These tips and info tell you what you need to know to set up your wireless network. Kirk Steers Now wireless offers more than mobility and the ability to share a high-speed Internet connection. You can connect your PC to your stereo and TV via such gadgets as the $150 Wireless-B Media Adapter from Linksys. And D-Link's $340 DCS 2100+ Wireless Internet Camera has a microphone, motion detection, and e-mail for do-it-yourself security (see FIGURE 1). Most wireless networking hardware conforms to one (or two) of three standards created by the nonprofit IEEE and certified by the nonprofit Wi-Fi Alliance: 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g (see chart). The first is intended for business (and is priced accordingly). While the 802.11a and 802.11g specs top out at a speedy 54 mbps (compared to 802.11b's max of 11 mbps), not everyone needs the faster rate. Wireless gear supporting 802.11b runs up to 10 times faster than most broadband Internet links, and that's plenty fast for standard e-mail and Internet tasks. Adapters and access points for 802.11b networks cost much less than those supporting .11a and .11g; and most cafés, hotels, airports, and other wireless hot spots currently use .11b products. If you have a large network with lots of traffic, or if you transfer large graphics, video, or other files, you may want to spend more for products that support the newer 802.11g spec. These devices run at the same frequency (2.4 GHz) as 802.11b, and they're backward-compatible with 802.11b hardware (at slower .11b speeds). If you're buying with an eye to the future, 802.11g is probably worth the extra cost--currently around 30 percent higher. Products for 802.11a networks run at 5 GHz, so they aren't compatible with networks based on .11b or .11g. The higher frequency reduces 802.11a's broadcast range. The biggest advantages of .11a over its sibling standards are its support for more channels (which improves security) and its immunity to radio interference by phones, Bluetooth products, and other wireless devices that run at 2.4 GHz.
Wireless Buying Basics
You can add a wireless adapter to a desktop PC as an internal PCI card or as an external USB device. Obviously, the USB adapter is much easier to install, and it keeps the transceiver away from the electrical noise emanating from the rear of your system. USB 1.0 ports have a maximum bandwidth of 12 mbps--enough for 802.11b, but too slow for 802.11g. Wireless USB adapters cost about $60, and wireless PCI adapters cost a bit less. Many new notebooks come with built-in wireless capability. If your laptop does not, you can use a PC Card adapter, which usually is priced at about $60. To share files among a handful of PCs, you can run a wireless network in ad hoc mode (the equivalent of a peer-to-peer network). All you need is a wireless network adapter in each system. To connect to the Internet--either directly or via an existing wired network--run the wireless network in infrastructure mode (the equivalent of a client-server network). This requires a wireless access point to link to a preexisting wired network, or a wireless gateway to connect via cable or DSL modem. Wireless gateways combine a wireless access point with a gateway and cost about $100 or less. Read our November 2003 review of wireless networking kits. An ethernet router with built-in gateway and wireless access point lets you connect PCs to it via network cables as well as wirelessly. Only slightly more expensive than a wireless gateway, it provides a handy "wired window" into your router, which can be extremely useful for troubleshooting wireless connections.
