The Future of Wireless.
Wireless is a technology that's cheap, easy and useful right now, and yet it's a technology that's still very young. Here's a quick look at what the future could hold for wireless.
The Radio and the Phone.
Wireless networks will always win over wired ones, in the end, simply because it is cheaper for signals to travel through the free air than it is to install and maintain wires. If you want an example of this, consider that telephones were originally used for sending and receiving news reports. When radio was invented, this stopped almost overnight -- why bother going to all that expense when it's free over the air?
It's the same way with computer networking. Imagine you have a choice between a wired Internet connection and a wireless one. Why would you choose the wired one? Because it's cheaper? That will change soon. Because you know how to use it? Wireless is easier. There's no reason why anyone wouldn't switch in an instant, if they had the opportunity.
WiMAX.
You remember that wireless networking today uses a standard called 802.11? Well, WiMAX is 802.16 -- the next generation of wireless. It's still a work in progress, but the possibilities are exciting.
WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and is designed to complement existing wireless equipment rather than replace it. The biggest advantage of WiMAX is in its vastly increased range: instead of being measured in square metres, WiMAX ranges will be measured in square kilometres. Some say the strongest WiMAX stations could transmit for up to 50 kilometres -- over 30 miles!
This obviously opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Wireless access would move from LANs to MANs: Metropolitan Area Networks, covering a whole town or city with wireless access. The question would no longer be whether there was a hotspot in the area where you were, but which of the many WiMAX networks you wanted to connect to.
Other benefits of WiMAX include speed of up to 70Mbps (almost 10 MB per second), and stronger security. Imagine a future where ordering Internet access is as simple as connecting your existing wireless equipment to the network, opening your web browser, and buying a low cost subscription. That's it -- done. No more access points, no more routers, no more configuration... just wireless Internet, everywhere. WiMAX is going to take the world by storm.
For the latest news on WiMAX, take a look at the WiMAX Weblog at http://wimax.weblogsinc.com, or visit the WiMAX Forum (a non-profit industry group set up to promote WiMAX) at http://www.wimaxforum.org. WiMAX has been in development since 2001 now, and the first WiMAX equipment is currently expected to hit the market as soon as the end of 2005.
Bluetooth in Everything.
While Bluetooth's most obvious purpose is to replace USB, it is designed so that it can eventually replace almost every wire there is (except power cables). That means that someday your TV could be connecting to your DVD player by Bluetooth, or your speakers could connect to your radio with it, and so on and on.
As you get older, expect to see fewer and fewer wires. I know people said the same thing about paper, but it turns out people like paper and don't want a 'paperless society'. How many people do you know who have a thing for wires? Exactly. Once someone figures out a way to provide reliable wireless power (better batteries?) we'll be set!
A Simpler Life.
When you read about the potential of wireless technology for a while, one thing sticks out in your mind: it all sounds so convenient. Wires have so many flaws, especially when they go long distances, and the overall wireless project is to remove them from our lives -- and then charge us less! That has to be worth supporting, doesn't it? I'll make a prediction now: I think that, within a decade, wireless access will be making everyone's life much easier, and they won't even notice it's there. That's the future of wireless. See you there.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Wireless Network-3
Sharing an Internet Connection over a Wireless Network.
Once you've got your wireless network set up, I've no doubt that one of the first things you'll want to do with it is share an Internet connection -- after all, that's why most home users put in a wireless network to begin with. Well, the good news is that Windows has Internet Connection Sharing built in. The bad news is that setting it up can sometimes be a little less than fun.
How Internet Connection Sharing Works.
When you set up Internet Connection Sharing, you set up one of your computers as a 'gateway' to the Internet, and then use this gateway to access the Internet with your other computers. Essentially, requests for data from the Internet are being sent out through the gateway, and the responses and being sent back across the network ('routed') back to your computer. The gateway computer is still the only one that's directly connected to the Internet.
If you have trouble visualising what's happening, imagine for a second that the computers are people. Let's call the computer-people Bob, Fred and Alice. They're all in a bar together, but Bob is the only one with money for drinks (we could say he has a 'connection' to the bar). Fred and Alice can ask Bob to buy them a drink, and Bob can bring over the drinks, for them to have as they usually would. At no point, however, can Fred or Alice go and order a drink at the bar.
Setting It Up: The Gateway.
Note: this guide assumes that you have already set up your wireless network, but you have not connected it to the Internet yet.
The computer with the modem connected to it is the one you need to set up first -- as the gateway, it's going to be providing Internet access to all your other computers. On this computer, go to the Control Panel, then click Network Connections. From here, you can run the Network Setup Wizard by clicking 'Set up a home or small office network'.
