Home Netwrking wireless question

[darnell1]

I am getting ready to setup a networking (at home) between two computers. I was looking for comments about going wireless as far as security, reliability etc. I want to have both machines utilize the Internet from my cable modem.

Some people at work are telling me to get the "g" over the "b" router. The price difference is about $40.

The two computers (XP Pro and Win 98) will be in two different room about 40 feet apart

Thanks

 

[kiddpete]

Wired is more secure, but harder to do. You have to run the cable, and the machines are fixed in place. You also do not have the ability to add wireless devices (PDA, portable, etc.) later without additional cost. I don't worry about the security. The wireless devices are using WEP, I don't have sensitive data in shared locations, and I don't think my neighbors are interested in tapping the network.

If you do use wireless, the Win98 machine is a question mark. My 98SE is a 200Mhz Micron which is not always fast enough to keep up with an 802.11b file transfer. I have it connected mainly to access the internet. The portable is 802.11g, and the main machine is a P4 2.66Ghz which is connected to the DSL. The DSL is 802.11b, but I wish it was g. Both the portable (AMD 2800+) and the P4 can keep up with g, but the 98SE clearly cannot. You have to figure out how the machines will be used on the net, and what you will want to do in the future.

 

[shtick]

When talking wireless, always go with the latest technology. The amount of security you maintain will depend on how much critical/private information you have on those systems. It's always good to keep that kind of info on removable media such as cd-rw's. If these systems are just for games and general surfing/word processing/ etc... you can use the standard security that comes with the equipment.
Hope this helps.