Wireless FAQ

What is Wireless Networking?

Traditionally Computers have been put together in Networks with cables using hubs or switches to join them all together. Wireless Networking is exactly the same in concept, except instead of the Ethernet cards & cables we have Wireless Network cards, and instead of hubs and switches we have a Wireless Access Point or Wireless Router.
The only difference is in the configuration to set up the extra security precautions necessary to prevent your neighbours and people passing by from accessing your Network and/or Internet connection.

Why go Wireless?

Convenience & Portability.
Wireless PCs are only dependant on having access to power, so furniture rearranging or changing rooms no longer has to consider the position of a data socket. Perfect for those in a temporary or leased premises where drilling holes in walls and running cables all over the place would both really annoy the landlord and also waste money if it all has to be ripped out and/or reinstalled at a new premises when you move.
There's also something magical about surfing the Internet at the poolside or back deck, or having full access to Network resources in the Boardroom without having to drag cables all over the place.
Some buildings may be next to impossible to cable (or extremely expensive) or have a Heritage listing that puts cabling out of the question, or maybe just having Cables and/or ducting all over the place would not be aesthetically pleasing.
Most Wireless networks I have set up have a combination of Wired & Wireless segments anyway to take advantage of the benefits of both where possible. Wireless Routers and Access points make integrating the Wired & Wireless segments a no-brainer.

Whilst cables are generally faster for transferring data between computers at this stage, wireless equipment has come down so much in price that it is now a serious contender and often cheaper overall than running cables. Apart from DIYs, average cost per PC to Cable, including sockets, cable and Network card would generally run somewhere between $140-250.00 per PC. In comparison, Wireless Network Cards start at around $50.00 and nothing else is required apart from a Wireless Router or Access Point.

Are there any disadvantages to Wireless?

Where wireless has its limitations is in its range, penetration, comparative speed and its security considerations.
Wireless works best with "line of sight" but it can penetrate some obstacles with reasonable success. Steel framed homes and concrete structures are generally not particularly wireless friendly but even with these I've occasionally found some amazing performance (to my surprise). This effect occurs because Wireless signals can bounce around and reflect off obstacles to get into various nooks and crannies. I was in one home where the wireless Router was two concrete floors down and we were still getting a reliable connection, but then in other homes I've been losing signal even through one concrete wall or floor.
Speed wise, wireless is a bit slower than cables so may not be suitable for a large shared database or other bandwidth hungry applications.
With Security, nothing will remain 100% secure forever, so if you're in an office with sensitive data on your PCs and a public carpark within metres, it may be worthwhile reconsidering a decision to go wireless.

How far can Wireless go?

Range wise, outdoors, most WAPs and Wireless Routers with standard antennas will usually go up to around 100 metres with clear line of sight, but add a wall in the way and this drops considerably. A general rule of thumb would be 2 to 3 timber framed plaster walls within around 30 metres for most standard products indoors.
Range can be improved with more powerful antennas* or with the use of Wireless Repeaters or by running cables to more WAP/s.
If you've struck a hitch with range or penetration there's quite a good thread in the Billion forums with lots of helpful tips and links for getting the most out of your Wireless performance. See also FAQs 2.6 and 4.15 below dealing with gain and antenna selection.

Which is better. Cables or Wireless?

Cables are faster (at the time of writing) and more secure, but may involve drilling and aesthetic changes to the premises to get the cables where they need to go.
Wireless is portable and more convenient but may not have the range and penetration necessary to extend through your whole premises.
What are the minimum system requirements for Wireless?

If your PC is more than 2 years old, carefully check the Wireless adapter manufacturer's specifications for minimum system requirements before you buy. Software wise, in most cases a minimum of Windows 98 Second Edition (not 1st edition) is required to be able to install a wireless adapter but there's also hardware issues with many products. Eg Many PCI cards particularly with Prism 2 & Broadcom chipsets found in many Netgears, D-Links, Minitars, SMCs and more, require V2.2 PCI compliant Motherboard usually found in boards P3 and above, running in 3.3V mode. (5.0V PCI mode won't work.)
Most PCMCIA cards (for Laptops) require a 32 bit cardbus. All Laptops made in the last couple of years have this standard but really old ones have a 16bit card bus so you'll have to hunt around a 16bit card. (16bit cards are a dying breed and most that I know of are discontinued models that just haven't sold out yet).
SiSoft Sandra is a useful tool to find out the nitty gritty parts of your PC if you have no idea what you've got.

What's the difference between 802.11 A, B & G?

802.11a runs in the 5gHz frequency range and will allow data speeds of up to 108 mbs. The shorter wavelength of the 5gHz frequency greatly reduces its range and penetration but it comes into it's own in areas where it might be overcrowded or have other equipment (eg medical) operating in the 2.4 gHz range. Its lower performance and comparitively hefty price tag have made it fairly unpopular in Australia and it's now quite rare to see products on the market ultilising the 802.11a standard.

