Going Wireless

If you're not bothered about opening up your computer (and there's very few people that should be in this day and age!) then the PCI card is the way forward. Tucks out of the way, easy to install and generally more reliable than the USB alternatives. I'd only recommend the USB route over the above if you've really got a very good reason why you don't want to open your computer up!

As far as I'm concerned, those are the only two realistic choices. Don't really agree with that video to be honest, it's massively over complicating things. If you're in the position to be considering using a specialist choice then you'd have the knowledge to start with and wouldn't need to watch the thing!

As for the other methods - well I don't count "having it built in" as a method, since that's not a way of making a desktop wireless... bad choice of explanation there in my opinion. PCMCIA card / air card / whatever - almost always a stupid choice on desktops. Generally more expensive, rarely supported - I wouldn't really count that as an option in the vast majority of cases. As for an access point, again I think it was a bit silly to mention those and as such wouldn't count them, they don't make your desktop PC wireless per se, they add a wireless point of access (hence the name) to your network. As the guy said, they have the advantage of potentially being the fastest and having the best range. But any decent PCI card should be able to perform at the same level and I can think of LOTS of disadvantages:
- They might not even work since that's not how they're really designed to be used
- They require an extra power supply, hardly good for portability
- They take up a lot of space
- They're the most expensive option
- They take up the ethernet port on the back of your PC so if you want to make a cabled connection as well (and don't have dual ports) tough luck...
- They allow an attacker a direct line of communication into your PC without having to go through the "main network" first
WAPs are great in lots of situations, but this is not one of them!

Only other thing I'd throw in (which is in my mind something else the video missed) is to ask why you want to go wireless? Desktops usually stay in one place, and if you've already got a cable going there then it seems silly to switch. In fact I'd even recommend running some CAT5 if it's not already there, it's cheap, faster than wireless, more secure than wireless, more reliable than wireless... you get the picture :) With laptops that are constantly moved around I can understand it far more, but with desktops, cabled is almost always the better option from a technical perspective.
 
Thanks for the reply Berry. No I have no problems opening my computer, in fact I built it from a kit.

The reason I want to go wireless is so I can delete my telephone service/Internet. I don't use my telephone and yet I pay $63 a month. I use the telephone line for the Internet connect. I want a wireless Internet/no phone line Internet. I also have a laptop which is already wireless and uses a router so there would be 2 computers using the wireless network.

Any one have any experience with having Internet service without a phone line? I know ATT offers one and I thinkm Verizon does too.

Thanks again Berry!

Kisses - Larisa
 
a wireless network will be in your home.

and you'll connect to your internet connection wirelessly.
if you get rid of the phone line you also get rid of the internet connection.

I think that what you want is one of the 3G 'dongles' these are usually used for laptops to provide internet on the go.

the cost, (in the UK at least) is usually about £15 per month and up, so that runs the same as a fixed landline connection.
but the speed is slower and any download cap is lower.

if you want a better faster connection then you pay a lot more.

they work via mobile phone infrastructure, so there is no guaranteeing that you'd even get a signal! and even if you do, you;ll be paying the same or more for a leseer service than you would be getting with a fixed landline to provide our internet
 
Completely agree with the above - perhaps I'm coming from the wrong end of the stick being in the UK but mobile broadband is generally far more expensive, far slower and far less reliable than internet over a phone line, I'd be very careful before you ditch it.

Even if you do though - network infrastructure isn't the same as wireless internet, however you get your internet you can still have a cabled network! Only difference is if you use a USB dongle you'll have to use ICS to use the net on more than one machine, which really isn't nice at the best of times... and I'm not sure if you can get routers with built in mobile dongles, I certainly don't think you can over this side of the pond.
 
Any one have any experience with having Internet service without a phone line? I know ATT offers one and I thinkm Verizon does too.

I get my internet access through Comcast (bundled in with cable TV, although you can get it without TV if you want). It's way faster than any phone line based options I've seen.
 
Thanks for the reply Berry. No I have no problems opening my computer, in fact I built it from a kit.

The reason I want to go wireless is so I can delete my telephone service/Internet. I don't use my telephone and yet I pay $63 a month. I use the telephone line for the Internet connect. I want a wireless Internet/no phone line Internet. I also have a laptop which is already wireless and uses a router so there would be 2 computers using the wireless network.

Any one have any experience with having Internet service without a phone line? I know ATT offers one and I thinkm Verizon does too.

Thanks again Berry!

Kisses - Larisa


You will still need some kind of Internet Service Provider unless you plan on stealing a signal from your neighbors router ;) .

Making the desktop wireless in the way you were asking about will not give you internet. It will only allow you to connect to a router that is broadcasting an interent signal that it is receiveing from an ISP. If you want to get rid of your phone line, see if you cable TV provider offers interent. Cable is faster than DSL and it will probably save you money if you can bundle the 2 services.
 
Why dont you try buying a usb adapter to boost your range and signal strength that way you dont have to actually go into your computer and you can take this whereever you want to go b.c its USB. I have the Wi-fire from hfield technologies that i use when i do any traveling. it picks up many more network connections and allows to be have a strong signal strength.
 
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