802.11a

[dshodson]

im going to start a home network in the near future and am considering getting 802.11a b/c of the increased speed. Certainly my dsl connection doesnt need that sort of speed but it is always hard to know what one will need in the future. Can anyone recommend a particular brand or do most people think im just crazy and should buy the 802.11b stuff since it is so cheap.

D

 

[sml]

hold off for 802.11g adapters and access points; these will support the 54Mbps speed of 802.11a but will allow you to utilize 802.11b compliant devices as well.

 

[Joony]

sml is on a posting maddness...

 

[Utterman]

Do you know when the 802.11g will be coming out and how far away I can be and still be connected to it?

 

[sml]

not clear as to the ranges, i'd check out the IETF's web site [www.ietf.org i believe] to see what the proposed ranges and date of implementation is; if you do a google query for 802.11g you'll find quite a few articles; the issue with 802.11a is that it uses the 5GHz frequency spectrum and therefore is not compatible with other 802.11b wireless devices; this means you must make sure all your devices work with 802.11a. 802.11g will allow a and b devices to work together, and operates in the 2.4GHz range [cordless phones and such]. by the way, unless you live in a Godfather II [Sierra Mountains in Tahoe, CA] style compound, 802.11b ranges should be fine for you. It works through my whole house [approx. 3000sq feet] with very little signal loss. I've connected to wireless networks almost 3/4 of a mile away when line of sight was established. It's rather robust unless you're planning something.. unusual

 

[Utterman]

Thank you sml for the info. Would it be possible to use 802.11 a/b/g to connect to the internet from my house to my school that is accross the street from me (approx. 300-500 meters) with my laptop?

 

[sml]

quoted range on some of the wireless network stuff is up to 1500 feet outdoors, but that would really be an 'in the middle of a field' type scenario. I recommend hopping on ebay and grabbing a +15-20dB gain antenna for $40 or so. Check out slashdot.org, there are antenna modifications to hide an antenna in a pringles can you can stash in the side of your backpack to pick up wireless to your house easily [and maybe other people's, too!] HTH.

 

[Utterman]

Ok, thanks a lot for your help

 

[n0cmonkey]

Some of the wireless cards are easier to modify than others. When I get an x86 laptop Im planning on getting one of the SMC cards because of this reason (and the fact it uses the prism II chipset). If you want a link I can provide one, but Im too lazy to look for it now. Also remember that with increased range you will have more script kiddiots knocking on your door. Atleast potentially (especially if there is a school across the street).

 

[cipher00]

BTW, I have "heard" (sorry, no links) that the 5 GHz range is not very tolerant of walls, floors, etc. If true, I wonder how useful 'a' will be in a typical home of office environment. Personally, I'd wish for better standard encryption than 128 bit that doesn't bring traffic to its knees. But then, I'm just an optimist.

 

[TomK]

DON'T buy the 802.11a stuff at this time.

The range is almost half what 802.11b stuff is, it uses a different frequency (5Ghz), and isn't very good at penetrating walls, etc. Plus, it won't work with the 802.11b stuff if you already have 11b devices.

The 802.11g stuff is reported to start shipping sometime late spring into the summer time frame, the distance is still very good, and it works with 11b devices since they operate in the same frequency (2.4). People are questioning if it will really interoperate though because it uses such a different method to compress the radio waves (I've read and been told that), time will only tell.

But again, at this point, 802.11a for the home is a big waste of money.

TomK