802.11b operates in the 2.4gHz frequency range and was an advance that led to wireless networking becoming popular and viable in Australia. It promised throughput speeds of 11 mbs but as with all wireless technologies you can at least halve the manufacturer's figures for true throughput results using a network tool such as Qcheck. Range can be anything up to 100 metres with clear line of sight with most products out of the box but can be extended substantially with aftermarket antennas and boosters.

802.11b+ operates in the 2.4gHz frequency range and was a variation of 802.11b chipset used by D-Link in particular. It doubled the throughput figures but would fall back to plain 802.11b speeds when used with other wireless standards including the modern ones like 802.11g & n.

802.11g operates in the 2.4gHz frequency range and took wireless speeds up to 54 mbs and with a bit more throughput to play with it effectively extended the range a little bit too. It remains a popular and cost effective choice.

802.11g+ operates in the 2.4gHz frequency range and was a variation on the 802.11g chipsets that effectively doubled the data speeds. However, when used in conjunction with 802.11g or n products it will fall back to standard 802.11g speeds.

802.11n operates in the 2.4gHz & 5gHz frequency ranges and at the time of writing allows speeds of up to 300 mbs (but that might even double in the near future). Range is also greatly improved but the corresponding wireless adapters must be used to get anything like the promised performance.

Will Wireless Networking conflict with my Cordless Phone?

Not likely, although it has been known to happen occasionally*. I know of one report where a Wireless network was known to drop out whenever a certain cordless phone rang, but I've installed and sold hundreds (maybe thousands) of wireless products and it has never come up for me personally. I have a cordless phone less than a meter from where I test wireless Routers and WAPs, and although frequencies vary between brands and models of cordless phones, if it was going to be a common issue it would have come up frequently by now. In any case, wireless products come with the ability to change the Wireless channel so you can move it to a different frequency if you do strike a problem.
However, I do have a baby monitor in my home that seems to upset a few Wireless Routers on channel six for some reason. Other products are fine with it so it's a bit of a mystery. Symptoms in this case are poor signal strength, frequent dropouts, packet loss  and sometimes not even showing up in a scan for Wireless devices using the Wireless Configuration Utility.

Are Wireless devices a health risk?

In a nutshell - no.
Wireless devices and their emissions are strictly policed and tested by the FCC in America and ACA here for possible health risks, and there's also many logical conclusions that can be drawn from the chart above -
1. 802.11B/G devices use similar radio frequencies to common household appliances like Baby Monitors and Microwave ovens, so if there was a problem these would be banned by now or there'd at least be a media storm about it.
2. We're constantly bombarded with TV & Radio station signals at similar frequencies as well. If anything, these would be more dangerous as they're considerably more powerful than these little home Networking devices.
However, you may notice that mobile phones also fall into a similar radio frequency and these have come under suspicion for possible health risks, but there are some major differences between mobile phones and Wireless computer gear. For one, tumours that have been attributed to mobile phone use are usually found around the ears and other areas where a mobile phone is commonly held especially while ringing (eg on the hip). This indicates that the danger is in having these devices close to the skin while they are broadcasting, and you wouldn't normally walk around with a Wireless Router stuck on the side of your head. Research tends to blame the slight heating effects from Radio Frequency Radiation when the device is held on the body, forcing the radiation to travel through the body rather than reflecting off it as it would normally, plus mobile phones have a considerably stronger output signal as well.
However, I would not be so quick to give a thumbs up for "zero risk" once people start to modify products to increase their output signals with super high gain antennas or adding amplifiers to the wireless output. Andrew Clapp has a bit to say on this topic with his home built antenna design.

Can I use a Wireless Router just as a WAP?

Yes, all that's needed is to disable the router features. This involves 3 things:
1. Don't plug anything into the Internet (WAN) port
2. Disable its DHCP server
3. Set its IP address in the same range as your existing network. As an example, your other router which is connected to the Internet (hereafter called the Gateway) has an IP address of 192.168.1.1 and your PCs have IP addresses of 192.168.1.2 onwards. (In this example the Gateway's DHCP server has been set to issue IP address of 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.100.) After you've disabled the Wireless Router's DHCP server, give it an IP address using the same first three octets (192.168.1.) but a different last number below 255 but outside the Gateway's DHCP range. ie Anything from 192.168.1.101 to 192.168.1.254. (To access the Router's menu now you'll need to go to its new IP address. eg http://192.168.1.101).
With these 3 things in place, any wireless PC will connect and bridge through the wireless router to the Gateway for its Internet access.
This is what a Netgear WPN824 looks like configured as a WAP under the LAN IP Setup section -
Note new LAN IP address and "Use Router as DHCP Server" is unchecked.