Click next through the wizard until you get to a screen called 'Select a connection method'. On this screen you need to select 'This computer connects directly to the Internet. The other computers on my network connect to the Internet through this computer'. From here on, you should be able to click next again until you get to the finish. Say 'yes' to turn on file and printer sharing when you're prompted.
Your computer is now ready to be a gateway to the Internet.
The Network.
The next step is setting up the other computers on your network to make use of the gateway you just created. Run the Network Setup Wizard on each of these computers, but this time through choose 'This computer connects to the Internet through another computer on my network or through a residential gateway'.
If the computer that will now be using a shared Internet connection was using a dial-up connection before, then there are a few things left to do -- you need to change some settings in the web browser Open Internet Explorer, then go to the Options screen (in the Tools menu). Click the Connections tab. You should click 'never dial a connection', and untick three boxes: 'automatically detect settings', 'use automatic configuration script' and 'use a proxy server'.
The Trouble With Internet Connection Sharing.
To go back to our bar for a moment, imagine Bob leaves. Oh dear. Looks like Fred and Alice can't get any more drinks, doesn't it? The same thing applies to the computers on your network -- if the gateway computer is switched off, they will lose all their access to the Internet.
That's not the only problem, though. While Internet Connection Sharing works fine for the web and email, it can be more problematic when it comes to doing other things. Downloading files from filesharing networks, for example, or using videoconferencing, requires you to mess around with the gateway computer's settings. After a while, it can get quite frustrating. If you're in this position, you should really try a wireless router -- see our article 'Create Always-On Networks with a Wireless Router'.
Once you've got your wireless network set up, I've no doubt that one of the first things you'll want to do with it is share an Internet connection -- after all, that's why most home users put in a wireless network to begin with. Well, the good news is that Windows has Internet Connection Sharing built in. The bad news is that setting it up can sometimes be a little less than fun.
How Internet Connection Sharing Works.
When you set up Internet Connection Sharing, you set up one of your computers as a 'gateway' to the Internet, and then use this gateway to access the Internet with your other computers. Essentially, requests for data from the Internet are being sent out through the gateway, and the responses and being sent back across the network ('routed') back to your computer. The gateway computer is still the only one that's directly connected to the Internet.
If you have trouble visualising what's happening, imagine for a second that the computers are people. Let's call the computer-people Bob, Fred and Alice. They're all in a bar together, but Bob is the only one with money for drinks (we could say he has a 'connection' to the bar). Fred and Alice can ask Bob to buy them a drink, and Bob can bring over the drinks, for them to have as they usually would. At no point, however, can Fred or Alice go and order a drink at the bar.
Setting It Up: The Gateway.
Note: this guide assumes that you have already set up your wireless network, but you have not connected it to the Internet yet.
The computer with the modem connected to it is the one you need to set up first -- as the gateway, it's going to be providing Internet access to all your other computers. On this computer, go to the Control Panel, then click Network Connections. From here, you can run the Network Setup Wizard by clicking 'Set up a home or small office network'.
Click next through the wizard until you get to a screen called 'Select a connection method'. On this screen you need to select 'This computer connects directly to the Internet. The other computers on my network connect to the Internet through this computer'. From here on, you should be able to click next again until you get to the finish. Say 'yes' to turn on file and printer sharing when you're prompted.
Your computer is now ready to be a gateway to the Internet.
The Network.
The next step is setting up the other computers on your network to make use of the gateway you just created. Run the Network Setup Wizard on each of these computers, but this time through choose 'This computer connects to the Internet through another computer on my network or through a residential gateway'.
If the computer that will now be using a shared Internet connection was using a dial-up connection before, then there are a few things left to do -- you need to change some settings in the web browser Open Internet Explorer, then go to the Options screen (in the Tools menu). Click the Connections tab. You should click 'never dial a connection', and untick three boxes: 'automatically detect settings', 'use automatic configuration script' and 'use a proxy server'.
The Trouble With Internet Connection Sharing.
To go back to our bar for a moment, imagine Bob leaves. Oh dear. Looks like Fred and Alice can't get any more drinks, doesn't it? The same thing applies to the computers on your network -- if the gateway computer is switched off, they will lose all their access to the Internet.
That's not the only problem, though. While Internet Connection Sharing works fine for the web and email, it can be more problematic when it comes to doing other things. Downloading files from filesharing networks, for example, or using videoconferencing, requires you to mess around with the gateway computer's settings. After a while, it can get quite frustrating. If you're in this position, you should really try a wireless router -- see our article 'Create Always-On Networks with a Wireless Router'.
Wireless Network-2
Choosing a Wireless Router.
When you're choosing a wireless router, you should consider the same things as you would with any other wireless equipment: range, speed and standards. Remember, though, that speed is far more important with a router than it is with other equipment -- the router might be providing Internet access to more than one computer at once, meaning that it needs to have enough speed to share between them. When it comes to standards and range, on the other hand, it is pointless to get anything better than your current wireless equipment has -- you won't see any improvement.
