Wireless technology is transforming nearly every aspect of our lives. Think about the ways that mobile communications, mobile computing, and mobile entertainment affect the way we live, the way we work, and the way we play. Underlying all that mobility is the 19th century technology of radio transmission, paired with 20th century circuit boards and 21st century ideas about how technology can serve us.

This post we will describe how wireless can help you live, work, and play better. This post also provide practical guidance to setting up some recommended devices and equipment.

You should at least understand the basics, so begin with an overview of wireless technology in general. What is the difference between 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n? And where do Wi-Fi and Bluetooth fit into all this? You will get all the answer for these questions and more in Cut The Cord later. This post also talk about practical ways to prepare your wireless home networking for all the demands PCs, TVs, and peripherals will place on it.

The benefits of wireless cameras might not be so obvious. For years now, cameras have been pretty portable, but digital cameras have never really been free from physical ties to a PC. How much easier would it be to send your pictures to a hard drive or printer without having to deal with yet another USB port or docking cradle?

Media Extenders act as conduits to push audio, video, pictures, and other content from your computer to televisions, stereos, and other traditional entertainment devices. Common examples are Media Center PCs and Microsoft Xbox 360. Later, you will learn how each takes advantage of wireless technologies to help spread multimedia around your house without running wires through the walls.

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Tags: Wireless

With 802.11n Draft 2.0 routers and wireless network adapters becoming both ubiquitous and relatively inexpensive and with 802.11n media center extenders finally reaching the market, you might be wondering if building an old-fashioned wired network is worth the trouble and expense.

There is no question that stringing wires around your house is a royal pain, especially if it lacks a crawl space or attic, and if you’re going to bother with a wired network at all, you’ll need to invest in a gigabit switch. You’ll also need to buy bulk Cat5e cable, RJ45 jacks, mud rings, wall plates, and perhaps a few new tools.

Now, this post is to compare the deployment cost, convenience, and performance of a wireless network powered by a high-end Wi-Fi router with that of a wired network controlled by a high-quality gigabit switch in four usage scenarios.

Connecting to the Internet is the one scenario in which the speed of your local network really doesn’t matter. The typical DSL connection will provide bandwidth of less than 6Mb/s; cable modem connections are usually faster, but not enough to outstrip the performance of even an 802.11g Wi-Fi router. Since you won’t gain anything by using a wired connection to browse the web, you might as well enjoy the freedom a wireless connection has to offer. Just be sure to use the best wireless security that your equipment supports.

Building out a wired network takes a lot of elbow grease, but it is certainly not a costly proposition if you do the work yourself. And an 802.11n Draft 2.0 router with a gigabit switch is only marginally more expensive than lesser hardware. You’ll never regret the commitment to having wired network

Some wireless connections to the Internet can be slower than connections through a high-speed wired Internet connection (such as a LAN or a DSL or cable modem service), but they’re much more convenient when you’re away from home base. However, there are several types of wireless network access, each of which has its own set of benefits and drawbacks.

The most common wireless services include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and several digital cellular data technologies. EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution), 1xEV-DO (Evolution-Data Only), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Service, also called WCDMA, or Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access) and 1xRTT (Radio Transmission Technology), are all methods for sending data through a cellular mobile telephone network.

With a few exceptions, the data transfer rate decreases as the coverage area increases; in other words, you can exchange files and Internet services faster through a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot than through a cellular data service that covers an entire metropolitan area. The exceptions are a mobile modem, which uses the mobile voice network, and WiMAX, which is not yet available in most locations.

Eventually, the radios and network interfaces that support wireless access to the Internet will automatically find the type of signal that can handle the fastest data transfer to and from your current location, and set up a link to your computer. In the future, when you’re in an airport waiting area or a coffee shop, the computer will find and use a fast Wi-Fi service; but when you’re visiting your elderly aunt, it will use one of the slower cellular data services instead. Today, that kind of seamless handover is not yet possible so you must set up each type of link separately

When you first try to connect to your network, your wireless adapter’s software will scan the area for available networks and then display a list of networks. If you don’t see your own list in this network, you may have disabled the router’s SSID feature, which broadcasts the SSID to local wireless adapters. Disabling the SSID broadcast is a common security method, as it effectively stealths your network, making it that much harder for would-be hackers to spot.

