[MLB-WIRELESS] Dedicated AP hardware vs PC + card

Fri Oct 26 11:22:39 EST 2001

Opinions time:

What is better, getting a dedicated piece of hardware for an Access point (Apple
Airport?) or setting up a PC (In this case, an old digital laptop picked up from
auction (260$, wot a bargain!) with a wireless card + normal network card in the
PCMCIA slots).

Price is not really an issue, but as my node will be the centre of a star
topography type wireless LAN, the thing will have to be running 24/7 and be
reliable so Im thinking that a  wireless router would be better than a PC (Less
muckin around with installing and maintain linux/windoze software, less sadness
when lighting strikes cooks what's on the end of the wire). I must admit Im
tempted to buy a wireless router for the 'toy' value alone.

So, whose had experience with wireless routers? What have you got and how hard
was it to plonk an antenna on it? Was it worth the extra  bucks? Am I correct in
calling these things wireless routers? :)

Cheers

Joe Parry

PS: Saw this on Toms Hardware
(http://www4.tomshardware.com/technews/technews-20011024.html#0621)  Does anyone
know if these products are available in Aus? The Wireless Cable/DSL Router looks
most tasty.

   Belkin Puts Out Five New Wireless Networking Gadgets                                           

        Wireless  home  networking, despite its price tag, lets you hook up all of your computing 
        devices  without  the negative effect that punching holes in walls and running cables can 
        produce  in  your  landlord.  Belkin's efforts to keep you from getting evicted include a 
        slew  of new 802.11b-compliant wireless devices that will begin shipping in North America 
        next  month. Belkin says its line of products offers 11Mbps data transfer rates, data and 
        network  security with 64/128-bit WEP data encryption, and its own Belkin SOHO Networking 
        Software. The Belkin 11Mbps Wireless Access Point, priced at $179.99, gives you a command 
        point for hooking up your devices. The Belkin 11Mbps Wireless Cable/DSL Router, priced at 
        $229.99,  has  an  integrated  3-port  10/100 Base-T Ethernet switch and an NAT firewall. 
        Features  include  IP-Sec pass-thru, to let you use Virtual Private Networking (VPN), and 
        DMZ hosting, which lets you place computers outside of the firewall for online gaming and 
        the  like.  The  Belkin  11Mbps  Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB) Adapter, which costs 
        $99.99,  lets  you  hook  computers  up  to the network without cracking open the case or 
        wasting  a  PCI slot. Last but not least, Belkin is pitching two add-in cards: the Belkin 
        11Mbps  Wireless  Notebook  Card  ($99.99)  for notebook computers, and the Belkin 11Mbps 
        Wireless  Desktop  PCI  Network Adapter Card ($39.99). While I'm generally against cutesy 
        names for computer products, such utilitarian product names seem a tad uncreative.        

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