It's probably worth noting here that the Linksys WRT54G router is fast becoming a standard. It's the most popular router out there, and it's the easiest to use out of the lot. It's not as cheap as some of the others, though, so it's still worth shopping around. As ever, the most important thing is to read as many reviews of what you're buying as you can.
Installing a Wireless Router.
Wireless routers are designed to work easily out of the box: in most cases, it should be a matter of plugging the router into the power supply and then connecting it to your cable, DSL or other modem. That's it -- in 99% of cases, you're ready to start using your wireless Internet.
Sometimes, though, there might be more things you need to do. The most common problem is that your ISP uses special software to confirm who you are before giving you access to the Internet. This is called PPPoE, which stands for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. It's basically a way giving you broadband access while still requiring you to enter a username and password first, and you need to go through a short process to use a PPPoE connection with a wireless router.
Most routers support PPPoE, but you'll have to read the manual and do some fiddling. You may also have to download an update for your router's firmware (on-board software) from its manufacturer's website.
Problems with Wireless Routers.
Wireless routers generally solve more problems than they cause -- but there are still some problems that you may need to work around.
One that a lot of people run into sooner or later is that there are some programs that require a direct Internet connection for some functions. Using a wireless router instead of Internet Connecting Sharing at least lets you use these functions if you configure it, but it can be a pain. Wireless routers have built-in firewalls that only allow data through on certain ports (for example the web port, 80, and the email port, 110), while keeping all the others closed.
Although programs that require you to open ports become rarer every day, you might need to do it at some point. Your router's manual will tell you how to do this if it comes up.
I hope you enjoy your new wireless router -- I know I enjoy mine!
When you're choosing a wireless router, you should consider the same things as you would with any other wireless equipment: range, speed and standards. Remember, though, that speed is far more important with a router than it is with other equipment -- the router might be providing Internet access to more than one computer at once, meaning that it needs to have enough speed to share between them. When it comes to standards and range, on the other hand, it is pointless to get anything better than your current wireless equipment has -- you won't see any improvement.
It's probably worth noting here that the Linksys WRT54G router is fast becoming a standard. It's the most popular router out there, and it's the easiest to use out of the lot. It's not as cheap as some of the others, though, so it's still worth shopping around. As ever, the most important thing is to read as many reviews of what you're buying as you can.
Installing a Wireless Router.
Wireless routers are designed to work easily out of the box: in most cases, it should be a matter of plugging the router into the power supply and then connecting it to your cable, DSL or other modem. That's it -- in 99% of cases, you're ready to start using your wireless Internet.
Sometimes, though, there might be more things you need to do. The most common problem is that your ISP uses special software to confirm who you are before giving you access to the Internet. This is called PPPoE, which stands for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet. It's basically a way giving you broadband access while still requiring you to enter a username and password first, and you need to go through a short process to use a PPPoE connection with a wireless router.
Most routers support PPPoE, but you'll have to read the manual and do some fiddling. You may also have to download an update for your router's firmware (on-board software) from its manufacturer's website.
Problems with Wireless Routers.
Wireless routers generally solve more problems than they cause -- but there are still some problems that you may need to work around.
One that a lot of people run into sooner or later is that there are some programs that require a direct Internet connection for some functions. Using a wireless router instead of Internet Connecting Sharing at least lets you use these functions if you configure it, but it can be a pain. Wireless routers have built-in firewalls that only allow data through on certain ports (for example the web port, 80, and the email port, 110), while keeping all the others closed.
Although programs that require you to open ports become rarer every day, you might need to do it at some point. Your router's manual will tell you how to do this if it comes up.
I hope you enjoy your new wireless router -- I know I enjoy mine!
Wireless Network-1
Connecting to a Wired Network: Wireless Access Points.
Let's talk about something a little more complicated. What if you have a wired network already, and you're quite happy with the way it's laid out -- you see no point in dismantling it and making it wireless when it works fine as it is. You've got this laptop, though, that you'd really like to use wirelessly. Basically, what you want to do is make a wireless connection to a wired network, often referred to as a network bridge.
Well, as luck would have it, there's a very easy way to do exactly what you want. It's called a wireless access point.
Going Partly Wireless.
If you've got a lot of computers (on an office network, for example) and you can't switch them all over to wireless networking at once, installing a wireless router is a good way of doing it bit-by-bit. Once the router is part of the network, you could just remove one network wire per day or per week, replacing it with a wireless connection.
Software and Hardware.
There are two kinds of wireless access points: software and hardware ones. Wireless access point software runs on one of the computers on the wired network, and lets wireless devices connect to the network through that computer (the computer must obviously be wireless-enabled).
