General Wireless Network Question

[David Kelly]

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, dkelly at hiwaay.net
=====================================================================
The human mind ordinarily operates at only ten percent of its
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