Setting up Wireless Connections:
a Newcomers Guide

Like the Internet, wi-fi was confined to technical circles for years before bursting into the mainstream. What's amazing about this boom is that it's a grassroots phenomenon, happening in the home even faster than in the office.

Wireless networking will save you the physical hassle of using cabling to connect computer hardware. The ease and speed of implementation makes it an attractive proposition. Wi-fi is cheap, powerful, and, most important, it works. What hardware do you need to make a connection?

We are assuming you already have a PC accessing the internet via an external modem or router. There also needs to be a spare port to plug in the wireless hardware. Take a simple example of connecting a portable computer to the Internet via wireless. You need an AP or wireless Access Point and a wireless card for your laptop if it can’t handle wireless.

The newer models have built in wireless. Carefully read the instructions that came with the hardware and plug your AP into the spare port via a data cable. Turn on your portable computer and if you are having a good day the laptop will automatically find the AP, making the wireless connection complete. You will need to call support if you get stumped.

What materials hinder wireless connections? Steel and stone are the worst wall materials as the signal barely trickles through, while glass acts like a reflector, bouncing back the signal. You will need to reposition your access point if you strike problems with materials.
Security is a big issue with wireless connections.

If you don’t take precautions you could have your neighbours using your account, costing you extra money. WEP or wireless encryption protocol is a standard method for protecting your traffic and is useful in deterring casual hackers. Many wireless vendors ship their units with WEP disabled in order to make the installation easier. This gives hackers immediate access to your wireless network. Make sure you have WEP enabled.

Another way of deterring hitch-hikers using wireless sniffers is by your network identifier. The SSID (or service set identifier) is the code used by the wireless access point with which computers are able to make connections. This identifier is set by the manufacturer, and each one uses a default phrase, such as "linksys" for Linksys devices.

Hackers who know the codes can easily make unauthorized use of your wireless services. Choose a unique SSID, and if possible, suppress the broadcast of this identifier out over the antenna.

A geek pastime that hit the news in the past is “warchalking”. It is the act of marking buildings and sidewalks with chalk to let others know about the availability of free Wi-Fi access. If you work in a densely populated area, use wi-fi and keep getting stung by your ISP …it may pay to look for chalk marks.

Wireless Lifestyles: Live Well, Work Smart and Play More

Wireless technology is going to increasingly blur the boundaries between work and play. No longer are we anchored to a fixed Internet connection. Access without a direct phone link is vital in industry …and wireless allows us the freedom to roam. Wireless hot spots are one primary reason for giving us the opportunities to live a more flexible lifestyle.

Wireless is beginning to infiltrate everything we do: the way we work, the way we live and the way we play. No longer are the lucky people with wireless enhanced jobs going to fight peak hour traffic. In fact, in the future, wireless could eliminate traffic jams. Wi-fi will be the de-facto standard for connecting any form of mobile computing device to the Internet.

For the hot spot provider only a small setup expense is required, giving users a convenient low cost service. How any service business could overlook not setting up their own hotspot could be a fatal mistake. Any place where humans congregate and linger is a potential place for a hotspot. Already there are ferries, buses and trains all adopting the technology for their customers.

Radio links are going to speed up and accelerate the world as we know it, today. No longer we will be inconvenienced and forced to kill time.

The different flavors of wireless

Common wireless networking is known as wi-fi. Wi-fi like hi-fi as it stands for wireless fidelity instead of high fidelity. There are different standards of wi-fi and they are numbered in unique ways …the a, b and g editions.

The “b” version was the first version to hit the marketplace. It is the slowest and least expensive of the three. Technically known as 802.11b, the standard transmits in the same band as the newer cordless phones.

The higher priced “a” version runs at a higher frequency, is fast and is less prone to radio interference. The downside is less range and penetration through walls. The latest “g” flavor is a mix of both worlds. It has the low cost “b” advantage but having high speed.

Today in retail, you will see in the main, the latest 802.11g equipment displayed.