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weed_ · Nov 21, 2002, 02:56 AM

Hi there,

while waiting for my Combo-1GHz-TiBook (in Europe the things last longer than in U.S. ...), I'm reflecting about purchasing a wireless basestation.

I'm using a 4-port DSL router (Zyxel) at home for internet access.

Does someone have an idea which base station is good to connect to an ethernet port at the router and to connect wireless both my new TiBook and a PC notebook (that would need a wireless PCMCIA card)?

2nd: Which PCMCIA card should I use for the PC notebook?

I'm looking for solutions that are not that expensive and I'm going to buy the stuff here in Europe/Germany.

Thanks for your input -
weed_

vmarks · Nov 21, 2002, 06:11 PM

Please use the networking forum for networking questions like this.
I'll move it there for you.

base stations:
linksys
buffalo airstation
lucent rg1000

pcmcia cards for PC:
linksys
cisco pcm352
lucent / orinoco wavelan
farallon skyline

RMXO · Nov 21, 2002, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by weed_:
Hi there,

while waiting for my Combo-1GHz-TiBook (in Europe the things last longer than in U.S. ...), I'm reflecting about purchasing a wireless basestation.

I'm using a 4-port DSL router (Zyxel) at home for internet access.

Does someone have an idea which base station is good to connect to an ethernet port at the router and to connect wireless both my new TiBook and a PC notebook (that would need a wireless PCMCIA card)?

2nd: Which PCMCIA card should I use for the PC notebook?

I'm looking for solutions that are not that expensive and I'm going to buy the stuff here in Europe/Germany.

Thanks for your input -
weed_

i dont know the prices in Europe but i was in the same delimea as u excpet for the wireless card for PC.

i already had a 5 port Netgear DSL router. thought about getting a base station but when i checked on prices, a wireless router cost just a little more than the base station.

so i went with a SMC Barricade 5 port wireless router.

i suggest u do a little price shopping to see which products you can afford. there are lots of brands out there that will do the job.

i always had good exp with netgear & smc....

jambajooz · Nov 22, 2002, 10:31 AM

Originally posted by RMXO:

i dont know the prices in Europe but i was in the same delimea as u excpet for the wireless card for PC.

i already had a 5 port Netgear DSL router. thought about getting a base station but when i checked on prices, a wireless router cost just a little more than the base station.

so i went with a SMC Barricade 5 port wireless router.

i suggest u do a little price shopping to see which products you can afford. there are lots of brands out there that will do the job.

i always had good exp with netgear & smc....

Netgear MA102 works great for me, its a WAP and can just be hooked up to any live broadband connection, no router needed. its small and compact. I think it was selling at Compusa for around $60. I got it for $130 earlier this year. I don't know if its my Pb but I get full bars reception even at the most distant locations possible.

vmarks · Nov 22, 2002, 01:54 PM

http://www.computers4sure.com/produc...;affid=9359008

is a base station for a hundred dollars.

CRASH HARDDRIVE · 03:25 PM

edit- my questions/comments about wired wireless routers probably better suited to another thread about the subject- though it applies here a bit too as far as the price issue.

ghporter · Nov 23, 2002, 08:42 AM

vmarks' comments are right to the point-there are a lot of choices. Apple came out with the first consumer level wireless access point/router with the AirPort Base Station, but other manufacturers have not only followed, but expanded the concept. Shop around and you can find the features you need and want, as well as a price that you can manage.

There are far more PCMCIA wireless cards for PCs than for Macs, for some reason. All will "work," but not all are as easy to set up and use, and some (like Linksys' original WPC11 card-not their current V3 card) have a problem with range.

For both, start looking at compliance. If they say "WiFi" or "802.11b" on the package, then they'll work for you. However, if you're interested in using AppleTalk (not likely with your setup right now, but maybe in the future), you need to pay close attention, because not many wireless routers or access points really support it.

The bottom line is to become knowledgeable about what you want and need, and then shop thoroughly. Buy what makes the best sense for you.

talisker · Dec 18, 2002, 09:37 PM

Help! Can someone explain what the difference is between a WAP (wireless access point) and a wireless router or wireless gateway? All I want to do is get something that I can plug into my ADSL modem using an ethernet cable that will let me connect using my airport-equipped ibook. Will a cheap WAP do fine, and what advantage does a wireless router give me over that? Cheers.

ghporter · Dec 19, 2002, 05:46 AM

A wireless access point is just that: a box that bridges your wireless network to your wired network. It isn't really a stand-alone device.

A wireless router (sometimes refered to as a wireless gateway or wireless gateway router) is a router, or more technically a switch with one route to the outside. Usually they have a few wired ports; the snow AirPort Base Station has what could be considered a 1-port wired router. These devices include not only the wired router function but a wired-to-wireless bridge as well, fulfilling two roles at the same time.

Did that help?

talisker · Dec 19, 2002, 01:32 PM

So can I plug a WAP into my ADSL modem and use it to connect via my Airport card, or do I need a router? (As you can gather, my networking knowledge is pretty limited!)

ghporter · 03:43 PM

Short answer: yes and no. Generically speaking you can plug it in to your ADSL modem, but you'll have some problems. I'll discuss the big ones with examples I'm familiar with-Linksys' WAP11 wireless access point.

Problem 1: configuring a WAP11. Linksys doesn't have Mac configuration software for the WAP11, only Windows. This may also be true of other vendors' offerings.

Problem 2: Your ADSL modem is a very good bridge-so good that the bad guys can get in and do BAD things to your computer, especially if you're running OS X (Unix hackers are out there, and they're subtle.) This is true for whatever access point you choose.

Solution: Buy a BEFW11S4 instead of both router and a WAP11. The BEFW11S4 is a 4-port wired router with access point, and it uses a browser-based configuration system so you can configure it with any platform that has a browser. The BEFW11S4 is installed between the ADSL modem and everything else and it acts as a pretty good barier to the bad guys. It's "firewall" functions come from the way it shares your connection; Network Address Translation or NAT isn't perfect, but neither are seat belts. As an additional benefit, the BEFW11S4 is priced only a little more than the WAP11. (As of 3:45 Central Time on the 19th, Buy.com is selling the BEFW11S4 for $99.95 with a $10 rebate, while their price for the WAP11 is $105 with no rebate!)

If you prefer other brands, go for it, but you want the following in whatever you get:
--A wired router in case you have problems with any of your wireless equipment or want to connect a fixed machine (a plain-jane $20 PCI network card sure beats an $80 PCI wireless network card!); it should have at least 3 client ports, not counting the WAN port you'll connect to the modem.
--NAT functions. Any other built in defensive features like Stateful Packet Inspection or SPI are a plus.
--128-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). Some folks have a little trouble getting their keys set up initially, but you want the best encryption you can get.
--External antennas. Give preference to models that have 2, because their performance, particularly their receive performance, is much better.