You can get wireless access software easily -- doing a web search will give you plenty of choices. Look for one that's open source, as you will be able to download it straightaway for free without breaking any laws. Unfortunately, though, the wireless devices will only be connected to the network while the computer in question is turned on and connected itself.
Hardware access points, on the other hand, are standalone devices that can be plugged in anywhere on the network -- you can either buy a dedicated access point, or convert an old computer to act as one and do nothing else. They connect to the wired network just as a normal computer would, except that they offer access to the network to any wireless receivers within range.
You can leave hardware access points connected to your network and turned on all the time, if you want. An advantage of dedicated devices is that they generally have a greater range, letting you use your wireless devices further away from the access point than you could with a software access point. Dedicated devices can be expensive, though -- prices are roughly similar to wireless routers.
How Wireless Access Points Work.
An access point sends requests for data on behalf of the wireless devices connected to it. In this way, it works a lot like a wireless router: basically, a wireless access point is to a wired LAN as a wireless router is to the Internet. The difference, though, is that the devices connected through an access point actually become part of the LAN -- other computers on the LAN won't distinguish between the wired computers and the wireless ones.
This is powerful, as it gives you the capability to dynamically extend your wired LAN, without wires. In theory, there shouldn't be anything you can currently do over your wired network that you won't be able to do over the wireless extension to it.
Configuring a Wireless Access Point.
You can usually configure a wireless access point as easily as plugging it into a connection to your network, using the cable that should be included. Your network should see the access point and give it a networking (IP) address automatically. If you need to do any more configuration on your access point -- for example, turning on wireless encryption -- then you'll need to open your access point's settings.
You can do this by going to the router's IP address in your web browser. If you're not sure how to do this, refer to your access point's manual (you might have better luck reading the online version, which will be updated with the latest problems people are having). While you're playing with your access point's settings, you might find it worth disabling DHCP (dynamic network addressing) and giving your access point a static address instead. This helps to keep your wired network more stable.
Let's talk about something a little more complicated. What if you have a wired network already, and you're quite happy with the way it's laid out -- you see no point in dismantling it and making it wireless when it works fine as it is. You've got this laptop, though, that you'd really like to use wirelessly. Basically, what you want to do is make a wireless connection to a wired network, often referred to as a network bridge.
Well, as luck would have it, there's a very easy way to do exactly what you want. It's called a wireless access point.
Going Partly Wireless.
If you've got a lot of computers (on an office network, for example) and you can't switch them all over to wireless networking at once, installing a wireless router is a good way of doing it bit-by-bit. Once the router is part of the network, you could just remove one network wire per day or per week, replacing it with a wireless connection.
Software and Hardware.
There are two kinds of wireless access points: software and hardware ones. Wireless access point software runs on one of the computers on the wired network, and lets wireless devices connect to the network through that computer (the computer must obviously be wireless-enabled).
You can get wireless access software easily -- doing a web search will give you plenty of choices. Look for one that's open source, as you will be able to download it straightaway for free without breaking any laws. Unfortunately, though, the wireless devices will only be connected to the network while the computer in question is turned on and connected itself.
Hardware access points, on the other hand, are standalone devices that can be plugged in anywhere on the network -- you can either buy a dedicated access point, or convert an old computer to act as one and do nothing else. They connect to the wired network just as a normal computer would, except that they offer access to the network to any wireless receivers within range.
You can leave hardware access points connected to your network and turned on all the time, if you want. An advantage of dedicated devices is that they generally have a greater range, letting you use your wireless devices further away from the access point than you could with a software access point. Dedicated devices can be expensive, though -- prices are roughly similar to wireless routers.
How Wireless Access Points Work.
An access point sends requests for data on behalf of the wireless devices connected to it. In this way, it works a lot like a wireless router: basically, a wireless access point is to a wired LAN as a wireless router is to the Internet. The difference, though, is that the devices connected through an access point actually become part of the LAN -- other computers on the LAN won't distinguish between the wired computers and the wireless ones.
This is powerful, as it gives you the capability to dynamically extend your wired LAN, without wires. In theory, there shouldn't be anything you can currently do over your wired network that you won't be able to do over the wireless extension to it.
Configuring a Wireless Access Point.
You can usually configure a wireless access point as easily as plugging it into a connection to your network, using the cable that should be included. Your network should see the access point and give it a networking (IP) address automatically. If you need to do any more configuration on your access point -- for example, turning on wireless encryption -- then you'll need to open your access point's settings.
You can do this by going to the router's IP address in your web browser. If you're not sure how to do this, refer to your access point's manual (you might have better luck reading the online version, which will be updated with the latest problems people are having). While you're playing with your access point's settings, you might find it worth disabling DHCP (dynamic network addressing) and giving your access point a static address instead. This helps to keep your wired network more stable.
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