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Cut_the_Wires
| Cut the Wires?
Cut the Wires?
How often do you see someone sitting in an airport lounge or
coffee shop working on a laptop computer? Sure they could be
playing solitaire, but the odds are increasing that they are
corresponding via e-mail, sending a report back to the home
office, or downloading a presentation for their next stop and
staying one step ahead of their competition. Know anyone who
brags that they can check e-mail, weather, news or sports on
their laptop from anywhere in the house or even out on their
deck? How often does the lack of an internet connected computer
restrict the way you present, discuss, or demonstrate during a
meeting, or exchange between colleagues? Wish you could
instantly provide internet access for the new employee, the
conference room, or guest in the lobby?
Those who have tried Wireless Fidelity or Wi-Fi say they will
never give it up. Those who haven’t tried it are missing what
the Wi-Fi alliance simply describes as Freedom.
OK, so what is it, how much does it cost, how is it installed
and what problems are there?
First the good news. A Wi-Fi Network is simple, easy and
inexpensive to install. Basic requirements are: 1. A high speed
(broadband) internet connection, the most common being cable, or
DSL. 2. Next, an access point, sometimes called an antenna or a
wireless router. These are available at your local electronics
or computer store in a common price range from $50 to $150. 3. A
wireless card or “adapter” for your laptop computer(s). Most new
laptops come with wireless capability already installed but if
yours doesn’t have it, for less than $100 you can add an
adaptor...no tools required. That’s it. That’s all you need. The
equipment comes with instructions that are easy to follow, and
setup is a breeze. You can be up and running in moments, sharing
internet connection, and even printers, scanners and hard
drives. Sounds great, no? Any drawbacks? Well, a couple. First
of all, these networks operate in the unlicensed spectrum of
ranges of 2.4 and 5GHz. Do these numbers sound familiar? If you
have a cordless telephone, chances are quite good that it
operates in the same 2.4GHz spectrum. This causes problems with
some wireless networks. There are adjustments that can be made
if problems arise such as selecting a different channel on your
wireless network (a similar process to changing the channel on
your electric garage door opener) and in most cases this solves
the problem. Other precautions such as separation of telephones
and wireless equipment can be helpful. Note: If you have an old
900MHz cordless telephone, you may want to dig it out of the
closet or think twice before replacing it with one of the newer
2.4GHZ models. Manufacturers of the newest 5.8GHz models claim
they also do not interfere with wireless networks.
The other drawback is more of a quiet menace, generally more
serious, and usually happens without the network owner’s
knowledge. Typically, wireless network products are shipped with
any imbedded security features turned off in order to make setup
a snap. There are a few more steps required to add network
security. Without security measures active, your network is
accessible by anyone with a Wi-Fi capable device and within
range (typically up to a couple hundred feet). So what? Good
question; maybe no big deal for the present time but the more
users on your network, the less bandwidth there is for each
user, and the sharing of your single internet access line (say
512Kbps) can cause noticeable slowing of downloads and certain
applications. Higher speed internet access service can help if
you are networking simultaneous users who use the internet.
A more critical issue is that of file sharing. If any of your
computers are set to allow access for file sharing, or say
sharing a printer or other peripheral device, your “guest” has
the same access to these files and devices. This is an obvious
problem and one that you need to be aware of. There are easy
fixes. Read the documentation that comes with your equipment,
and ask questions before you purchase. Tell the sales person how
you plan to use this new freedom and ask for their suggestions
as to how you can operate securely and reliably.
Then cut the cords and enjoy the freedom. You are bound to
increase productivity, reduce fatigue, and get more done!
About the author:
John Geiger owns and operates the local affiliate of WSI
Internet Consulting and Education, a Toronto based global
network of consultants, developers and production centers
providing turn-key internet business solutions for small and
medium-sized enterprises. He can be reached at 828-324-8399 or
www.webmasters-wsi.com
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