Hi all,

I am looking to get into wireless (Wi-Fi) networking and have a few
questions for the gurus.

Here is my current situation:

I have a desktop Win2k PC that is currently part of two networks. The first
one is an Ethernet network with my PC and wife's laptop connected to a
simple Ethernet 4-port hub. We have a cable modem connected to the hub as
well, and in fact we have two separate IP addresses from the ISP since we
each use a different VPN to connect to our work and did not wish to have any
problems sharing an IP. That part works flawlessly and we don't want to
disrupt it.

The same Win2k PC is also connected to 2 additional PCs in my house via a
separate PhoneLink 2.0 network so that my kids can share files,/printers
with me and can also share the cable modem. In principle, this network works
very well also, and has the added benefit that my PC can now bridge my
wife's laptop and my kids' PCs if all are connected. They cannot see one
another of course (no PhoneLink card in the laptop), but I can see all
networked computers when they are on and so can move files etc from one
network to the other.

Problem is my phone wires seem problematic. Even thought the house is only
15 years old, the PhoneLink network seems to disconnect as readily as it
connects and so for all intents and purposes has becomes unreliable enough
to be useless. One of my kids defaults regularly to a dialup connection when
the PhoneLink becomes erratic, and the other just waits for her turn on my
PC since the link from her computer is rarely reliable enough.

Connecting the kids PCs to mine via Ethernet is out of the question due to
where the PCs are located and my desire not to drill holes in walls etc.
Hence my new interest in Wireless.

So here are the questions:

1. Can I go wireless for my PC and my kids PCs without losing the Ethernet
connectivity that I currently share with my wife? I just want to replace the
PhoneLink part of the "dual" network and not touch the Ethernet part.

2. Will both networks still be able to share the cable modem? If so, what
specific equipment do I need?

3. Since the cable modem will (I assume) still have to be plugged into the
Ethernet hub, how would I connect the wireless network to the cable
modem/hub?

4. If I go for a Wi-Fi set-up (802.11b) will I expect to get interference
from cordless phones etc of which we have several in the house? What about
cell phones?

5. Are there other concerns I should be taking into account?

All advice and wisdom appreciated.

With thanks,

Michael

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