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The PC Pro guide to wireless

Posted on 28 Nov 2005 at 12:13

Whether you're new to Wi-Fi or want to upgrade your current network, get up to date with our guide to wire-free computing for 2006

How quickly things change. Last year, broadband was the thing. Now that's history: wireless broadband is where it's at. And it's hardly surprising. Wireless connection - and a fast wireless Internet connection in particular - is fabulously convenient. Move your PCs to wherever you want them without worrying about trailing network cables everywhere; make Voice-over IP calls from the bathroom; surf from the sofa; stream music around your house wherever you want it.

The last time we looked at how to set up a wireless network, there were several qualifications, problems and caveats. Many new wireless devices simply didn't work properly out of the box - if at all - and Windows XP's wireless configuration boxes had the unfortunate habit of leading you round in circles.

All this is changing, though. And while the nature of radio waves is that you may occasionally suffer connection problems, things have moved apace in the last year. The advent of MIMO devices, which provide greater range and speed by using the radio waves that bounce off obstacles, is a huge step forward for the reliability of connections. And Windows XP Service Pack 2's much-improved wireless network support means there's really very little effort required to get yourself up and running.

There's one thing you should be aware of, though: security. You need to secure your new wireless network as soon as possible. The newest and safest encryption system, WPA, is a doddle to implement and extremely secure if you follow our walkthrough and setup tips. The word 'encryption' puts people off because it sounds complicated, but it's vital to secure your network from people leeching your connection, stealing your bandwidth and potentially gaining access to everything on your PC. An unsecured wireless connection is the equivalent of an open front door - it's a direct route to everything on your hard disk.

THE ESSENTIALS

While networking has become easier since the launch of Windows XP and its more or less self-configuring network connections, it can still be a topic couched in obscure jargon, which it's worth getting a passing knowledge of.

Routers

When people talk about wireless routers these days, they're talking about a wireless access point and router combined. The access point part allows your wireless PCs and devices to connect together; the router part allows those wireless devices to talk to wired devices and, crucially, gain access to your broadband connection. If your broadband is ADSL, you'll need a wireless ADSL router; if you have a Telewest or ntl subscription, which came with a cable modem featuring an Ethernet output, you need a wireless cable/DSL router. You can also get away with a cable/DSL router if your ADSL modem has an Ethernet port. There's some confusing terminology surrounding products too. Wireless routers are sometimes referred to as wireless gateways, switches or hubs - they're the same thing mostly.

Ethernet

Practically every PC motherboard these days has an Ethernet networking port with a maximum speed of 100Mb/sec (Fast Ethernet) or 1,000Mb/sec (Gigabit Ethernet). A wireless router will usually sport five Ethernet ports: one for the WAN (wide area network) connection, which connects to your cable or DSL modem supplied by your broadband ISP, and four for the LAN (local area network) side. You don't need to use these if you're going for a purely wireless setup, but they allow you to connect wired devices for one unified network, and it's useful to be able to connect with a wired connection for initial setup of your wireless security.