Larry,

I've got close to a year's use out of my wireless network at home and about
6 months out of one at work. Both are using SMC 802.11b hardware. My work
setup is optimal. I have an access point positioned very high in a wide open
factory building. Client PC's are located in metal cabinets that act as
"electronic funnels" for the wireless signals. Range and signal strength are
awesome and, even though I have lasers and other spurious-frequency-emitting
devices around, I have seen no effect on the wireless networking. Probably a
typical industrial setup, but not very similar to a home setup.

My home network setup is, I think, pretty indicative of a typical, real
world use of the technology. I have an SMC Barricade wireless router. I have
both wired and wireless connections to this router to which I have my cable
modem connected. I purchased the SMC primarily because it has a print server
built in so that I can access a connected printer on any PC on my network (a
very nice feature). The router is located in my basement office along with
two hardwired PC's and my cable modem. I wander throughout the first floor,
front porch and back deck with my laptop using the wireless connection.
Signal strength is less than impressive. The maximum range of 802.11b is
supposedly 300 feet (obviously clear air). I have trouble maintaing a
connection roughtly 15-20 feet from the router. Granted that is going
through a floor, a wall and around heating ducts and pipes, but it's still a
little disappointing. I also often get disconnects when I use my cordless
phone near my laptop. 802.11b operates in the same 2.4 GHz range that most
of the current, good quality cordless phones do. If the specific frequency
that the phone picks is close enough to the frequency that the wireless
network card picked, you lose your network connection. Doesn't happen with
every phone call, but it happens enough to be aggravating. The printer
connection has been problematic as well. It's nice to have a networked
printer that you don't have to turn on a PC to use, but its operation has
been erratic. Sometimes it prints fine from any PC on the network, sometimes
it prints only two pages at a time and has to be reset, sometimes it doesn't
print at all. I have not, however, spent any time troubleshooting what may
be wrong. A firmware upgrade for the router may help with some of these
issues and is probably something that I should do soon anyway.

My advice, Larry, based on my experience. Investigate 802.11a units. They
operate in the 5 GHz range where there should be less interference from
household electronic devices. Their transmission speed is also much greater
than 802.11b, although this is usually not an issue with typical home
networking. I imagine that the 802.11a unit's range may be a little greater
in the typical home environment, although I have no real world experience to
back that statement up. Whatever standard you implement, I would recommend
locating the access point centrally in the area of use. This usually means
on the first floor near the center of the house if wireless use may be
required throughout the house. If network printing is required, I would
recommend you look into a standard type print server or a networkable
printer that you can hardwire to your router or possibly one of the new
printers or print servers with wireless networking built in. The built in
print server that my SMC has is great in concept, but cramming too many
functions into any device is very often less than functional in real world
use.

In general, I've got to say that wireless networking is great. It's
wonderful to be able to just turn on my laptop anywhere in or around the
house, check a web site or download my email. My laptop now sits on the
dining room table ready to go all the time and I rarely find myself using
any of my "wired" PC's any more. It is definitely the wave of the future and
I eagerly await every advance and improvement in the technology.

Please feel free to email me if you have any further questions and good luck
on your install.

Steve Polatas

----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Fisk" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 7:50 PM
Subject: Wireless networking hardware recommendation


> Hi all;
>  I'll been asked to install a wireless network for a client in his home.
> Primarily to share a new DSL connection.
>  It's a fairly large two story house, with computers throughout.
> I've done a fair amount of networking, but not had experience with
wireless.
> I'm looking at the D-Link DI-713P router/access point
> and D-Link DWL-520 wireless PCI adapters
> Plus a Laptop adapter.
> Main reason for going wireless is to avoid pulling cable, and to use the
> laptop wherever.
> I've read some positive reviews on D-Link, but would like some input on
> wireless hardware.
> I searched the PCBUILD archives but couldn't find much under "wireless
> network".
> Thanks in advance;
>
>        < Larry Fisk
>          Fisk Computers
>            Fruitvale, Idaho
>

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