SOHOcomputing advice and consulting

SOHO Computing - WiFi

WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) - wireless LAN

• WiFi Station/Switch/Router
• WiFi Cards
• We recommend the Super G standard:
  • NetGear: WGT624SC wireless LAN router (~$86) and WG311T PCI card (~$30)
  • D-Link: DI-624M wireless LAN router (~$72) and DWL-G520M PCI card (~$75)

The diagram below shows a basic WiFi SOHO network with Internet connection.

---------------------------------------------
| needed for Internet and Internet security | WiFi Station
| |--------------|   |----------------|  |  |----------|
| |modem:        |   |firewall-switch-|  |  |          |~~ ~~ computer 1
| |DSL or        |   |NAT-router.     |  |  | Super G  |~~ ~~ computer 2
| |cable or      |---| 10/100BaseT    |-----|  WiFi    |         -
| |satellite.    |   | 10 in          |  |  |   switch |         -
| |10BaseT out   |   | 10/100 out     |----||          |~~ ~~ computer Last
| |--------------|   |----------------|  | ||          |
------------------------------------------ ||----------|
                                           |
                                           |  |--------|
                                           |  | other  |---printer 1
                                           |--| switch |---printer 2
                                              |        |         -
                                              |        |         -
                                              |        |---printer Last
                                              |--------|

The network above, while simple, should be adequate for a small office with eight or fewer PCs. It has five basic parts:

• Internet modem,
• Firewall (sits between the modem and the rest of the network),
• WiFi broadcast station/switch,
• WiFi cards at each computer
• and the switch which provides connectivity for the printers.

The IEEE WiFi standard is 802.11 with 802.11b the first standard actually implemented (with a maximum data rate of 11 Mbit/s and an actual maximum through put of 5.9 Mbit/s). The subsequent standard, perversely named 802.11a, has a maximum data rate of 54 Mbit/s and actual achievable data rates of ~25 Mbit/s. 802.11g arrived in 2003 and interoperates with 802.11b but at the 802.11a data rate of 54 Mbit/s.

• The good news is that most new WiFi cards support all three standards.

Additionally, some WiFi vendors offer

• Super G, a proprietary channel bonding feature, that offers raw data rates of up to 108 Mbit/s.

Some Super G devices:

• WGT624SC wireless LAN router
• WG311T PCI card
• DI-624M router
• DWL-G520M PCI card

Netgear and D-Link both use Atheros' Super G technology in their Super G products. Netgear offers the WGT624SC wireless LAN router (street price ~$86) and the WG311T PCI card for inside your PC (street price ~$30). D-Link offers the DI-624M wireless LAN Super G router (street price ~$72) and the DWL-G520M PCI card for inside your PC (street price ~$75).

Whatever you do RTFM (read the manual) and follow all of its suggestions for securing your network.