplied by by ISP. I want to set up a wireless network, mainly to
> stream
> > music through the house, but possibly later use a laptop away from the
> > desktop.
> >
> > So I an assuming I do not need a router that also has a broadband
> > connection, I just need one which will set up a wireless network and
I''d
> > be able to access the Internet on any future laptop through my desktop
and
> > through the existing broadband connection.
> >
> > Is this correct?
> >
> > TIA
> >
> > Ewan
> >
> >
>
>

I was assuming the output of your DSL modem is an Ethernet type cable, but
apparently it is a USB type cable that you connect directly to your PC.

I am not sure what the best method is in that case. Anyone else able to help
out?

Charles

"e & f" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1a8q7$i5b$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Charles
>
> I do have one question which confuses me..
>
> What exactly do I plug into the router from the DSL modem?
>
> I have an Alcatel DSL modem suppled by BT. It connect to a USB port
> (which I have in a hub) and the modem itself has a connection via a cable
to
> the DSL filter. If I disconnect the connection between modem and fliter
> and connect it to the router, I am assuming the "loop" is connected from
the
> router to the computer with the Ethernet or wirless connection, is this
> correct?
>
> Regards
>
> Ewan
>
> "Charles" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:Kq%Zb.15973$(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > You will need a Wireless Router.
> >
> > Examples:
> > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=544
> > http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=226
> > http://www.netgear.com/products/prod...ID=151&view=hm
> > etc.
> >
> > A wireless router usually has a WAN port that connects to your DSL modem
> or
> > Cable modem, three to four LAN ports that you can use to connect to PCs
> via
> > Ethernet, as well as the WLAN connection (in form of an antenna) to
> connect
> > wirelessly. There are several standards: 802.11b (older but still very
> > popular, widely used, fast), 802.11g (newer, faster, downward-compatible
> to
> > 802.11b) or 802.11a (DOA) as well as hybrids of these.
> >
> > If security is a concern for you, make sure you chose a product that
> > supports WPA as encryption. This is the newest standard and supposed to
be
> > much more secure than WEP, which can be easily hacked.
> >
> > Of course, you will also need a wireless adapter for the PCs that should
> > connect wirelessly. No matter what brand you chose, when buying
equipment
> > from one vendor only you will have less problems when contacting their
> > support as they will not be able to play the "That must be a problem of
> the
> > other vendor" game.
> >
> > I would start selecting different models from some of the vendors via
> their
> > website and then to get a feel for these vendors (price, quality,
support,
> > customer staisfction, etc.) you can browse Amazon.com and study the
> product
> > prices and customer reviews.
> >
> > Any other questions?
> >
> > Charles
> >
> >
> > "e & f" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:c19los$gtj$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > Hello
> > >
> > > I have difficulty with some of the termnology so please forgive the
> basic
> > > nature of this post......
> > >
> > > However, I already have Broadband working fine through and ADSL modem
> > > supplied by by ISP. I want to set up a wireless network, mainly to
> > stream
> > > music through the house, but possibly later use a laptop away from the
> > > desktop.
> > >
> > > So I an assuming I do not need a router that also has a broadband
> > > connection, I just need one which will set up a wireless network and
> I''d
> > > be able to access the Internet on any future laptop through my desktop
> and
> > > through the existing broadband connection.
> > >
> > > Is this correct?
> > >
> > > TIA
> > >
> > > Ewan
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

You will probably need to use Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in Windows.
Does your computer have an ethernet jack (looks like a telephone jack but
has 8 pins instead of 2 or 4)?

If so, you can set your computer to act as a router and share the existing
USB internet connection with devices that are connected to the ethernet
port. In this case, I would recommend getting (although you would not need
it) a 4-5 port ethernet switch, which allows you to increase the number of
wired ethernet devices and is pretty cheap. Connect the switch to the
ethernet jack. Then, get a wireless access point (not router) since ICS is
already acting as a router. Connect that to the switch. Now you can
connect additional wired and wireless devices.

If your computer does not have an ethernet jack, you can either buy an
ethernet card (<$20) and configure it as above or buy a wireless card. If
you buy a wireless card, you can either buy an additional wireless access
point to act as a wireless switch or you can skip the access point entirely
and set up a so-called ad-hoc network. I would recommend against the ad-hoc
network just because wireless access points are easier to set up and you can
put the access point halfway between the wireless devices and get a better
signal.

-Yves

"e & f" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c1a8q7$i5b$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Charles
>
> I do have one question which confuses me..
>
> What exactly do I plug into the router from the DSL modem?
>
> I have an Alcatel DSL modem suppled by BT. It connect to a USB port
> (which I have in a hub) and the modem itself has a connection via a cable
to
> the DSL filter. If I disconnect the connection between modem and fliter
> and connect it to the router, I am assuming the "loop" is connected from
the
> router to the computer with the Ethernet or wirless connection, is this
> correct?
>
> Regards
>
> Ewan
>
> "Charles" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:Kq%Zb.15973$(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > You will need a Wireless Router.
> >
> > Examples:
> > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=544
> > http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=226
> > http://www.netgear.com/products/prod...ID=151&view=hm
> > etc.
> >
> > A wireless router usually has a WAN port that connects to your DSL modem
> or
> > Cable modem, three to four LAN ports that you can use to connect to PCs
> via
> > Ethernet, as well as the WLAN connection (in form of an antenna) to
> connect
> > wirelessly. There are several standards: 802.11b (older but still very
> > popular, widely used, fast), 802.11g (newer, faster, downward-compatible
> to
> > 802.11b) or 802.11a (DOA) as well as hybrids of these.
> >
> > If security is a concern for you, make sure you chose a product that
> > supports WPA as encryption. This is the newest standard and supposed to
be
> > much more secure than WEP, which can be easily hacked.
> >
> > Of course, you will also need a wireless adapter for the PCs that should
> > connect wirelessly. No matter what brand you chose, when buying
equipment
> > from one vendor only you will have less problems when contacting their
> > support as they will not be able to play the "That must be a problem of
> the
> > other vendor" game.
> >
> > I would start selecting different models from some of the vendors via
> their
> > website and then to get a feel for these vendors (price, quality,
support,
> > customer staisfction, etc.) you can browse Amazon.com and study the
> product
> > prices and customer reviews.
> >
> > Any other questions?
> >
> > Charles
> >
> >
> > "e & f" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:c19los$gtj$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > Hello
> > >
> > > I have difficulty with some of the termnology so please forgive the
> basic
> > > nature of this post......
> > >
> > > However, I already have Broadband working fine through and ADSL modem
> > > supplied by by ISP. I want to set up a wireless network, mainly to
> > stream
> > > music through the house, but possibly later use a laptop away from the
> > > desktop.
> > >
> > > So I an assuming I do not need a router that also has a broadband
> > > connection, I just need one which will set up a wireless network and
> I''d
> > > be able to access the Internet on any future laptop through my desktop
> and
> > > through the existing broadband connection.
> > >
> > > Is this correct?
> > >
> > > TIA
> > >
> > > Ewan
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>