going Wireless

Graham Roberts Home Computer Services

Reputable & reliable computer repairs and servicing for Barlborough, Clowne, Bolsover & surrounding villages.

Are You Thinking of Going Wireless?

July 16th 2007

There’s a lot of gobbledygook and mystique spoken about changing over to a wireless internet connection in the main by re-sellers who just want your hard earned cash, so let me clarify a few matters which hopefully will help you decide what’s best for you.

First of all for those of you that are uncertain of the technology, let me explain what a wireless internet connection is.

A wireless internet connection connects your PC or laptop wirelessly using radio waves to a device called an ADSL Router. This Router, just like your existing modem connects directly to the internet by being plugged via a cable into a telephone socket via a broadband filter, so by then connecting to it you can access the internet. The main difference between a Router and a Modem is that a Router itself stores all your personal internet setting (like username and password) in its “Firmware” instead of them being stored on your computer, and connects to the internet automatically when it’s switched on irrespective of whether the PC is turned on. It also allows you to connect more then one computer to it, and therefore you can have several computers in one house surfing the net at the same time.

Sounds good eh?

Well yes but there are downsides as well as upsides.

Let’s take a look at the negatives first.

	Contrary to popular myth particularly amongst youngsters, wireless is not quicker then a wired connection although a “wired” router is often quicker then a basic USB modem.
	Wireless can be a personal security risk if it is not set up correctly as people living around you can tap into your connection. I had one customer in Barlborough who called me out because his connection was so slow and I found he had several local teenagers sharing his link wirelessly. Maybe it seems funny and all a bit of a kid’s prank but the point is, it could have just as easily been a terrorist or a paedophile and any wrongdoings would be traced back to your connection. To stop this happening, something called wireless encryption needs to be set up on your computer and he Router.
	Wireless connections can be affected by electrical items in the house and metal objects and also lose signal strength the further away the PC is from the Router. This can make them less reliable then wired connections.

But on the plus side…

	Mum, Dad, Jason and little Emma can all surf the net at the same time
	Providing your computer has a wireless network card installed, you can place it anywhere in your house without the need of a nearby telephone socket.
	Because it wireless, there’s less-wires, (excuse the pun).This means no unsightly extension cables trailing across the landing like last years Christmas decorations.
	Most Routers usually has a built in firewall capability and this acts as an extra barrier between your computer and all those hackers and viruses.

So what are my recommendations?

If there’s only one fixed personal computer in your house and you’re happy enough with its location, forget about wireless. You will have no real benefit from changing over unless maybe you have to get out a telephone line extension lead every time you want to surf. If you did want to re-site your PC, you might still find it easier and cheaper to have another phone socket installed.

If you have a laptop, going wireless can be a real benefit as it enables you to connect to the internet anywhere in the house (or in the garden) and gives you real freedom. Most new laptops are already wireless enabled but if yours hasn’t got it, you can buy a wireless network card from around £30.

If you have your own individual PC and a laptop, go wireless with the laptop but connect your PC direct into the back of the Router using something called an Ethernet cable which will normally be supplied with a new Router. This means that you have the dependability of a wired connection on the PC and the flexibility of a wireless connection on your laptop.

If you’re a family household and have a mix of several computers and laptops as previously discussed, going wireless is probably a real boon but I’d still recommend that one PC is directly connected using the Ethernet cable for the above reasons.

You ISP may supply you a wireless router but you don’t need to change your package to go wireless so work out what it is going to cost you first as you can buy your own for between £60 and £90.

As for the best most reliable models, I’d always go for Netgear or if not Belkin as they have stood the test of time but please note, some cheaper models have had compatibility problems with Windows Vista.

Graham

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