Wireless Network Help

Paul_Varjak

I have a Speedtouch ADSL modem with a single USB for PC connection (no Ethernet port).

Here are the requirements (within a Home network):

1. Link up to three PCs (wirelessly) - an XP-based desktop and one XP-base laptop in my home plus one XP-based desktop in an adjacent terraced property (12 feet between desktops), so as to provide relative with my broadband connection! All three computers have ethernet connections and wireless cards.


2. Use a networked colour laser printer (in my home), from any of the three PCs.


3. Use VOIP (SIP) via an analogue phone near to my computer and from two other DECT phones in my home. I will be using 1899.com SIP server for all calls.


4. Host a web site on my desktop (so I think I need Dynamic DNS as ISP supplies a 'floating' IP address)

5. Have a decent firewall.

I guess I will have to ditch the Speedtouch modem and go for an all-in-one solution. I prefer to do that anyway as it cuts down on cables and leaves the Speedtouch modem as an emergency backup.


Have looked at Draytek Vigor 2600VG but it is a bit expensive and has VPN which I don't need.


Any other suggestions?

DVB_3

What's the budget you had in mind?

NellyLock

what kind of budget have you got? why have you opted for this over something like the netgear ones for example?..does this support question 3?

Paul_Varjak

DVB wrote:

What's the budget you had in mind?

Something less than the £175 the Draytek Vigor 2600VG would cost

NellyLock wrote:

why have you opted for this over something like the netgear ones for example?

Do Netgear offer VOIP solutions in the UK yet?

NellyLock

not specifically built in but cant you buy voip separates? as mentioned in an earlier post, are you not paying a premium for it too be all in one solution?

im sorry i should really pull out of this convo cause my knowledge of voip is very limited

neil

DVB_3

Don't forget that in order to use VOIP you would either need a separate ATA or some VOIP ports integrated into the router, so it's not clear which solution is cheaper, unless of course you already have the adapter. Also, how many VOIP lines do you need? You specified three phones, but most VOIP adapters only have two ports.

In terms of budget for the decent wireless router - Expansys has a good deal http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=118595 You can opt for either the free laptop, or free desktop adapter. However, as specified earlier, you would need a separate VOIP adapter. Still, even Cisco ones are not very expensive on eBay at the moment.

Printer - can be connected to any PC and shared. However, this PC would have to be switched on in order for others to be able to print. Another solution - separate print server (unless your printer has a built-in one).

DDNS - not a problem for any router (unless it's a very bad one).

So, to summarise all I said above, after you have combined all the costs involved Vigor might still prove to be the most cost-effective option, not to mention their exceptional stability and reliability.

Paul_Varjak

DVB wrote:

Also, how many VOIP lines do you need? You specified three phones, but most VOIP adapters only have two ports.

One port for main phone plus one port for the two DECT phones (second DECT phone has no phone line connection)

DVB wrote:

Don't forget that in order to use VOIP you would either need a separate ATA or some VOIP ports integrated into the router, so it's not clear which solution is cheaper, unless of course you already have the adapter.

I do not have any equipment yet (other than that mentioned in first post). If I used an ATA would this just plug between the analogue phone and an Ethernet port on the router? I assume I would need two ATAs plugging into two Ethernet ports plus three wireless connections. Can a router with four Ethernet ports handle three wireless connections plus two wired connections?

DVB wrote:

In terms of budget for the decent wireless router - Expansys has a good deal http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=118595 You can opt for either the free laptop, or free desktop adapter. However, as specified earlier, you would need a separate VOIP adapter. Still, even Cisco ones are not very expensive on eBay at the moment.

I will have a look at that.

DVB wrote:

Printer - can be connected to any PC and shared. However, this PC would have to be switched on in order for others to be able to print. Another solution - separate print server (unless your printer has a built-in one).

The Draytek Vigor 2600VG has a USB print server built in, but how do I make a wireless USB connection?

DVB wrote:

DDNS - not a problem for any router (unless it's a very bad one).

One VOIP modem/router I looked at (ZOOM) does not have DDNS!

DVB wrote:

So, to summarise all I said above, after you have combined all the costs involved Vigor might still prove to be the most cost-effective option, not to mention their exceptional stability and reliability.

Many thank for your help. It’s good to know that Draytek are reliable!

DVB_3

I think some clarification is needed. An ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) normally has two analogue ports for connecting two separate VOIP lines with separate numbers; the number of phones you can connect to a single port would probably depend on the ATA specs and the REN of the phone.

A single ATA requires only a single wired connection to the router, regardless of how many analogue ports are in use.

Decent wireless router can handle a large number of wired/wireless connections, certanly above any reasonable home network requirements.

Not sure what you mean by wireless USB connection. If you printer has USB port , all you do is plug it in. After that, using the software that comes with the router, you create a connection to the printer from every PC involved. After initial printer and port setup all connections will be completely transparent, i.e. any computer on the network would "feel" that it prints to the something locally connected.

If every computer on your network would have a wireless card, you would have no need to use Ethernet ports, except for the ATA connection if you go for the separate component solution, unless of course you've got stuff like game consoles, etc, to connect.

Paul_Varjak

Just found a site which says the USB print server on Draytek 2600VG is not really a print server; i.e. it cannot 'spool' documents and documents are limited to size of printer's memory!

Luckily, I have not bought color laser yet, so guess I will have to buy one with built-in network capability, instead.

DVB_3

That's what I use, and it seems to be the best solution. HP printers are very reliable with regards to this matter.

Also, being limited by the amount of printer's memory is not normally an issue for colour laser printers, as their memory can usually be significantly expanded. Newest models even have internal hard drives.

Paul_Varjak

DVB wrote:

I think some clarification is needed. An ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) normally has two analogue ports for connecting two separate VOIP lines with separate numbers; the number of phones you can connect to a single port would probably depend on the ATA specs and the REN of the phone.

I didn't realise that ATAs had two ports that could be programmed for two VOIP lines with differing numbers. That may be useful! I assume that if I have VOIP lines with two different numbers that they both can 'fall back' to the same analogue landline number on power failure etc?

DVB wrote:

A single ATA requires only a single wired connection to the router, regardless of how many analogue ports are in use.

Yes, I see now. I assumed I needed an ATA for each analogue phone, because I thought an ATA could only handle one phone.

DVB wrote:

Decent wireless router can handle a large number of wired/wireless connections, certanly above any reasonable home network requirements.

Is this without any extra equipment? i.e. can I use all four wired ethernet ports and say have another four wireless connections from just one router? Or could the router handle, say, eight all wireless connections without any additional equipment?

DVB wrote:

Not sure what you mean by wireless USB connection. If you printer has USB port , all you do is plug it in. After that, using the software that comes with the router, you create a connection to the printer from every PC involved. After initial printer and port setup all connections will be completely transparent, i.e. any computer on the network would "feel" that it prints to the something locally connected.

Do you mean that the network computers communicate with the router (either via Ethernet or wirelessly) and this then gets routed to printer via USB port?

DVB wrote:

If every computer on your network would have a wireless card, you would have no need to use Ethernet ports, except for the ATA connection if you go for the separate component solution, unless of course you've got stuff like game consoles, etc, to connect.

No requirement for games consoles - thank god!

Can you also tell me, do the proper VOIP phones connect in the same way? That is do they also need a VOIP connection on a router or separate ATA? If they do connect in the same fashion, then what does a VOIP phone do that an analogue phone does not when used on a VOIP line?