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| Thread ID: 32028 | 2003-04-07 05:52:00 | wifi | whatever (3551) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 134010 | 2003-04-07 05:52:00 | The cost of wifi has caught me by surprise. The cheapest gadgets for connecting my new notebook (with wifi already built into it), seem to be well over NZD 1,000. A mate of mine in New York can get one for NZD 400. What's the story? Can I get him to send me one? Will it work here? I note Becky Waring's story on 31 March about the new 802.11g standard, but there's no mention that the whole approach is so expensive. Whatever the "base station" is called, how do you avoid getting ripped off? Any ideas would be gratefully received. | whatever (3551) | ||
| 134011 | 2003-04-07 07:49:00 | This is not really an answer to your question, but perhaps you might consider why you need Wi-Fi as opposed to 802.11b which is reasonably cheap right now. If its just for gaming and internet sharing in a home or office that should do the trick. Otherwise I guess you are stuck. Having said that, there is a really good website called http://www.pricespy.co.nz that searches out and finds the cheapest prices of each kind of computer equipment. Hope this helps, Ash |
Ashley Matthews (550) | ||
| 134012 | 2003-04-09 22:31:00 | Oh, dear, I must be using the wrong language. I thought WiFi is 802.11b. Are they different? Thanks for taking the time to respond, Ashley. | whatever (3551) | ||
| 134013 | 2003-04-09 22:47:00 | 801.11b operates (I hope I can get my facts right here...) on the 2.4Ghz wavelength, which is an open, and essentially free-for-all slice of airspace. It can operate at up to 500 meters out-doors in ideal conditions, or indoors at 250 meters, again, in ideal conditions. It has a max speed of 11mbps, but can also transfer at 5.5, 2, and 1mbps! Most Cat5 Cabled LAN's run at 100mbps 802.11a is a little different, with the air-space not being a free-for-all, you have to pay for it AFAIK,which is good, when your neighbour turns on their Cordless Phone, your WLAN doesnt go right down the tube! 802.11a can transfer at a much higher 54mbps, but also costs a lot more too! There are standards, I think its 802.11g which can communicate with both, otherwise, the 802.11a and 802.11b standards are incompatible! Check http://www.dse.co.nz for some good 802.11b WLAN cards, I bought some a while back for $86, but ended up selling them because of the distance I was using them, I only got 1mbps and decided to go back to a Cabled LAN :-) Hope this helps Cheers Chilling_Silence |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 134014 | 2003-04-10 02:56:00 | What gadgets do you actually want? Access point into an existing wired network. Wireless router for internet connections. | TallPoppy (3506) | ||
| 134015 | 2003-04-10 05:07:00 | I'm buying a notebook with 802.11a & b included in it, and I want to connect it especially with my current Jetstart connection at home, and with my Jetstream connection at work. At home, there will be the notebook and a desktop. It seemed like a good idea to use wireless at home which enables me to use the notebook anywhere in the house. What I don't know is what gadget to I buy to connect to the wall socket for the Jetstart connection which will then communicate with the notebook. I'm a bit alarmed about the indication that cordless phones can interfere with the performance of wireless as most houses have them now and I live in a terrace with a dozen houses in close range. | whatever (3551) | ||
| 134016 | 2003-04-10 06:34:00 | Have a look at the April PC Authority magazine. They have had a look at the 802.11b hardware. There seems to be a bit of difficulty with the standard. It's not really the standard, it's more that the people in different companies interpret it differently. Or they can't read. :D I wonder if this will be like USB :-( |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 134017 | 2003-04-10 06:51:00 | Thanks for the help everyone. In the meantime, I've found the September 2002 copy of PC World NZ and it has an excellent explanation for newbies like me to the world of small wireless networking. Problem solved, except for the question of where do you buy the products referred to in that article. A Google search doesn't reveal their whereabouts. | whatever (3551) | ||
| 134018 | 2003-04-10 08:20:00 | DSE.co.nz are great for WLAN products. Dont forget that if you're not using a Wireless Router, you'll either need WinXP on the Gateway machine to bridge connections with a Cabled LAN, or you'll need some Proxy Software, such as ProxyPlus! |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
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