<p>I can’t imagine not having it! Next home computer will definitely be a laptop so we can be completely cordless (besides the router). Great for when kids also need to do homework in their room but need quiet (something away from the main area where our “house” computer is.</p>
<p>Anyone have any thoughts on how secure a secured wireless connection is? I have secured wireless connection that supposedly no one else can access without the code from my route. I have heard from several people, that it is not difficult to decode the password and read everything I write that passes through the wireless router and onto the internet. Because of this fear, I don’t do my online banking from a laptop using wireless.</p>
<p>I think my whole neighborhood uses either Comcast or Verizon wireless; all are password protected (and Verizon assigns random passwords so no reason they would be easy to decipher). That said I have no idea whether they are vulnerable to sophisticated invaders.</p>
<p>In any case, having the wireless connections has been hugely convenient for the reasons everyone has stated, and reasonably reliable. Service provider sets up router; all you have to do is coordinate your computer and put in the password once.</p>
<p>I spoke with a guy that used to work for a security firm and his job was to try to penetrate company wireless networks. This was several years ago. He had hardware devices to do this sort of thing. If you want better security, go through VPN. Many companies require VPN to access their networks.</p>
<p>Your security is based on the size of encryption keys which relates to how long it would take a computer to crack your password. Computers and GPUs keep getting faster so the relative level of a security system drops with time.</p>
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<p>It depends on the encryption used and where you are. The ones they have today are fairly secure. If you are in a residential single-family home area, then all you have to worry about is your neighbors, and someone sitting out front of your house in their car.</p>
<p>If you live in an apartment building, then there are a lot more people who might try to hack your network for fun.</p>
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<p>Don’t worry about on-line banking. They use secure connections which is another layer of encryption that is even more difficult to break. I would worry more about the person who hacks into your wifi, and reads your e-mail.</p>
<p>Most of my connections at home are hard wire, so none of that traffic is broadcast. Only the laptops are exposed to sniffers.</p>
<p>Thanks again everybody–
resurrecting this thread for some more advice–
If we already use Optimum Online for TV cable is there any reason that we should or shouldn’t consider another provider, like Verizon (who we have our phone service with)? I was just going to compare prices–</p>
<p>Just compare prices, I’d say. Unless someone tells you that a particular ISP has poor/slow/frequently interrupted service (not too common a problem… but just in case).</p>
<p>Very possibly, your cable company will send someone out to do the “install” for you -possibly at no charge. At least, I know that Time Warner does that. </p>
<p>It is really quite simple, although I understand the intimidation factor.</p>
<p>BTW, in both houses where we have had wireless we have been able to use it very well from distant rooms - eg, router in basement office, great connections on 1st and 2nd floors.</p>
<p>One piece of advice, based upon an experience we had this week, is to secure the system. Despite his techie job DH did not secure our wireless until last weekend. That was after our DSL company shut us off without notice. They claimed we were illegally downloading movies in the middle of the night. (We do suspect it had something to do with netflix, but we haven’t figured it out especially given the time that this download happened.) According to them it is a federal law, but who knows. We only have one real option where we live (out in the country) so we had to beg them to turn it back on as DH’s job depends on high speed access.</p>
<p>jmmom-- we were hoping it would work in the basement. I turned it into a little family room last year-- would be nice to use it.</p>
<p>rrah - how do they secure the system?
