Woreless routers- help please

Prudent

Please can someone give me an idiots guide to what a wireless rouer is and how to use one.

I am just getting a new laptop. The phone sockets are not very handy for the rooms in which I would mainly use it. I thereofre wondered about a router. I have heard about them, but know nothing about how they work.

I currently use dial up, but would like to move to broadband soon.

viru.doshi

Loads of info on the web via google but im not doing much so i'll give you a intro.

So, imagine there is a router, this router would connect to say a Cable modem, which connects to a internet service provider. On the other side of the router you have your PCs/Laptops connected. These can be connected directly from PC/Laptop to router via a cable or in the case of a wireless router via a Wireless adaptor. I have one PC connected to my wireless router via a cable, one PC via a wireless PCI card, and a Laptop via a Wireless PCMCIA Card.

Now you might think how can all these computers use the same connection to get internet? How is that a laptop trying to access google.com gets that information and the other computers don't? Well thats what the router helps with. It helps to figure out which computer sends/recieves which information.


Thought I'd add a few websites with mroe indepth info:
http://www.wireless-network-tutorial.com/
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wirelessproducts/a/howtobuildwlan.htm

T4i

Think of a router as the postman/woman.

Data or letters come into a main building (modem) the post people (router) delivers the correct data/letters to the correct destination address.

Routers also offer more protection in terms of security attacks. You can also police in internet more with a router as you can allow/deny certain tasks at certain times of the day.

A MUST if you have a partner who can't stop spending money on ebay.

0800 - 17:00 / Mon-Sun / Deny ebay.co.uk

albertross_2

T4i wrote:

Think of a router as the postman/woman.

Data or letters come into a main building (modem) the post people (router) delivers the correct data/letters to the correct destination address.

If you don't setup WPA-PSK encryption, then the postman will deliver your letters to every neighbour within a 100 metre radius, just like the real world.

What ISP do you use, BT line or cable, does the laptop have a wireless card built-in, do you have more than one PC to connect to it?

Have a scan through some of these for more information:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=121274

Prudent

albertross wrote:

If you don't setup WPA-PSK encryption, then the postman will deliver your letters to every neighbour within a 100 metre radius, just like the real world.

What ISP do you use, BT line or cable, does the laptop have a wireless card built-in, do you have more than one PC to connect to it?

Have a scan through some of these for more information:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=121274

The laptop does have a wireless card and I don't have more than one pc to connect to it.I use AOL, but would consider changing.

albertross_2

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2301531&postcount=10

I'd get a netgear dg834G, all netgear routers are guaranteed to work with AOL. If you are willing to change ISP, there are many better deals out there some without 1 year lock-ins.

Prudent

albertross wrote:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2301531&postcount=10

I'd get a netgear dg834G, all netgear routers are guaranteed to work with AOL. If you are willing to change ISP, there are many better deals out there some without 1 year lock-ins.

I am definately considering a change, so perhaps I need to decide this first.