Ok first of all, wireless vs. wired router. One, do wireless routers work as well as wired ones? I mean, you don't ever get problems with the signal do you? Two, IF i decided i wanted a wireless one, I would need to get a wireless adapter, right? I have an Asus a7n8x MoBo. Three, are there any benefits to wireless routers I'm not aware of other than their usefulness in a big house or where network cables would otherwise get in the way? And four, wireless routers are more expensive, right? I am probably gonna get a regular one with cables (unless someone has any good suggestions why i should get a wireless one). I will be using this in my appartment where I live with a roommate, so that he doesn't have to get on my computer anymore to use internet. The one thing I can think of that would be cool about having a wireless is that my roommate could use internet from anywhere inside our place rather than having to go back to his room every time cuz he has a laptop. Also, isn't it possible to plug in a printer into a router and make it so everyone connected to the network will have access to it? I would like to get that set up in the future as well. So, if anyone has any suggestions on wireless vs. regular and also on specific brands/models that you think are good buys, I would greatly appreciate. Money isn't too big of a concern.
Generally speaking,usually yes and sometimes better! Signal problems - Unless your friends that wan't to access the network are too far away or don't have a clear line of sight. WLAN generally have excellent range and if the signal is too weak you can buy external antenna's to boost the signal. Yes, you will have to buy a WLAN PCI adapter for each PC that want's to access the wireless network and can generally be found for about $50. With some help from the internet > A wireless LAN router adds a built-in access point function to a multi-port Ethernet router. This combines multiple Ethernet networks with wireless connections as well. A typical WLAN router includes four Ethernet ports, an 802.11 access point, and sometimes a parallel port so it can be a print server. This gives wireless users the same ability as wired users to send and receive packets over multiple networks. 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11b/a combo WLAN routers are now available from several vendors such as Netgear, D-Link and Actiontec. 802.11g routers are also starting to come on the market. WLAN Routers vs. Access Points There may be some confusion over the difference between WLAN routers and access points. The main thing to remember is that access points allow wireless clients access to a single network, while WLAN routers allow clients to browse a number of different networks. The router always takes the IP address into account to make decisions on how to forward (i.e., route) the packet; whereas, access points generally ignore the IP address and forward all packets. In addition, WLAN routers implement the Network Address Translation (NAT) protocol that enables multiple network devices to share a single IP address generally provided by the Internet Service provider (ISP). WLAN routers also have the ability to provide port-based control, firewall management and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services for all devices. These functions make the WLAN router much more versatile than an access point. Why use a WLAN router? * IP address sharing. WLAN routers offer strong benefits in the home and small office setting. For example, you can subscribe to a cable modem service that provides a single IP address through DHCP to the router, and the router then provides IP addresses via DHCP to clients on your local network. NAT then maps a particular client on the local network to the ISP-assigned IP address whenever that client needs to access the Internet. As a result, you need a router if you plan to have more than one networked devices on a local network sharing a single ISP-assigned address. Instead of having one box for the router and another box for the access point, a WLAN router provides both in the same box. * Connect multiple networks. WLAN routers are also ideal for wireless networks in public areas, especially if there are multiple networks that are accessible. For instance, a University may have a separate network in each of its buildings. Students sitting outside might want to gain access one or more of these networks and also surf the Internet. A WLAN router enables them to access everything through the wireless connection. * Improve network performance. Because routers only send packets to specific, directed addresses, they do not forward the often numerous broadcast packets that are sent out by other devices. This results in an increase in throughput because of lower utilization on the network and less work needed by the router. This enables WLANs to operate much more effectively. The router, however, will offer more delay than an access point, but the impacts are generally unnoticeable. * Increase security. A strong advantage of WLAN routers is that they provide an added layer of security, both on the wired side and wireless side. The wired side is usually protected by a firewall and has extensive access control filters. These filters can be set based on MAC (medium access control) address, IP address, URL, domain name, and even a set schedule that allows access only at certain times. If an unauthorized user tries to access the network, an e-mail alert is immediately sent to the network administrator. For supporting sensitive information, many WLAN routers support multiple and concurrent IPSec sessions, so users can more securely access networks through a range of virtual private network (VPN) clients. Most WLAN routers also implement wired equivalent privacy (WEP) encryption so your neighbours don't 'tap' into your wireless signal and 'borrow' your internet! I think generally speaking Wireless Routers are all basically the same but Belkin and Netgear excel in Routers in my opinion. Also you will need to decide on speed, 54Mbps or 108Mbps? If your using the network for just internet/office productivity then 54Mbps will do fine, but if your into LAN gaming then you might need the extra speed of 108Mbps. So it's all up to your needs.
Thanks! --- OK new topic kinda: So what are the options to having a shared printer in a network? Note: I do not want the one method where you connect it to a specific comp on the network and must have the comp turned on to be able to print from other comps. I want it always accessible. I know of 2 methods: some wired routers come with printserver feature, and also there are separate print servers which connect to routers through an ethernet cable. Are there any other options? And also, how come all the routers I've seen with printserver feature have an LPT port only, but no USB? I can't use a USB-only printer with it. Or are ALL printers still made with LPT connectivity as well? I thought it's getting kind of phased out? Reason I'm asking this is cuz I need to decide whether I want a printserver router or a "regular" one.
The two methods you described are about the only options available. There are many routers with the printserver feature but i've seen none with USB because you can't install drivers on a router now can you? They are still LPT because they are much much easier to configure that way. But you may be able to buy a USB-LPT adapter but i'm not sure of this. 99% of printers these days are made with either USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 functionality. The only other option left is to buy a LPT compatible printer.
Ok, with wired routers does it matter how old they are? I think I'm just gonna get the router my parents have back at their house since my dad doesn't really need it anymore. We bought it like 2 or 3 years ago, I think. Is it fine to use an older router like that?
I don't see why there would be a problem. As long as it works and it's got a decent speed it should be fine.
Something you may want to consider when setting up your wireless network is to set a password for people to access it or you may have neighbors raping your internet connection.
