Networking Your Computer
By
Fred W. Holzsager
Many of my neighbors in Fair Lawn are now able to confront a very
promising dilemma—whether to install DSL or Cable broadband connectivity
in their homes and/or offices. For some parts of our town, DSL may not yet
be available, only broadband via cable modem (or “T1”). Along with the
wonderful opportunity to enjoy high speed Internet access comes another
“big” decision: “If I plan to share the high speed access with more
than one computer in my home or office, shall we implement a hard-wired
solution or a wireless one?”
Fair Lawn enjoys the new wave of technology through many avenues: the
school system uses broadband—so the students enjoy a quick response
while doing research; The Borough offices are currently contemplating
broadband access; many local businesses are already well dependent upon
high speed Internet access (many of them also have the T1/T3 access pulls
to their office for a more dedicated access method). For a home or
business to benefit from broadband, a network is typically employed to
share the “pricey” resource. Some users have spent large sums on
sophisticated and powerful networking equipment not only to share the
access amongst their employees, but control and restrict their access, as
well. With the commoditization of DSL/Cable Routers, most homes or
businesses with low end needs can also benefit from the advances made by
technology to allow them to share this wonderful resource. Whether the
individual purchases a device marketed by Linksys, D-Link, Belkin, Cisco (Linksys
is now a Cisco product), SonicWall, WatchGuard, or Gigatech, for a modest
sum, one can afford to share the connection. Now, the question is whether
the connection should be established using a hard-wired solution or
wireless.
There are some fundamentals to consider before committing to either:
Does
the signal need to pass through concrete or lathe walls?
This issue often reflects the age of the building as a factor.
In many “Pre-War” buildings, the interior walls are composed of
lathe applied to a steel mesh. Although it may afford stability and
smooth walls, the cement used in the lathe, similar to concrete blocks
(e.g., “cinder blocks”), may present a formidable barrier for the
signal to pass through. Similar to a car passing under a concrete bridge
while receiving an AM radio signal, the antenna’s reach may be
severely impaired to the point that the wireless signal becomes too weak
to be effective.
Are
the walls and location relatively old and “unfriendly” to having
wires pulled within them?
Although a network cable may be passed through a drilled
opening, installing a flush, wall mounted jack behind a desk becomes
difficult. In such cases, the cable provider may suggest the use of
channeling to conceal the wiring. If the cable provider does do a wall
mounted jack in such a wall, the customer may expect to pay a premium
for this service. Whereas, in the case of a plasterboard wall, flush
mounted jacks are common.
-
Is
the data being passed over the private network of a confidential
nature?
Most instances of Wireless LANs (WLANs) deal with some privacy
concerns. Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) provides tools to help maintain
the privacy without requiring a rocket science degree. A number of the
tools would be techno-buzz:
A. WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy or Wireless Encryption
Protocol): A protocol encryption scheme designed to keep your data
transmission safe from prying eyes.
B. VPN (Virtual Private Network): A system where a connection
is authenticated to allow access to a “trusted” network.
C. MAC Addressing: The MAC (Media Access Control) address is
the hard coded, burned-in, unique number assigned to each and every
network interface card By registering each MAC address in the Wireless
Router’s tables, the system can limit its response to “trusted”
systems and deny access to all others.
How
far from the Access Point will the client be located?
If the transmitting antenna is within 50 meters of the
receiving antenna, then the communication may be reliable. If you add
walls, trees, buildings, bad weather, 2.4GHz cordless phones and other
obstacles, then you may have suboptimal connections. For most users,
results may vary. In a cabled network, the distance can also play a
role, but there are typically fewer factors affecting performance.
Does
a significant percentage of your computing occur on mobile devices?
Everyone enjoys having the freedom to choose. Many companies
and individuals are now buying laptops as “desktop equivalents.”
By doing this, users are adding options to their workplace: Shall
we have the meeting in the conference room or outside at a picnic
table? Knowing that an attractive option can enhance employee
retention, some organizations are opting to install Wireless Access
Points at convenient locations for their workers. When providing the
added “reach” to the office, it is imperative to employ as many
security features as possible in order to reduce hacking, “warchalking,”
and other forms of compromise to the network. (“Warchalking” is
the practice of marking a series of symbols on sidewalks and walls to
indicate nearby wireless access. That way, other computer users can
pop open their laptops and connect to the Internet wirelessly. It was
inspired by the practice of hobos during the Great Depression to use
chalk marks to indicate which homes were friendly.)
For most, these five questions will adequately help you identify the
appropriateness or candidacy of your location for a wireless (Wi-Fi) LAN (WLAN).
The most common wireless connectivity is based on a standard from IEEE
called 802.11B (a.k.a., “Wi-Fi”). It’s speed is comparable with a
cabled LAN. Intel’s Centrino® Mobile computing uses that
technology to connect laptop computers to wireless LANs. A newer
technology called 802.11G (a.k.a., “54G”) offers wireless computing at
a faster speed, but with a shorter range.
In general, wireless connectivity is affected by obstacle interference,
bad weather, or 2.4GHz cordless phones and you should expect less from it
than from a cabled network. However, the convenience that it affords its
users can often justify its implementation.
A wireless LAN can easily enhance your work/Internet experience. It is now
easily affordable and readily available at your local computer merchant.
As with any network, you are making an investment in an
“infrastructure,” so do not take the task too lightly or you may be
disappointed by the results. A quality network is only as good as its
design and components. For results you can live with, you may wish to
consider acquiring the services of an expert that can help you determine
the network’s feasibility, extensibility, and most effective manner of
implementation.
Now that you have a foundation to Wi-Fi, you can look forward to sunny
summer days sitting on your deck or patio with a laptop while surfing the
Internet. That is, of course, unless you live in a Brunetti Cape Cod with
a concrete foundation, have the wireless router in your basement, and use
a multi-channel 2.4GHz cordless phone.
If you have a question or would like to have a
computer concept
explained, please feel free to send an email to support@tech4now.com
or see http://www.tech4now.com.
(This web site includes an article on uninterruptible power
supplies).
See
Fred's Previous Columns
Where
Were You When the Lights Went Out (Fall 2003)
Controlling
Your Computer (Summer 2003)
High
Speed Internet (April 2003)
Just
when you thought it was safe…(February 2003)
From
Your Friends -- A Virus (October 2002)
Backup,
Backup, Backup. (August 2002)
