AVG Anti-Virus

[Roy Tucker]

Ok. Here is the wireless router and card that I am looking at. Tell me what you think?

router - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...p?EdpNo=706705

adapter - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...3131&CatId=368

Anyone know where I can get a better deal?

I'm going to leave the one kid's computer that currently has the cat5 cable setup intact. I'm just going to plug it into the back of the router. One thing you do get with the cat5 hookup is greater speed. So why not utilize it? I'm then going to purchase a wireless adapter for the the 3rd computer.

What do you guys think?

Looks OK to me. I haven't used D-Link so I can't comment directly on how is does or doesn't work. It all looks pretty basic. But D-Link, Linksys, and Netgear are the big names in home networking so you ought to be OK. I'd spend a little time on the net seeing if anyone has had problems with what you're looking at. Spend as much as you need to. Not more and not less.

And as a rule of thumb, I didn't buy a wireless card unless I had to. If the PC is sitting right next to the router, its cheaper just to hardwire it. And you can hang hubs off those ports if you need to.

And Krono, as soon as you get a job we can talk :deadhorse

[GoReds]

My father-in-law, who is a network engineer tells me he will only by Linksys because they are associated with Cisco.

FWIW.

[GAC]

The two kid's computers are in each of their rooms and across the hall from one another. They are about 25 ft from this, the host computer.

[KronoRed]

Looks good to me..nice prices!

D-Link is liked by the people I've asked about it

[Roy Tucker]

The two kid's computers are in each of their rooms and across the hall from one another. They are about 25 ft from this, the host computer.

I assume your broadband bridge is sitting next to the host computer? I keep my router right next to the bridge just so I don't lose track of it.

Cabling is just a matter of convenience. If you don't want to trip over the wires constantly, get a wireless card for the PC in question.

Looks like the wireless cards are getting pretty cheap. I may do that with some of our computers to cut down on wire rats nest on my main 'puter desk.

Like I said, I've had Linksys products over the years and they've worked great. Dunno about D-Link, pro or con.

[GAC]

I assume your broadband bridge is sitting next to the host computer? I keep my router right next to the bridge just so I don't lose track of it.

Cabling is just a matter of convenience. If you don't want to trip over the wires constantly, get a wireless card for the PC in question.

Looks like the wireless cards are getting pretty cheap. I may do that with some of our computers to cut down on wire rats nest on my main 'puter desk.

Like I said, I've had Linksys products over the years and they've worked great. Dunno about D-Link, pro or con.

I'm going to have the router probably on the top of the desk of this computer and next to the external cable modem. It will then be easy to plug in the cat5 cable end running between this computer and the other one.

Then I will install the wireless card in the 3rd computer.

Once I get this equipment installed I am assuming that I need to go to Control Panel in XP and run the Wireless Network Setup Wizard?

[GAC]

OK. I went out and purchased a Linksys router and USB adapter this morning. It took me about 15 minutes to hook it all up. I wanted to buy a wireless card instead of the USB adapter, but they were sold out. The salesperson said he uses the USB and has never had a problem; but if I did I could return it and they'd exchange it for a card when they came in later this week.

Man! The internet really flies on my son's computer with this. I am impressed! it works great.

But I have a few questions for you guys (and thanks again for all your assistance)....

#1 - On my host computer, and on the Linksys Installation CD, it had a screen for "Configure Wireless Security Settings" (optional). It says to choose from the following three items... 64-bit wired-equivalent privacy (WEP) or 128-bit WEP or Wi-Fi protected access-personal (WPA-PSK)

I didn't chose any (it's currently disabled) because I wasn't sure. It also said that whatever I select must be the same on all the computers.

#2 - My daughter's computer is the one with the Cat5 hookup. It currently is not going through the router, but it still a direct-connect to my computer. I'm assuming that I can just plug the end of the cat5 cable into an empty slot on the back of the router?

#3 - On the installation CD it offered Norton's Internet Security along with a 60 day trial of their AV. I personally don't care for Norton's, and I already have AV with my cable company. So I didn't select install. Does this mean that my router doesn't have a firewall now, or is that something separate?

#4 - How can I allow my son's computer to communicate/utilize the printer on my host computer? Is that possible? Do I just go to "Add A Printer" on his computer and select network printer?

[KronoRed]

#3 - On the installation CD it offered Norton's Internet Security along with a 60 day trial of their AV. I personally don't care for Norton's, and I already have AV with my cable company. So I didn't select install. Does this mean that my router doesn't have a firewall now, or is that something separate?

#3 Routers have a built in 1 way firewall without norton, it blocks stuff comeing in but not yer computer being hijacked and calling out, I'd still use zone alarm to be safe, Norton is a HOG, yer better off without it

[GAC]

#3 Routers have a built in 1 way firewall without norton, it blocks stuff comeing in but not yer computer being hijacked and calling out, I'd still use zone alarm to be safe, Norton is a HOG, yer better off without it

Yeah... I learned that about Nortons. I took it off last week and can't believe how much better my computer performs. Good riddance!

I'm still gonna need to run my daughter's computer through the router though right, before I install any firewall? Or I am gonna have the same problem as before with her computer/cat5 hookup?

I have AV/Firewall with Charter Commincations; but the firewall is still disabled until I get everything set up through the router.

[KronoRed]

I'd run the daughters computer through the router, nice and simple that way, the cable you have right now might work, but I'm thinking it's a crossover cat 5 cable and it won't.

The security stuff is important, don't want your neighbors piggybacking on the wireless connection..Where's Roy? he'd know the proper setup for this

[GAC]

I'd run the daughters computer through the router, nice and simple that way, the cable you have right now might work, but I'm thinking it's a crossover cat 5 cable and it won't.

That is what I am thinking also. I have the one internet connection on the back of the router that is for where the cable modem plugs in (and it took the cat5 conection). But the other 4 plug-ins I am not sure will take a cat5 connector. But I asm gonna check it out later.

Do you know anything about what I mentioned above with the three encryption settings?

[Roy Tucker]

For a while, I used WPA-PSK with a shared password for security. But I constantly had a lot of problems with dropped sessions and connect problems. I bounced back and forth between Linksys and Microsoft and it was a finger-pointing session. I finally just said screw it and run with no security now.

If my neighbor wants to piggyback on, so be it. Someday, when I'll have a lot of time, I revisit this problem.

[GAC]

dbl post :allovrjr:

[GAC]

For a while, I used WPA-PSK with a shared password for security. But I constantly had a lot of problems with dropped sessions and connect problems. I bounced back and forth between Linksys and Microsoft and it was a finger-pointing session. I finally just said screw it and run with no security now.

If my neighbor wants to piggyback on, so be it. Someday, when I'll have a lot of time, I revisit this problem.

So basically then, those encryption settings are only to prevent a neighbor, or someone nearby, from "piggy backing" on your computer. I don't think I'll have that problem living out here in the country.

Here's another tech question for you all....

My son has a video game installed on my (host) computer. His computer won't handle it (processor not big enough), and I'm not going to go to the trouble (cost-effectiveness) of replacing the motherboard/processor on this one. Plus, I don't know how to do it.

Now that we are networked, can he connect to, via his computer, and play that game that is installed on my computer?

[Reds4Life]

Now that we are networked, can he connect to, via his computer, and play that game that is installed on my computer?

No, the game software would still have to be installed on his machine.