Which wireless modem/router for this?

Need a wireless modem/router to link XP laptop, desktop and
multifunction printer.
Can anyone reccomend the best unit for this?
It would be nice if the laptop and desktop PC could file share.....is
this possible through the wireless network or would I need a cable?
thanks for any advice

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 07:59:49 +0000, Andy Harris <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Need a wireless modem/router to link XP laptop, desktop and
>multifunction printer.
>Can anyone reccomend the best unit for this?

how do you intend to drive the printer - from the desktop ?

>It would be nice if the laptop and desktop PC could file share.....is
>this possible through the wireless network or would I need a cable?

windows networknig is technology agnostic - it works over wired,
wireless or mixed LANS, when it works.

Phil
--
Tiscali - dialup speeds at Broadband prices, see
http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist...&Board=tiscali

AOL - the unlimited ISP of choice for heavy downloaders.

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 08:14:34 +0000, Phil Thompson
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 07:59:49 +0000, Andy Harris <(E-Mail Removed)>
>wrote:
>
>>Need a wireless modem/router to link XP laptop, desktop and
>>multifunction printer.
>>Can anyone reccomend the best unit for this?
>
>how do you intend to drive the printer - from the desktop ?
>
>>It would be nice if the laptop and desktop PC could file share.....is
>>this possible through the wireless network or would I need a cable?
>
>windows networknig is technology agnostic - it works over wired,
>wireless or mixed LANS, when it works.
>
>Phil

Thanks Phil, The Multifunction printer is wireless so hope I will be
able to print from either PC

Andy

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Andy Harris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> Thanks Phil, The Multifunction printer is wireless so hope I will be
> able to print from either PC
>
> Andy


Wireless, using what technology - bluetooth? - Infra Red? It *may* not be
able to talk to a wireless router designed for TCP/IP networks. A lot more
detail is required.
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
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On Thursday, in article
<(E-Mail Removed)>
(E-Mail Removed) "Phil Thompson" wrote:

> On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 07:59:49 +0000, Andy Harris <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
> >Need a wireless modem/router to link XP laptop, desktop and
> >multifunction printer.
> >Can anyone reccomend the best unit for this?
>
> how do you intend to drive the printer - from the desktop ?
>
> >It would be nice if the laptop and desktop PC could file share.....is
> >this possible through the wireless network or would I need a cable?
>
> windows networknig is technology agnostic - it works over wired,
> wireless or mixed LANS, when it works.

In my experience, it's almost too simple. You can accidentally be very
insecure. But it does work. And the router does take care of the
security far better than a plain modem.

Many people recommend having a wired connection between one computer and
the router/modem, which makes it easier to set up and manage the router.
And otherwise you need a wireless adaptor on the desktop machine.

--
David G. Bell -- SF Fan, Filker, and Punslinger.

"I am Number Two," said Penfold. "You are Number Six."

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 10:15:14 -0000, "Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>Andy Harris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>
>> Thanks Phil, The Multifunction printer is wireless so hope I will be
>> able to print from either PC
>>
>> Andy
>
>
>Wireless, using what technology - bluetooth? - Infra Red? It *may* not be
>able to talk to a wireless router designed for TCP/IP networks. A lot more
>detail is required.

Cheers Tim,
I was hoping to use an 'off the shelf' 802.11G ADSL Modem/router for
all of the above. But which one??

Andy

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Andy Harris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 10:15:14 -0000, "Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
>> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>> Andy Harris <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Thanks Phil, The Multifunction printer is wireless so hope I will
>>> be able to print from either PC
>>>
>>> Andy
>>
>>
>> Wireless, using what technology - bluetooth? - Infra Red? It *may*
>> not be able to talk to a wireless router designed for TCP/IP
>> networks. A lot more detail is required.
>
> Cheers Tim,
> I was hoping to use an 'off the shelf' 802.11G ADSL Modem/router for
> all of the above. But which one??
>
> Andy

If you forget the printer for a moment, virtually any decent wireless
modem/router will enable you to share an ADSL connection between 2 or more
computers - and to share files between computers if Windows file & printer
sharing is turned on. As others have said, it is a good idea to have a wired
connection to at least one of the computers. This is because if you try to
configure the router via a wireless connection, and you make a mistake which
prevents the computer from talking wirelessly to the router (all too easy to
do!) you're completely stuffed.

If you want to use a truly network printer - which any computer can use
without any other computer having to be turned on - you need either a router
which can support a printer (which limits your choice) or a separate printer
server which you can connect to the router. The easiest solution is often to
physically** connect the printer to one of the computers - the desktop in
your case - and then to 'share' it on the network so that your other
computers can print to it. The desktop would see it as a directly-connected
printer, and the laptop would see it as a network printer. When you print to
it from the laptop, the data would go over the network to the desktop (all
totally transparently) and on to the printer. Of course, the desktop would
have to be up and running before you could print from the laptop.

** a 'physical' connection could be wired (preferred) or wireless - provided
your computer supports whatever wireless technology the printer uses
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
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On Thu, 10 Nov 2005, Tiscali Tim wrote:

> As others have said, it is a good idea to have a wired connection to
> at least one of the computers. This is because if you try to
> configure the router via a wireless connection, and you make a
> mistake which prevents the computer from talking wirelessly to the
> router (all too easy to do!) you're completely stuffed.

Quite right; but we should make it clear that there's no necessity for
a *permanent* wire connection. When I screw-up the wireless, I simply
take the laptop to the box, and plug it into a "LAN" Ethernet port to
resolve the problem. The rest of the time, I wander around the house
at liberty ;-)

If you're configuring trusted MAC addresses into your wireless point,
don't forget to tell it to trust the MAC address of the computer's
wired interface! That's another easy way of sawing off the branch
that you're sitting on, if you're not careful.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Alan J. Flavell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> Quite right; but we should make it clear that there's no necessity for
> a *permanent* wire connection.

Agreed. But if the router is sitting next to a desktop computer, there's no
point in *not* doing it - and you'll end up with a faster, more reliable,
connection if it's wired.

>
> If you're configuring trusted MAC addresses into your wireless point,
> don't forget to tell it to trust the MAC address of the computer's
> wired interface!

Maybe some routers require this - but my 3Com jobby certainly doesn't - it
only uses MAC address filtering for wireless connections.
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005, Tiscali Tim wrote:

> Alan J. Flavell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> > Quite right; but we should make it clear that there's no necessity for
> > a *permanent* wire connection.
>
> Agreed. But if the router is sitting next to a desktop computer,
> there's no point in *not* doing it

OK, agreed. "Horses for courses". My wireless kit is in an obscure
corner, and I'm happier not having yards of cat.5 patch cord trailing
loose around the place. (Maybe one day I'll wire the house with
permanent RJ45, like at work - but I'm not there yet.)

> > If you're configuring trusted MAC addresses into your wireless
> > point, don't forget to tell it to trust the MAC address of the
> > computer's wired interface!
>
> Maybe some routers require this

Mine certainly does. I've experienced the consequences of getting it
wrong :-}

> - but my 3Com jobby certainly doesn't - it only uses MAC address
> filtering for wireless connections.

I see. Thanks.