Developer Forum

Hello guys,
I have 1 desktop, 1 notebook and 1 Pocket PC iPAQ 2210 with bluetooth
feature. I have only one IP address from my ISP. Currently my desktop
computer is sharing internet with additional NIC by hard wiring. I
have no router nor wireless card. I am planning to go wireless but not
completely. I want to set up wireless for my Pocket PC and Notebook.
My desktop will still be hard wired from cable modem as I don't have
complete trust in wireless yet.

So what do I need?
I believe Wireless CompactFlash Adapter for my Pocket PC.
And I believe I need wireless NIC card for my notebook.
Correct me if I am wrong. I am not sure if I need Access point or
Wireless router. What are the differences? I think they also have 2 in
1 access point with router function. Is access point itself is
wireless? I am very unsure of what i need. There might be more than
one way to do it.

Please suggest me options I have. How fast do I expect from wireless
connection? Some people say you cannot run microwave oven if you have
wireless connection.

Could you also please suggest some popular/reliable models of products
I would need? I know a few brands like Linksys or D-Link. I would
appreciate all your help.

You are mostly there. To do what you want,

1. Get a wireless CompactFlash for your PocketPC (I've used Socket and
NetGear and they both work well)
2. Get a wireless NIC (PCMCIA/PC Card) for your notebook
3. Get a wireless access point/router. I have the LinkSys BEFW11S4 and that
gives me 4 ethernet ports for standard Ethernet devices, and support for
wireless devices too. There are others out there, but I've had good
experience with the LinkSys ( http://www.yqcomputer.com/
the official link but the one Google put at the top for me).

As for how you hook it up... By far the easiest is to hook up the cable
modem to the "WAN" jack in the back and then hook up your desktop to one of
the 4 ethernet ports. (Your desktop isn't wireless when you connect it this
way.) The built-in NAT firewall (technically an oxymoron, but that's what
everyone calls it) is very secure -- too secure in fact, in that you may
need to tweak some of the access point/router's port settings for some
applications which need to talk to your home LAN.

This is essentially what I do at home and it works great. There are other
ways to connect it, but this is the simplest IMO.

By the way, I wouldn't mess with WEP encoding, it's kind of a pain and it's
not very secure. For your setup, using the admin interface of the access
point/router, you can set up the device to only connect via specific MAC
addresses (your notebook and pocketpc adapters, 1 & 2 above) by setting up
MAC filters.

HTH,

-- bill

hank you Bill. One more thing that i was wondering. my PPC is IPaq
2210 and it has bluetooth feature. Can't I use it as wireless netwrok
adapter? Isn't bluetooth also wireless protocol? I hate to use CF slot
as I want to leave it for data storage. Or may be I can buy SDIO card
for wireless.

Zaw


"Bill Bliss" < XXXX@XXXXX.COM > wrote in message news:<eV6b$ XXXX@XXXXX.COM >...

'm not a bluetooth expert but I understand that the max range for small
devices (cell phones, probably ipaq xmitter too) is something like 10 meters
(~33 feet). WiFi's range is a lot better, especially if there aren't a lot
of walls in between the access point and the device.

More to the point, I don't know who manufactures a bluetooth access point
that works like the LinkSys one and hooks into your ethernet network. I'm
pretty sure LinkSys doesn't but Belkin or D-Link might.

Generally speaking, I haven't seen bluetooth positioned as a general purpose
networking technology, as I understand it, it's more for connecting devices
that are usually pretty close together anyway (pc's/printers, pda's/pc's,
cell phones/headsets) without wires.

-- bill

"zaw" < XXXX@XXXXX.COM > wrote in message
news: XXXX@XXXXX.COM ...
news:<eV6b$ XXXX@XXXXX.COM >...
that
not
of
this
what
other
it's
access
up

elkin has an ethernet / Bluetooth access point with USB priinter port
for $84 US , factory rebuilt. This is an excellent price.
However,
I have one with a couple of H2210s and unless you are within one room width
of the thing it is useless. The Bluetooth implementation on the 2210 is
ridiculous. I have never heard of anybody getting Sync over Bluetooth
working yet. If you break signal for a second your connection is gone and
you have to manually reconnect each time.

The Belikin unit is supposed to have 100m range but with your h2210 the
range is still one room width. I have been thinking of how to centralize
this access point in my house so I can use it from all my relax spots. The
power consumption is so low on your PPC btteries it is the way to go if you
can tolerate the distance limits.

I also have a CF Wi-Fi card and it works wonderful with my D-Link router.
The only problem is this lump hanging out of the h2210 and the batteries are
now only good for about 3 hours.


"Bill Bliss" < XXXX@XXXXX.COM > wrote in message
news: XXXX@XXXXX.COM ...
meters
lot
purpose
devices
and
for
(http://www.linksys-router.com/BEFW11S4/ --
cable
one
it
may
MAC
setting
bluetooth
desktop
not
in
have
products

Look into getting the Buffalo WLA-G54 Wireless bridge base station and the
Buffalo Air Station G54 (WLI-CB-G54A) notebook adapter card for your laptop.
The bridge/base station supports 802.11b and 802.11g (which is the way to
go...) and whatever CF card you can find that supports 802.11b. The WLA-G54
will connect to your Modem and give you the access point and bridge all in
one unit.


Bobby