[OT] - Request help with wireless LAN.

[dogscoff]

Arr, this has been driving me nuts for months now, but tomorrow my ADSL modem arrives and I'd like a nice wireless network to share my new broadband across.

Trouble is, the two PCs just won't talk to one another. I set all the settings to same (SSID, WEP, channel etc) but they refuse to see even one another.

One is a win98SE laptop, the other is Winxp home laptop. WLAN hardware is a pair of sitecom PCMCIA cards. I also have a belkin USB wireless AP thingie in reserve, but I thought I'd get better results with a matching pair. Ha!
Hardware is not broken, I've had it all working on other systems, and WLANsniffer software works fine.

ANyone got a guess as to what I might be doing wrong? Could anyone provide a 'scoff-proof step by step guide to setting up this network, all the way from plugging the cards in and configuring the WLAN settings to configuring windows and all that?

Anyone who could do this for me would make me very very happy indeed...

[ March 05, 2004, 18:46: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[rdouglass]

Do you have a wireless access point or router? AFAIK wireless won't talk card-to-card (I've never got it to work); you need a "hub".....

[dogscoff]

oh smeg...

[rdouglass]

I recently bought a re-conditioned D-Link wireless router for less than $30 US from TigerDirect.com - only 22Mb but well worth the $$ IMO.....

Look around - that stuff is advancing so fast that the lower-tech stuff is cheap. Besides, I know I'll never use up all 22Mb sharing a DSL connection; not peer to peer anyways...

EDIT: Here's an 11Mb model for $20 !!!

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...=D700-2207%20P

[ March 05, 2004, 20:18: Message edited by: rdouglass ]

[geoschmo]

Depending on the model, you may be able to get them to talk card to card, but you probably have to load some special software. Usually it's provided with the cards, but it doesn't usually load by default. It's definetly a non-standard setup, so it would be difficult for anyone to know unless they are familier with your particular brand of wireless cards.

On the otherhand, if you get a wireless access point as sugested up-thread that is almost plug and play. So you should be able to get it working without too much trouble.

[dogscoff]

thanks Geo, it looks like they sell internationally as well. I'll wait until I get the modem through and get used to it, then I might be buying me a router.

[Fyron]

From everything I have heard, D-Link makes some rather poor quality wireless routers that have a tendancy to drop connections. Go with a different brand.

[rdouglass]

Well, you're absolutely not going to get top shelf for $20. You do get what you pay for. We're talking basic connectivity here and mine (D-link router) has been pleasantly reliable at home.

At work in a business environment, I use different products altogether - $170 per access point, but great product and you get 11 Mb throughout it's advertised range; even with metal studs in the building.

I'm just trying to suggest appropriate product for a home environment. And I know firsthand that D-link has a very easy (practically plug it in and turn it on) setup for simple home use with an adequate firewall to boot. Price doesn't sting either....

[geoschmo]

PBW server has been running on a D-Link wireless access point pretty much flawlessly for almost two years.

[ March 06, 2004, 02:25: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Fyron]

Guess you have been lucky then.