Will definitely ask the providers–</p>
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<p>Suggestion: Get your own e-mail address separate from your ISP. That will give you the freedom to switch ISP’s whenever you want to.</p>
<p>I am not a techie. I went wireless, and over the years added a signal extender. I can’t imagine not being wireless with my family of 4 who all go online. I loved the help I got with Linksys when I set it up, and later when i added the signal extender. We have a secure network with passwords, and one computer still hardwired. It was easy to set up.</p>
<p>In our area, DSL users complain less than Comcast cable users for high speed.</p>
<p>re post #30: v good point. I used my provider’s email address (roadrunner) for years. But when we moved out of their service area, I couldn’t use it any more. Changed to gmail… which my S had been telling me to do for years :). Not all that difficult, as it is really quite easy to send a mass email telling all your contacts of change. Still, a lot better to start out that way.</p>
<p>Re basement router (or router in somewhat distant area of home from other rooms): expect it to work quite well, but it is possible it won’t in some homes, depending on configuration/type of walls, etc. Still, we find it works v well in a southwestern home w many concrete walls, and even works in an outdoor guest house.</p>
<p>Our router is in mathson’s bedroom.</p>
<p>Looking back on this thread, I decided I’m confused about something (maybe I’m the only one :D)…</p>
<p>Do you already have Internet service in your home? If so, there is no need to change providers (unless you want to). You simply buy a wireless router (used to cost around $100). Then you (or your “guy”) plug it in and set it up. Voila! You’re done. No extra cost. You don’t need a provider that “offers wireless”… wireless is something you set up inside your house using the Internet service you already have. Think of it as simply having a different modem… one that communicates with your family’s computers without wires vs. plugging cat5 cables into the modem.</p>
<p>You can also get your wireless router from your provider (some providers, anyway)… for that you play a monthly fee, instead of buying a router for the one-time cost mentioned above. In our area, the monthly fee for using their router is $9.95.</p>
<p>Pros and cons of buying a router vs. using the provider’s router? I’m not sure of all of them. In our case, we switched to theirs when our own older one started to fail. Presumably, since you’re renting it, they’ll replace at no cost if any problems.</p>
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<p>True. But $'s, speed, reliability, and customer service are big reasons to want to change.</p>
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<p>You can get decent ones for under $15 on sale (or ebay). Not “N”, but “G” is good enough for most people, and way more than you need for internet. If you are streaming video from another computer, then “N” would be worthwhile.</p>
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<p>Not quite. You forgot the “setting up security” step. That would then require you to configure each wireless computer to allow it to attach.</p>
<p>Thanks, OperaDad. I considered the setting up each computer to be the “easy” part… but not to someone entirely new to the process, I’m sure. </p>
<p>Mainly, I just wanted the OP to know that she doesn’t need to look for a provider that “offers wireless.” Which, upon re-reading her OP, it seemed she thought was part of the process.</p>
<p>Just a caveat: we have house wireless but we still use cables for the fixed computers. The wireless doesn’t like our brick construction so it has spots where it’s just not there.</p>
<p>off topic a little but what is it with Portland & no cell towers?
I could hear my daughter in India on her cell, better than I could her sister less than 200 miles away.
We don’t have brick- but haven’t gotten wireless internet yet, cause all the companies seem equally bad according to online reviews, however, I get tired of having to go to the coffee shop up the street so I am determined to get it soon.</p>
<p>We have wireless but it does not work in the entire house. Our house is long sort of a V flattened at the bottom. The flattened portion is quite long. Also due to being on a slope we have sections of the house that are two stories and parts that are partially built into the hill. The router is at one end of the flattened V. The wireless works in the family room, kitchen and the kids bedrooms. It sometimes works in the living room. It never works in my bedroom.
We have two wired computers. One that is actually right next to the cable modem and wireless router but is an older computer with no wireless card. And my laptop that I use in my bedroom. We are presently having a problem with getting any internet service on the two wired computers. Spouse has not had the time to figure out what the problem is or if it is two separate problems. So in the meantime I am stuck with not having internet in my bedroom.</p>
<p>I’ve tried everything and can’t get wireless to work on our computers. Have a MacBook Pro, and an old PC desktop. Don’t need it for the desktop (wired is just fine), but cannot figure out what is wrong that it won’t work w/ either. I was given the router from someone who decided to use another model. It was never opened, but is an older ‘g’ D-Link model. However, since I don’t have any warranty, I assume DLink won’t help me online.
Software installs no problem. I’ve tried hooking up the cables in various steps (the online instructions are different from the packaged instructions), but no matter what I do, it won’t get an internet connection via cable to be able to configure the system. Any especially helpful websites?</p>
<p>Also make sure the person next door isn’t “sharing” your connection.</p>
<p>Or you can let them, if you’re feeling charitable.</p>