Need wireless network help

[TranceBear]

I have a few computers to network at my little shack and I need help!! I am gonna start with just this one I am typing on and another one. A little 800mhz Duron machine built for folding. I wanna do wireless and I am sooooo network stoopid!! I would prefer someone in the US/Canada so maybe I can call you and you can walk me through this. I feel this would help me out the best. I wanna get these little Durons up and running, I have 4 more waiting when I can get the money to finish them and network them all.

[Áedán]

I take it that what you have is...

A cable or DSL connection with an IP address.

What you want is...

Several machines that can access the Internet using Wireless through your Cable/DSL connection?

Áedán

[Jimbo]

Trancebear...I'll try to give you some general details..let me know what other questions you have.

The basics..You need at least two pieces of hardware..An Access point and a Client Adapter. The links are for linksys products. Client adapters come in PCI and PCCard types. The basic wireless standard currently is 11Meg shared (54meg shared is over the horizon). So..you can think of it like a radar screen.

The closer you are to the center of the circle (access point), the higher bandwidth you are able to achieve...it breaks out like this:

50M (164 ft.) @ 11 Mbps
80M (262 ft.) @ 5.5 Mbps
120M (393 ft.) @ 2 Mbps
150M (492 ft.) @ 1 Mpbs

All PC's with adapter's are sharring the available bandwidth across the spectrum. If your into reading...this Cisco Wireless Product Overview has a lot of good info. It's slightly sales oriented but has good information.

Things to look out for:

-Microwave ovens (the frequency for wireless is right near microwaves so they screw up wireless)
-Metal frames or walls
-Cost $$$