joebond,

Start by taking a look at these sites:

http://www.homenethelp.com/

http://www.wown.com/

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/

They have excellent tutorials about how to build the type of network you want.

Your Compaq will probably need a Network Interface Card.  The Linksys LNE100TX ($5-15) is good, but any brand name will do.  And there are lots of good routers available.  Expect to spend $30-50. The Linksys BEFSR41 is excellent.  So is the D-Link 604.  Both very easy to set up, in fact, for what you want to do you really don't have to do any setup.  Linksys has a new router - the NR41.  Very good price ($30) and from a good name.

Message Edited by _Paladin on 11-17-2002 06:04 AM

Buy David Strom's "Home Networking Survival Guide"

joebond,

The equipment I mentioned is for wired ethernet.  If you want to go wireless, Linksys makes that as well.  Take a look at this: http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=22.  The Linksys BEFW11S4 runs about $100.  Make sure you get an Access Point/Router, like the BEFW11S4.  Access Points (without the router) are also available but would not work in your case.  And if you go wireless, you would need at least one wireless NIC and maybe two if you want the D4500s wireless as well.

Is there that much of a diiference between wired and wireless? And is wired that big of a deal? (will I have wires running all over my house?)

 

Thanks.

Are these wireless routers? Or do I need to run wires all over my house?

 

Thanks.

I didn't realize that wired is that much faster than wireless.  I wanted to ask your opinion of the following devices offered for sale this week.  It is a D-Link (DFE-530TX+) for $5  and a D-Link 4 Port 10/100 Router for $30.  And I also need to network my office with 5 computers for a printer and a DSL line, what do you reccommend?

joebond,

"Is there that much of a diiference between wired and wireless?"  Depends on your point of view.  Wired is going to run much faster (between the PCs on the LAN) and there is no concern about interference from other 2.4 Ghz devices like there is in wireless.  And if you are comfortable running some wire, it is the preferred method.  In your case you will have a single cable running from the PCs to the router. 

Regarding speed, that needs to be put in perspective.  A wired LAN runs at 100mbps.  A wireless LAN runs at about 11 mbps.  But your broadband service is running at 2 mbps at best and probably less, so having that 100 mbps LAN is of little help surfing the web.

Of course, pricing on wireless is higher than wired, but wireless pricing is about where wired pricing was a year ago and is dropping.

joebond,

D-Link makes good equipment and you won't go wrong with their stuff.  I saw those sale ads too (Best Buy).  The DI-604 router is very nice and will do everything you want.  I installed one a week ago. 

For your office, I recommend you hire me.  Just kidding.

Linksys makes an 8 port router, the BEFSR81.  That would cover 8 PCs.  Routers typically have 1,4 or 8 ethernet ports.  And if you outgrow those 8 ports you can connect separate ethernet switches to the router to increase the number of ports.  If the printer is currently connected to a PC (it probably is) you can leave it that way and share it with the other PCs, as long as the PC the printer is connected to is powered on.  If  that is a problem, then you can add a print server to the mix.  Think of the print server as just another PC on the network and its sole job is to control the printer.  The printer would then be attached to it.

One word of caution.  Windows XP Home supports a maximum of 5 PCs in a peer-to-peer network.  Windows XP Professional supports up to 10 PCs.  That 5 limitation may become an issue down the road.

Where are you located, and how much do you charge?

 

How does it work if I want to network computers on different levels of my house? Will I have to run wires everywhere?

 

Thanks.

joebond,

Issue #1: Watch for a private message at the top of this Window.

Issue #2: Each PC will have one cable (about the thickness of standard lamp cord) running from the PC back to the router.  The router can be just about anywhere.  It would reside adjacent to the modem.  Some homes and small businesses have a central location where telephone service enters the house and all the station wiring goes back to that central location.  That would be a good place to put the modem and router.  In other instances the modem is adjacent to one of the PCs.  Then placing the router there and running a cable from that point to the second PC may make more sense.  Only you can decide how and where to run the cabling.  Depending on your home you may be able to run it in the walls.  Or perhaps through the ducts if you have that type of heating system.  When running the cable is problematic, wireless gets serious consideration.