The good news is that your adapter doesn’t need to see the SSID to connect to your router. Your adapter’s software includes a manual connection feature that lets you enter your network’s information, including the SSID. Once you enter the appropriate SSID and encryption information, you’ll be able to connect to your router without any trouble.

Determine whether physical obstacles are weakening the signal. Not surprisingly, wireless networks offer the strongest signals in open spaces, but unless your home resembles a big hall, your wireless network must negotiate walls and floors, both of which can reduce the strength and range of the signal. Today’s home networking equipment can reach as far as 300 feet in the very best circumstances, but your home’s metal and concrete will savage your router’s signal strength. If the computers closest to your wireless AP or router aren’t dropping the wireless connection and the computer that is dropping the connection is at the far end of the house, you can probably blame your network troubles on distance and physical barriers.

There are two popular types of signal-strengthening devices on the market for home users: range boosting antennae and repeaters. Several manufacturers offer APs and wireless routers that have removable antenna. If you can detach your router’s antenna, you can replace it with an antenna that offers more dBi. Chances are, your router’s manufacturer also offers an optional range-boosting antenna.

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Make sure your AP or router supports the same wireless networking standard that your adapter uses. For example, you can use 802.11b and G devices without any compatibility problems, but you can’t use an 802.11a adapter to connect to an 802.11g network. This may seem like a no kidding sort of solution, but if you’ve ever fretted over a seemingly dead PC, only to discover that the power cord was unplugged, you’ll agree that sometimes the obvious answer is the one.

Renew the router’s DHCP settings. Your router most likely uses the DHCP networking protocol to automatically assign IP addresses to all of the PCs on the network. You can often fix a dropped connection by entering your router’s firmware menu and using the firmware’s DHCP Release/Renew feature. Read Basic Troubleshooting Routers and Hubs
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Switch your wireless connection software. Chances are, you’re using the adapter manufacturer’s software. Windows XP includes the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility, but your adapter’s software overrides it by default. You can switch to the Zero Configuration Utility only if your adapter’s software permits it. Find the adapter’s icon in the System Tray and then right-click it. You may see Use Windows XP Wireless Configuration. Click the link, open the Control Panel and then open Network Connections. Next, double-click the Wireless Network Connection icon to view available networks.

Wireless access cards, also known as wireless adapters, replace standard Ethernet cables to create a wireless link between your PC and a wireless AP or router. Although wireless networking equipment offers convenience to users who want to place computers in multiple rooms without running Ethernet cables around the house, the equipment isn’t foolproof: You’re bound to run into network problems at some point.

Make & Model
Whether you plan to call tech support or simply want to search for drivers on the manufacturer’s Web site, you’ll need to know your device’s model number. In most cases, finding the model number is a snap: If you don’t see the model number on the device itself, you can find it via your computer’s Device Manager. Click Start, Control Panel, and then open System. Click Device Manager and then click the plus (+) sign next to Network Adapters. Your adapter’s name will appear and will most likely include a model number. The adapter’s software will also generally display its model number.

Update Your Drivers
Software publishers and hardware manufacturers tweak their products for months and sometimes years after they release them. Software publishers update their programs via patches, while hardware manufacturers tweak their hardware with firmware updates and new driver releases. Updated drivers sometimes add functionality, but they also often include important bug fixes. If you’re experiencing any problems with your wireless adapter, always download and install the latest driver for your adapter.

To determine your driver’s version number, click Start, Control Panel, and then open System. Click Device Manager and then click the plus sign next to Network Adapters. Right-click your wireless adapter and then click Properties. Finally, click the Driver tab, which will display your driver version and driver release date.

Next, visit the Support section of the manufacturer’s Web site and see if a newer driver is available. If it is, download the driver to your hard drive. To uninstall your existing driver, open the adapter’s Properties window, click the Driver tab, and then Update Driver.

When the Hardware Update Wizard appears, click the No, Not This Time radio button and then click Next. Click the Install From A List Or Specific Location, click Next, and then check the Include This Location In The Search box. Click the Browse button, navigate to the downloaded driver on your hard drive, and then complete the wizard.

If your adapter connects to one of the PCI slots in your computer, keep in mind that you may need to remove the adapter before you start the driver installation. Keep a screwdriver handy.