25 Sep
2004
25 Sep
'04
2:30 p.m.
Mark HATHERLY wrote:
At the moment my computer is plugged into the cable
modem via RJ45. I am
moving house soon and would like to have the computer upstairs in the new
place. The cable, however, comes into the downstairs front room. I would
like to canvas the group's opinion on the most appropriate hardware to set
up a wireless connection under Linux, including recommendations on hardware
and where to buy it. My machine is a Dell Dimension 4600 with a Pentium IV,
running Debian GNU/Linux (sarge, mostly). There's only one machine at home
at the moment, but I want to get a lap-top in the next six months or so.
Additionally, although I am reasonably competent, I am not a tech pro, and I
have a limited budget, so no Grand Unifying Solutions please!
Thanks in advance,
Mark H
You must know that the encryption mecanism on 802.11 (WiFi technology) is still
weak and that up to now (as far as I know) the new encryption standard is not yet
available. So, installing a WiFi system at home is equivalent to offering a RJ45 connector
at the outside of your home. If you think this is OK, keep going. Otherwise, just wait
some months until the new encryption standard, hoping this one is not broken by design as
the previous ones...
You also must know that even "compatible" cards and hubs work often much better
when they are out of the same vendor. Even if cards from different vendors are
"compatible", their performance degrades rapidely with distance and walls, much
more rapidely than if they would be of the same brand...
You understood that I don't want such a device for me. We even disadvice this
technology so far to our customers, if it's not for a very limited use (demo, meeting
rooms, ...). The ones we know that use this complains always because it does not cross two
(old house) walls or a (armed) concrete floor. So, I would advice you to borrow such
device and test it at home in real conditions before purchasing it...
Personnally, I run ADSL (I'm not in the coverage of your provider, so I don't
even compare) and my home has phone cables at each floor (even if it's a very old
house). This way, I connected my ADSL modem at the very location of my office.
Sincerely yours,
--
Brent Frère
Private e-mail: Brent(a)BFrere.net
Postal address: 5, rue de Mamer
L-8280 Kehlen
Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
European Union
Mobile: +352-021/29.05.98
Fax: +352-26.30.05.96
Home: +352-307.341
URL: http://BFrere.net