The latest trend in computing is wireless everything! Although that mostly applies to computer networking, wireless mice are also available. Two types of wireless mice are available: RF and infrared. RF stands for radio frequency; that type of mouse uses a low-powered radio signal to communicate with a base station, or hub, connected (by wire) to the computer. The infrared mouse uses infrared light to communicate with the base station, similar to the infrared light a remote uses to control a TV, VCR, or DVD player.

Between RF and infrared, the RF type of wireless mouse is always recommended. Because the infrared mouse may require a line of site to its base station, a cluttered desk or something large, like a book, in front of the base station may interfere with the mouse’s signal. That’s not a problem with the RF type of mouse.

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In an early salvo to prove that wireless LAN equipment based on Draft 1.0 of the 802.11n standard is not only extremely fast but also interoperable among different vendor implementations, Broadcom and Atheros announced on May 31 the results of a month’s worth of interoperability testing. Gear based on each company’s chip sets does play nice together, given the right circumstances but consumers should take that info with a grain of salt.

The tests aimed to prove chip-set interoperability given several mandatory elements of the draft standard, as well as one optional element.

Atheros’ and Broadcom’s draft 802.11n tests aimed to prove interoperability when using the following mandatory elements of the draft standard (plus one optional element): Two-stream MIMO Legacy-compatible mixed-mode preamble PHY-level spoofing A-MPDU aggregation A-MPDU length and density limits Immediate Block ACKs 40MHz channels (optional element)

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I have a wireless network at home that consists of a desktop and two laptops. I would like to print wirelessly from the notebooks straight to my printer, which is connected to my desktop. How can I do this?

If your wireless router has a built-in print server, simply connect the printer directly to the router, and all of your networked computers will have access to it. Alternatively, you can purchase a print server, as long as your printer is compatible with one.

Otherwise, go to your desktop’s Control Panel and select Printers and Other Hardware -> Printers and Faxes. Here, you can choose to share your printer. Then, follow the same steps on each of your laptops, but when you get to the last step, select Add a Printer and select select the name of your networked printer. The downside of this setup is that your desktop PC must be booted up for you to print from either of your laptops.

Is there anything I can buy or do to increase my wireless network’s signal?

If you can, try relocating your equipment to a wider, more open area, or mount it on the wall, if your router came with brackets. If your router is confined to a particular part of your house, keep it away from metallic objects or steel shelving / cabinets as they can interfere with the network signal. Likewise, cordless phones can also reduce your range if they’re operating alongside other 2.4GHz devices. (Cordless phones that rely on a 5.8GHz frequency shouldn’t interfere with an 802.11b/g wireless signal).

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Top Global 3G Phoebus MB6000

The pyramid shape is funky, but it’s easy to set up, and it connects to EV-DO, EDGE, and UMTS cell data networks.

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For the highest possible wireless performance available today, look no further than this router and its WPNT511 CardBus adapter. The throughput reaches over 103 Mbps at 10 feet and a still respectable 22 Mbps at 160 feet. The installation wizard is intuitive, and the Web-based configuration home page is top-notch. As with all pre-n hardware, neither device may be upgradable to 802.11n, though both are backwardcompatible with 802.11g. The router comes with all the features you’d expect from products in this class.

You may have seen those new wireless routers from Linksys, Netgear, and others products promising true 802.11n capabilities. These wireless networks are certainly fast and extend further than most others, but don’t fall for the claims of interoperability and compatibility with future products and with the future spec. Although they comply with an 802.11n draft proposal, there’s no guarantee that anything you buy today will be upgradable to full compatibility, once the IEEE finalizes this wireless networking standard.

So is now a good time to buy these products? If you’re setting up a new wireless network, you should know that while non-standard “draft-n” products are fast and work better around walls and through ceilings than older gear, there is a high premium for this. You’ll have to buy “802.11n” routers and cards for all your computers from the same company to ensure you get the speed and range benefits. 802.11g and 802.11b devices with built-in radios like the excellent SoundBridge Radio will work no better on these draft-n networks.

So, the best action is to wait. Get a cheap 802.11g router like the Linksys WRT54G, and follow this guide to extend your wireless coverage. Need better coverage at home? Add an inexpensive access point, and follow 10 tips for improving your wireless network. It works great, and you don’t have to worry about replacing networking cards in all the computers in future.