General Wireless Network Question

Well, I've done some online searching and got some helpful stuff
from FreeBSD mail archives, but I would just like to double check a
couple of things.

In the wireless world, I don't understand an access point. Right
now, we have Comcast cable internet, a 4 port router, and a few
computers all wired, and all with access to the internet. Am I right
in thinking that I can just replace the current router with a
wireless router, get some wireless network cards, and get the same
results? (I'm thinking D-Link because I read in FreeBSD mail
archives that they use supported chips.)

I plan to go with the "b" standard as opposed to "g". I read
somewhere that my cable service only gives me about 5Mbps anyway, so
I assume that the speed capabilities beyond that will only be
relevant between computers in my house, and I don't think that's
much of an issue. What we really want is to have access to the
internet from anywhere. Is there any reason to shell out extra money
for the "g" devices?

Any and all input on making the transition to wireless would be
greatly appreciated.

Again, I'm just talking about getting all of our computers access to
the 'net. I'm the only one running FreeBSD. Everyone else is on
Windows2000 or XP.

Thanks.

Greg
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發信人: [e-mail] (Brad Knowles), 看板: FB_chat
標  題: Re: General Wireless Network Question
發信站: NCTU CSIE FreeBSD Server (Sun Oct 12 05:23:42 2003)
轉信站: ptt!FreeBSD.csie.NCTU!not-for-mail

At 5:22 PM -0400 2003/10/11, Greg Pavelcak wrote:

>  In the wireless world, I don't understand an access point. Right
>  now, we have Comcast cable internet, a 4 port router, and a few
>  computers all wired, and all with access to the internet. Am I right
>  in thinking that I can just replace the current router with a
>  wireless router, get some wireless network cards, and get the same
>  results?

	If it's a full router, and includes facilities for both wired and 
wireless clients, then this should work.

>  I plan to go with the "b" standard as opposed to "g". I read
>  somewhere that my cable service only gives me about 5Mbps anyway, so
>  I assume that the speed capabilities beyond that will only be
>  relevant between computers in my house, and I don't think that's
>  much of an issue. What we really want is to have access to the
>  internet from anywhere. Is there any reason to shell out extra money
>  for the "g" devices?

	With 802.11b devices, the best speed you will be able to see is 
about 3Mbps, which will be shared amongst all computers on the 
network.  Moreover, this speed will be lowered by microwaves, 
wireless headphones, remote video sender devices, anything 
broadcasting on the same radio frequencies.  And as the clients get 
further away from the router, the speed will drop so that the 
connection can be kept up.  Each client will still take up the same 
amount of radio spectrum, however.

	802.11g is good for added security features that do not tend to 
be made available in 802.11b hardware, and they can also implement 
wireless bridging (which is usually a lot more expensive with 
802.11b).  Most 802.11g hardware is actually 802.11b/g, and can be 
used exclusively in one mode or the other, or in mixed mode.  Even in 
mixed mode it's still a lot faster than 802.11b, which gives you more 
shared bandwidth that you can split amongst the clients.

	If you've got servers in the house, that can make a huge 
difference.  If you want to try to do video over wireless networking, 
802.11b just can't really give you the bandwidth you need -- only 
faster wireless technology such as 802.11a and 802.11g can do that. 
I would say that VOIP over 802.11b could very easily be marginal at 
best.


	Myself, I'm a strong believer in having much higher LAN bandwidth 
than your WAN upstream.  You can set up local servers to help make 
much more effective use of that upstream bandwidth -- web proxy 
servers, local file servers, etc....

>  Any and all input on making the transition to wireless would be
>  greatly appreciated.

	All that said, except for Atheros devices, there isn't a whole 
lot of support for 802.11g networking in FreeBSD right now.  For the 
moment, 802.11b is a much safer bet.  I'd be inclined to start with 
802.11b, with an eye towards moving to 802.11g as soon as that is 
practical for you.

	I'm going to be going to 802.11g soon, but then I'm using Apple 
hardware, with Apple drivers.  My FreeBSD boxes will be using 
standard wired LAN cards, connected to a switched network, etc.... 
And one of my BSD boxes will be the bridging firewall with multiple 
network interfaces, etc....

>  Again, I'm just talking about getting all of our computers access to
>  the 'net. I'm the only one running FreeBSD. Everyone else is on
>  Windows2000 or XP.

	Since you've got the FreeBSD box, that would be an ideal place to 
run those services that could greatly enhance your use of your 
upstream bandwidth.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <[e-mail]>

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
     -Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania.

GCS/IT d+(-) s:+(++)>: a C++(+++)$ UMBSHI++++$ P+>++ L+ !E-(---) W+++(--) N+
!w--- O- M++ V PS++(+++) PE- Y+(++) PGP>+++ t+(+++) 5++(+++) X++(+++) R+(+++)
tv+(+++) b+(++++) DI+(++++) D+(++) G+(++++) e++>++++ h--- r---(+++)* z(+++)
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發信人: [e-mail] (David Kelly), 看板: FB_chat
標  題: Re: General Wireless Network Question
發信站: NCTU CSIE FreeBSD Server (Sun Oct 12 05:23:42 2003)
轉信站: ptt!FreeBSD.csie.NCTU!not-for-mail

On Saturday 11 October 2003 04:22 pm, Greg Pavelcak wrote:
> Well, I've done some online searching and got some helpful stuff
> from FreeBSD mail archives, but I would just like to double check a
> couple of things.
>
> In the wireless world, I don't understand an access point. Right
> now, we have Comcast cable internet, a 4 port router, and a few
> computers all wired, and all with access to the internet. Am I right
> in thinking that I can just replace the current router with a
> wireless router, get some wireless network cards, and get the same
> results?

That is the idea. However I fail to understand why you would want to do 
this if you already have wires in place. Wired connections are faster, 
more reliable, more secure, and cheaper. Especially cheaper when you 
already have wires paid for.

What you might want to do is suppliment your network with an Access 
Point for a laptop. If you add-on rather than replace the router then 
when wireless is not active then you can simply turn that box off. 

Some find it entertaining to surf the streets with a laptop looking for 
access points. Once found its not hard to get in if only WEP is used. I 
have the hardware but have not enabled wireless here until I find/make 
the time to enforce IPsec over that link.

-- 
David Kelly N4HHE, [e-mail]
=====================================================================
The human mind ordinarily operates at only ten percent of its
capacity -- the rest is overhead for the operating system.

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發信人: [e-mail] ("Kevin D. Kinsey, DaleCo, S.P."), 看板: FB_chat
標  題: Re: General Wireless Network Question
發信站: NCTU CSIE FreeBSD Server (Sun Oct 12 10:55:26 2003)
轉信站: ptt!FreeBSD.csie.NCTU!not-for-mail

David Kelly wrote:

>Some find it entertaining to surf the streets with a laptop looking for 
>access points. Once found its not hard to get in if only WEP is used. I 
>have the hardware but have not enabled wireless here until I find/make 
>the time to enforce IPsec over that link.
>
>  
>
Yeah, wise though.  "Wardriving"?  Watch out for marks
on the pavement! I guess all those guys run Linux?

/me ducks and runs...

Kevin Kinsey
DaleCo, S.P.

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