Home Wi-Fi

Wireless networks are no longer out of your reach. By spending less than Rs 10,000 you can surf the Net, print documents and pictures and listen to music.

Sharadh Manian

Print Edition: 14 Jun, 2007

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Wireless networks are no longer out of your reach. By spending less than Rs 10,000 you can surf the Net, print documents and pictures, listen to music—and soon even watch video, anywhere in your house. Here’s how:

WIRELESS INTERNET

Wi-Fi Router

The very heart of wireless networks, it converts the broadband Net signal to radio waves.A router can connect up to 10-15 computers to a network wirelessly. Typically a wi-fi network will have signal footprint of 100-300 feet radius indoors. Obstructions like concrete walls will reduce the network strength. The most prevalent wi-fi standard today is 802.11g (called 11g in short).A new 802.11n (or 11n) standard is under development that will handle simultaneous wireless streaming of the Internet, music and video. Cost: Rs 1,900-2,700.

Access Points (AP)

In addition to routers, you may need an access point if you want to extend wireless network across floors. AP s usually come with an inbuilt signal booster and can be installed in sections of the house where router signals are weak. Popular brands of routers and APs are Netgear, Linksys (owned by Cisco) and D-Link. For Apple users, the device is Airport Extreme. Cost: Rs 2,000-2,400.

Wireless Network Card

Laptops sold now, even the least expensive ones, have built-in wi-fi. But most desktops are not wi-fi enabled.You can make them so by using a wireless network card. Network cards either fit into PCI slot or US B ports of the computer. Cost: PCI Card: Rs 1,000-1,400; USB: Rs 1,200-1,800.

WIRELESS PRINTING

A printer can be connected to the wi-fi network with a wireless print server which connects to the printer via a US B port. You are ready to send print commands wirelessly from anywhere in the house.A cheaper option is a wired print server, which connects the printer to the router through a wire.This wired printer will still take print commands wirelessly from your laptop or PC, but it can’t be moved around the house. Cost: Wireless print server: Rs 5,000;Wired print server: Rs 2,500.

WIRELESS MUSIC

Apple’s Airport Express Base S tation plugs your music system to the wi-fi using an audio-out cable. Connect the Airport to a power point. The Airport searches for the wi-fi network.You can play digital music stored in your computer on your old music system anywhere in the house wirelessly. It can also connect a printer to the wi-fi network. Cost: Rs 6,900.

SPEED AND SECURITY

Concrete walls, pillars, metal objects and cabinet absorb signals slowing down network.
802.11 b/g networks share the frequency with microwave ovens, cordless phones and Bluetooth devices. Keep the router away from such devices.
Secure your wi-fi network by enabling the Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP ) option.The router will ask for a passphrase and generate a WEP key.Only devices with WEP key will be allowed to access the network.
In addition to the WEP key, secure your wi-fi network further by using physical address filtering (called MAC filtering).This will ensure only machines with specific physical addresses can access the network.

WIRELESS VIDEO

Currently Apple TV is the only device which supports wireless video streaming. It is based on the 802.11n wi-fi standard. This standard is still being evolved and is likely to be fully ready by mid-2008. It supports multi-input and multioutput for simultaneous data, music and video transfer.