Wireless router advice

Pete.g

Hi, I have just ordered one of theses laptops:

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/3337356/Toshiba-Satellite-Pro-L30-113-1-7GHz-15-4-TFT-1Gb-Memory-Laptop-Notebook-Vista-Home-Basic/Product.html

Now, being a complete newby to laptops and wireless routers I need a little advice. I have read a few threads saying that Linksys wireless routers are very good indeed.

So I've decided to go with a linksys, what exactly do I need as I have looked and there are a few different ones such as Wirless-G and Wireless-B, what's the difference?

Also there are various signal boosters ect do I need these?

I also read someones comments about how good OpenWRT firmware is, what is this and do I need it?

Sorry if these are basic questions but dont want to go to pc world and get sold loads of stuff I dont need.

Thanks,

Pete.

PaulK_3

Open WRT firmware allows further options to be open to the end user so you can tinker a lot more with the router settings, wireless B and G are standards for the router and if you go for wireless G a lot of them are backwards compatible which will allow greater flexibility in your networking choices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11

Pete.g

Thanks Paul,

not sure what all that means though. I have read through the link you posted and to be honest it went somewhere over my head! Why would you need greater options ect when all I want is to use the laptop wirelessly. What other options and tinkering could you do?

Thanks,

Pete.

albertross_2

I wouldn't worry about different firmware, it's for geeks. Just make sure you encrypt it with WPA-PSK when you get it.

Cricri

OpenWRT is an unofficial aftermarket firmware (i.e. the software built into the device) which allows compatible routers to do much more then they can out of the box.
I have a Buffalo router myself. They are cheaper than LinkSys, and support the same unofficial firmwares (maybe not OpenWRT, but I use another one called DD-WRT which works great).

Cricri

albertross wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about different firmware, it's for geeks. Just make sure you encrypt it when you get it.

I definitely agree with that, it can't be stressed enough. And don't use WEP, prefer WPA, or even better, WPA2 which is more secure than WPA (nevermind WEP).

Pete.g

Thanks for your help guys.

So if I was to buy one of these:

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0938115654.1180287622@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccckaddldehhldjcflgceggdhhmdfhn.0&page=Product&fm=13&sm=1&tm=1&sku=250537&category_oid=

Would it work ok with the laptop I have ordered? I am on NTL cable. The laptop is wireless compatible does that mean the router will automatically pic up the laptop or do I need to plug a receiver type thing into the laptop to pick up the signal from the laptop?

Also when you say don't use WEP, prefer WPA, or even better, WPA2 how do I do this? Is it something you download?

Sorry if I'm sounding like a numb skull.

Thanks,

Pete.

albertross_2

The laptop has wireless built-in, so you just need a cable/dsl wireless router, the encryption is part of the installation procedure, but they don't come encrypted in the box, so you need to make sure you do it.