Ah another one! [Wireless]

[Gray]

Making so many threads in this place over a small period of time it seems. No matter

I have been looking at Wireless internet/networking for a small time, its something that i have never ever dabbled with. Back in college we briefly touched upon wired-networking, but it wasnt really anything to cry home about.

With Virgin/NTL, i never really got to grips with the cable-side of things. When i was on BT things seemed quite easy, but i cant quite put my finger on why i think Cable-Broadband is more daunting than BT-lines.

I have wanted, for some time to actually setup some form of network - Its really ever since i got my Xbox360, because i didnt want to have to keep swapping the cable over to allow me to play my Xbox.

My Xbox360 is now downstairs, far away from my cable-modem, unable to see the cold light of the internetweb. I want that to change. I want to be wireless. However since i have never 1] Used a router 2] Used a network effectively or 3] Seen wireless in action, to say im a bit... daunted again is probably not far from the truth.

Coupled with the fact that in a few days [or weeks, if my graphics card doesnt get sorted out!] i will be having my new PC setup, which in turn means that im going to have 2 computers and an Xbox360 to setup.

I feel its complicated to setup, but this is only because i have never done it before. When people talk about routers, access points etc - I just nod my head tentitively and just curse ever asking in the first place. A few days ago i felt comfortable in trying it, but then i relised i was [again] looking at the ADSL-routers. As soon as i briefly looked at the cable-routers it turned to be quite confusing.

So now im thinking... How would i respectfully set this up?...

My current modem is hiding under my desk, it has the phone-line [cable] connected to it, then it has the.. RJ45? Cable attached to the port which in turn connects to my PC [Or was, Xbox360].

Now, if im to go wireless, how would this be done? Would it be [Correct me when im wrong]

Cable-phoneline > MODEM [I had no idea the modem still had a part to play in all of this!] > Router. Then if a device is fitted into my PC [uhm... the access point?] my PC would then be, in turn connected to the wireless router?

Yes? No?

Then [if] thats the case, would that then mean that i just need [2] access points? [Xbox360, Spare PC]. I partially relise though that this is just half the job - The other job is then setting it up via the main-computer no? Using the software base to setup firewalls/security etc?

Hope its something like that!

PS

What makes/models would be sufficient for wireless-cable-routers [modems?]? I hear Netgear are fairly "friendly" but what about the rest? [At a decent price... im already going to be near £700 down soon -.-]

TAAA!

 

[Devilseye]

i'm a complete n00b about xbox's!
buttt
Normaly its idd Cableinternet>modem>Router>
And that splits between:
- Cable > computer
- Wireless > Xbox.
But as i said i'm a xbox n00b, and i dunno if you can configure them at all!
If you cant configure the xbox as wireless. it would mean the xbox needs the cable and your computer has to be wireless (tho i'd never do that)


Maybe a more experienced x-box gamer can confirm this all

 

[Kryten]

I cant speak from an Xbox point of view at all, unfortunatley, but I can help simpilify the setting up a little.

The Access Point (AP) is the wireless router. From NTL/Virgin, this means you have your little blue NTL cable modem cabled into the "WAN" port of your router.
Many of these routers will have 4 or so other LAN connectors (RJ45) so if you plugged something physically into one of those, you'll have internet access straight off with little or no setting changes at all - thats your PC, Xbox, whatever.

Wireless is just a bit more difficult only because of the security. In a nutshell, you need to tell your router to expect a connection from another device, and tell the device (pc, xbox) to connect to it. You'll need to set up a password (a WPA key is the only acceptable security method) - a decent length password similar to what you should be using on internet and PC things anyway will suffice.

I can't say for the Xbox, but with a wireless card in your PC and the software installed, you can just search for local networks. It should pick up your router, you'll be able to connect to it - it'll ask for the password - and thats it. After that's done, settings are remembered and you won't have to do it again.

It might be a better thing to look at in depth when you've got a wireless router so we can advise on exactly how to set it up, but a common example is a Netgear of some description, as these are often supplied by ISP's.

For the first set up, you plug it into your PC with a network cable and browse to its address using firefox/internet explorer. This address is normally printed on the back of the router or in it's instruction manuals - commonly 192.168.0.1 with username admin and password password.
You'll then be greeted with the routers "built in website" - which is just basically the settings page for everything you'd need to change. THe least you should change is the security settings (to turn on WPA) and the routers name (will be NETGEAR-SOMERANDOMSTUFF by default) to something you'll know, but not your own or family name - so you know your hardware is connecting to the right place

Hope that's of some vague help - it aint as easy as it perhaps should be, and it's always worth avoiding any automatic setup programs often supplied with wireless hardware, unless you spend a fortune on Cisco Aironet gear.
Let us know and I'm sure we can get you through it

On a sidenote, some common routers include the Netgear WG614:
Find Netgear WGR614 802.11g/b WiFi Wireless Router on eBay within Wireless Routers Access Points, Wireless Networking, Networking, Computing (end time 04-Nov-07 09:12:00 GMT)
The 624:
Find Virgin Media Wireless Broadband Router - Netgear WGT624 on eBay within Wireless Routers Access Points, Wireless Networking, Networking, Computing (end time 04-Nov-07 09:40:00 GMT)
The excellent RangeMax:
Find Virgin Media RangeMax MIMO Wireless Router - 108MBPS on eBay within Wireless Routers Access Points, Wireless Networking, Networking, Computing (end time 04-Nov-07 12:01:00 GMT)
Linksys 54g:
Find Linksys Wireless Broadband Router WRT54G 2,4 GHz 802.11 on eBay within Wireless Routers Access Points, Wireless Networking, Networking, Computing (end time 04-Nov-07 14:03:36 GMT)

 

[Starman]

The X360 wifi adapter is very good and easy to setup if not alittle expensive. There are cheaper options but will be harder to setup.

 

[Clown]

Why have you started using stupid formatting in your posts Gray?

 

[xane]

I'd just recommend that if you connect wirelessly I'd consider using a Bridge rather than an internal/external wireless NIC, the Bridge connects to the standard wired ethernet port directly and is under independent control with its own software, so you don't have to muck about with wireless configuration on the PC or whatever it is connected to.

Bridges are always on, therefore no waiting and no problems with shutdown, standby or hibernate.

Bridges can also serve more than one device, some have printer servers built in, which I've never really been able to get to work properly.

P.S. It's worth noting that most "wireless game adapters" for X-Box, PS, etc are in fact a Bridge.