Wireless How To?

T

Thedavman

Registered User
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15
Have decided to change to a wireless internet connection in my home. Present furniture layout makes getting to the modem a real pain. A wireless connection would allow me go online all over the house and me much easier.

Hope to buy a wireless router tomorrow/ online. The laptop is a Dell Inspiron 1521 and the broadband provider is NTL.

I get confused when lookin online at the different wireless routers. What type of router should i buy? When in Maplin earlier today they were asking what type of connection i have but when i said NTL that didnt seem the correct answer . . . . . they then mentioned something about ADSL?

Thanks in advance for any replies.
 
The one given out by eircom is called netopia, model no. 2247nwg if that helps. It allows wireless and cable. Make sure your PC modem accepts wireless though otherwise it'll be a bit pointless getting a wireless router ;-)
 
Thedavman said:
When in Maplin earlier today they were asking what type of connection i have but when i said NTL that didnt seem the correct answer . . . . . they then mentioned something about ADSL?
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There are different types of DSL as far as I know.

  • ISDN
  • Symmetric DSL
  • Asymmetric DSL
  • ADSL2
  • ADSL2+

Basically they are just to do with what speed the line can tollerate.
So the Maplin workers were probably wanting to know what speed your phoneline can take to sell you a modem that can tollerate the speed increases over the years.

The further you go nearer the bottom of the list I've made, the more expensive the modem will be.

But if you got a modem from NTL you could bring that to the store and they may be able to tell what type of line you have and sell you one accordingly.

Also, I believe NTL are a cable company? So I don't know if your internet comes via a Phone line or Cable.

Best to wait for more replies.
 
Is the Dell Inspiron 1521 Wireless ready? If not you''ll have an extra bit of expenditure to install a wireless card in it.

If you have ADSL / 2 / 2+ (not a disorder) installed, and your broadband is via phone-line, your modem will be plugged into a phone line via a little plastic "dongle". Each of your wall outlets will have one of these for your phones, and the wall-socket with the modem attached may have a twin-outlet dongle with the modem connected to one dongle socket and a phone connected to the other.

The type of router you want will connect to your modem via a an Category 5 / 5e Ethernet UTP network patch cable with RJ11 connectors at either end. You will also need access to a mains outlet to plug the router into.

("I thought all this was wireless!", I hear you scream; well it is, after a fashion.)

If necessary install the wireless network card in the laptop and any requisite driver software.

Install any software in the laptop necessary for the router.

Power up the modem and the router and connect from the laptop to the router and bingo! wireless networking via more more wires and devices than a conventional wired network ever needed!.

According to the archived specifications I found, this budget laptop from Dell did NOT come with a wireless network card as standard, but one was available as an option.
 
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Cheers for the replies.

I presum the laptop is wireless enabled as when i turn it on it says "searching for wireless devices".

Mathepac, your right, the modem is connected to the phone line via the dongle and the modem is connected to the laptop via an ethernet cable.

Are there any particular makes of routers i should look for?

Also i have 3 MB broadband, what speed of router should i get?
 
Buy an ordinary wireless access point and plug it into your NTL box, try Argos.

The staff in Maplins should have been able to provide you with better help.
 

All you need is a wireless router. Something like the Netgear WGR614.

I dunno way people are confusing the issue, its very clear Thedavman is using NTL therefore has Cable/DSL. While you could get modem/router combined unit, they are expensive, and the only advantage is that you use one less AC plug. But its going to be harder to set up and trouble shoot, so why bother.
 
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