Putting It Together
You should be able to install a router and several wireless client adapters in less than an hour. If you run into problems, don't spend a lot of time and energy troubleshooting by yourself. Check the manufacturers' Web site for the latest updates for your adapter's driver and your router's firmware. The vendors may recommend installing Windows XP Service Pack 1. Don't call tech support until you've verified that your software is up-to-date. Most 802.11b access points claim to be capable of reaching a PC up to 150 feet away indoors and up to 300 feet away outdoors, but your range will likely be about half that. Thick walls and other obstacles can significantly deflect or weaken your access point's wireless signal. In addition, the farther your PC is situated from the access point, the slower the connection speed will be. Your 802.11b network's data transmission rate automatically decreases in discrete steps as your signal gets weaker, from 11 mbps to 5.5 mbps to 2 mbps to 1 mbps. Most wireless adapters have a driver utility that monitors signal strength and, hence, speed (see FIGURE 2). Place your wireless access point as high as possible and away from obstructions. Shiny metal surfaces, walls with lots of pipes or wires, and leafy plants can significantly degrade your signal. Shifting an access point a foot or two can sometimes make a big difference in signal reception. Always place antennas in a vertical position, and avoid putting 802.11b and .11g products near microwaves, portable telephones, Bluetooth devices, or other equipment that runs at or near 2.4 GHz. If your access point lacks the signal strength to cover the requisite area, consider buying a repeater. Priced at about $75, wireless extenders can increase the range of your network by up to 50 percent by boosting signal strength. See our review of two wireless range extenders. Here are the settings that you'll need to know to complete your wireless setup. Static or dynamic IP address: Every network adapter (including the one in your router) needs an Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses have four numbers from 0 to 255, separated by periods, such as "192.168.1.1". Your ISP provides the IP address of the network adapter you use for connecting to the Internet. For an always-on broadband connection, it may assign a permanent (or static) IP address that never changes; or like the PPPoE protocol, it may assign a temporary (or dynamic) IP address for each session. Your ISP will tell you which type of connection you have. Enable DHCP server: Your router can automatically assign an IP address to the network adapter of any PC on its network via its dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) server. Using the DHCP server to assign IP addresses is easier than manually configuring each machine's address. SSID: The Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the name assigned to your wireless network. All devices on a wireless network must be configured with the same SSID. Don't just use the default value, however; it can give hackers a hint about the type of hardware you're using. Channel: 802.11b and .11g networks broadcast over one of 14 channels, but only channels 1 through 11 can be used in the United States. As with the SSID, devices sharing a wireless link must be tuned to the same channel. Channels 1, 6, and 11 don't overlap each other and may provide a clearer signal. Your wireless adapter's installation program should install and configure the adapter's driver. If asked to select a mode during installation, choose Infrastructure if you're configuring a wireless access point or router, or Ad hoc for file sharing on a peer-to-peer network. For SSID and channel settings, choose the same values that are set in your access point or router. Once the adapter is installed, Windows XP's Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) utility will scan for available networks and display a notification bubble when it finds any (see FIGURE 3). Click the bubble to select a network and connect to it. Your adapter's Properties dialog box lists 'Available networks' and 'Preferred networks'. WZC connects to preferred networks in the order they are listed. Use the options to add, remove, or change the order. To open this dialog box, right-click My Network Places, select Properties, and click Wireless Networks (see FIGURE 4). If you lose connections, disable WZC by unchecking Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings in Wireless Network Connection Properties.
Wireless Security: Avoid Prying Eyes
Do you trust your neighbors--or passersby in the street--with the contents of your PC? If not, enable the security features of your wireless access point and change its default settings. Use a new password: Don't leave the password field blank, and don't use the device's default password (if it has one). Hide your SSID: By default, most access points broadcast the network's SSID so that clients can automatically configure themselves and connect. If your router allows you to disable this, do so. Enable MAC filtering: Your desktop PC's network adapter, the wireless PC Card adapter in your notebook, and any other device connecting to the network have unique alphanumeric identifiers called media access control (MAC) addresses. Enter the address of each adapter on the network into the MAC filter feature in the access point's setup program so that only those adapters can access the network. To find an adapter's MAC address in Windows XP or 2000, click Start, Run and type Enable WPA or WEP encryption: Both the Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) and the newer Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) standards encrypt data on wireless networks. To send or receive data requires the proper key or passphrase entered in the adapter's utility program. Unfortunately, WEP can be hacked by determined snoopers. Look for routers that support the stronger WPA encryption scheme. If your current router offers only WEP protection, you may be able to upgrade to WPA via a firmware update. Turn off Windows file sharing: Right-click the drive's icon in Windows Explorer, select Sharing and Security (in Windows XP) or Sharing (in other versions of Windows), and make sure that 'Share this folder on the network' is unchecked (you may have to click through a Windows warning to get to this option).
Click here for past Hardware Tips columns. Send your tips and questions to kirk_steers@pcworld.com. We pay $50 for published items. Kirk Steers is a PC World contributing editor. |
