Wi Fi set up

[Meysha]

Hi guys and girls,
This question is not related to photography in the slightest but I've searched everywhere on the net and I can't find an answer.

I want to set up a Wi Fi network in my appartment here because my roommate has just bought a laptop and will be wanting to use the broadband access as well. Currently just have a cord trailing along the ground to my bedroom because i'm the only one who uses it.

So he went off to look at modems and educate himself on them a bit and he came back saying we'll need to buy some sort of 'key' to stick on the modem so it makes it a secure connection and people won't be leeching off our connex. Apparently it's an actual peice of hardware that you stick on either the modem or the computer (i can't remember which).
Is this true? I thought we'd just have to set up some sort of VPN thing or a WEP, which is just a software thing. Like you access the little computer in the modem and tell it which computers can access the modem.

Well does anyone have any idea of what I'm talking about? I really want to make the network secure because well it's really high density where I live and I don't want anyone stealing my bank details!

 

[Hertz van Rental]

On my modem wireless security is built in the software. It uses a form of encryption so only computers that have the password can access it. Tends to slow the connection a bit so I don't use it. Wireless doesn't have that much range and your connections slows down as you move away. Also people would need to know that you have wireless. I wouldn't worry - but if you see the WLAN light flickering when no computers are on then you would know someone is accessing it and you could turn the security on. It's like a lot of things - people get over-anxious about not much.

 

[mad_malteaser]

I'm not sure I can explain this very well but I have a wireless network set up here - I had to buy the wireless modem and the receivers for each of the laptops connected up to it (3 in total). The software was easy to install and for added security, I went to the IP address page (just type your own IP address into the address bar of your internet explorer) and from there you create a random "key" which is a bunch of random numbers and letters that any computer who tries to use your connection must enter first. Obviously I have this stored somewhere safe and its only been entered onto the computers I want on my network. Seems to be working so far!

That is very general laymans terms. I would definitely recommend getting a friend who knows about this sort of thing to do it all for you, like I did.

 

[Meysha]

You guys explained much better what I already thought was the case. Thank you!

Do you find the Wi Fi slows your connection down. I mean, is your Wifi connection the same speed as if it were plugged in to a normal modem?

 

[mad_malteaser]

For me it's faster. I have no idea why that is but it appears to be that way. My old broadband was horrendous, used to crash all the time, and of course, with the wires there was less freedom to roam the house.

However, the more computers on your network, the slower it will be if you all go online at the same time.

 

[Meysha]

The freedom thing is going to be a huge bonus for me!
At the moment the only place I can use the net is sitting on my bed! The wires that came with the modem weren't very long. At a stretch I can reach the sofa.

I remember the first time I used wireless at my uni a few years ago. It was the weirdest feeling. To have nothing connected to the computer but to still go on the net! Or before Wifi came in - I used to hook up my old laptop (bought in 1997) to another laptop via infared! Ahh the good old days.

Now I just have to convince my roommate you don't need this other thing he was talking about.

 

[mad_malteaser]

Heehee. Good luck! Once you go wireless, you never go back.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I enjoy being able to surf sitting in the garden (but I just had to do it once sitting on the toilet - the temptation was too great)

 

[mad_malteaser]

Hertz, the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but I'm going to have to try that now! :lmao:

 

[Unimaxium]

You shouldn't need any kind of key to go on your modem. You might need some new hardware to get wifi in your apartment, but most wifi products already have a way to enable encryption anyway. You could either get a modem that has a wifi feature as well as an encryption feature built in, or you could attach a wireless router to your modem which will do about the same thing but is useful if you don't have a modem with a secure wifi feature built in. With a router, you can hook up computers via the ethernet cable like the one that's already running to your computer, or you can hook them up wirelessly with wifi. For encryption, the two main options around are WEP or WPA. WPA is a newer encryption for wireless that is more secure than WEP (WEP is known to be pretty weak and easy to break). So if you're looking for a wireless router, it's most useful to get one with WPA, especially since you're in an apartment building where lots of people may have a chance to try to get on it.

You guys explained much better what I already thought was the case. Thank you!

Do you find the Wi Fi slows your connection down. I mean, is your Wifi connection the same speed as if it were plugged in to a normal modem?

Most home broadband connections go between 0.5-3megabits/second. Some go as high as 7. The 802.11b wifi standard has a top speed of 11megabits/second. The somewhat newer 802.11g standard goes up to 54, as long as all of the client computers on that wifi network support 802.11g. So either way, you should not experience any kind of slowdown when surfing wirelessly, since the fastest that the internet will be coming into your home will still be slower than your connections inside your home.

I hope this has helped or at least served to reiterate what others have said