Enhance your life with wireless networking

Ever imagined why WiFi was the new buzzword worldwide? Ever imagined how easier life would be with a wireless network at your home to be? Ng Bee Ling explains how you could set one at your home in three easy do-it-yourself steps

As you sit on your bed at home, can you visualise yourself breathing the fresh morning air, sipping your favourite coffee while messaging, chatting and exchanging files with friends and colleagues around the world simultaneously? Have you ever wished you could curl up on the couch and respond to your boss’ e-mails without missing your favourite prime time sitcom? Do you wish you could place a computer in each of your children’s rooms so they could do their online school projects without quarrelling over using the one in your study room while time-sharing the same Internet connection with you without patches of cable conduits marring the walls of your home? Do you wish that you could print documents on the printer in your study, while accessing the Internet in your bedroom?

Inspired for every home

Thanks to wireless networking, all your wishes can come true. The labyrinth of wires disappears while cyber communication remains. You decide where you want to surf the Net and when you want it. In fact, it is fast becoming part of our lifestyle, in the same way that the mobile phone has brought mobility to voice communication. As in a mobile phone, no wire is needed to receive and transmit data as radio frequencies are used to communicate between devices equipped with the wireless access capability.

To join the growing worldwide population of wireless networking homes, all you need is a wireless router or wireless access point (if you already have a wired router), a wireless network card and broadband Internet access.

Three easy steps

The set-up and configuration is simple and straightforward. Your wireless network should be up and running in a couple of minutes. Here’s how:

Step One - Subscribe to broadband Internet connection
If you do not have an existing broadband connection, you can check out the various broadband Internet access promotions offered by local ISPs. When signing up for a broadband subscription that comes with an ADSL or cable modem, check that the modem has an Ethernet port. Otherwise, you will have to buy a Ethernet-based ADSL or cable modem from a local computer retailer.

Step two – Get a wireless broadband router
You need a multi-function wireless broadband router to share Internet access with multiple users. A basic multi-function broadband router will come with a built-in access point and a multi-port switch, but the common one today has added functions such as a built-in print server, virtual private network, parental control and ISDN/56K dial-up fall-back. List out your requirements, check and ask around about the features to make sure the wireless broadband router meets your needs.

If you are already using a wired broadband router with a broadband connection, don’t worry. You can still keep it. All you have to do is to install a wireless access point to one of the Ethernet ports on the router and your home network instantly turns into a wireless network.

Step Three – ‘Wireless’ your laptop, computer and PDA
You will need to get wireless client devices for your laptop, desktop computer and PDA. For the desktop computer, you will need a wireless USB adapter or a wireless PCI Card. For the laptop computer, a wireless PC Card will do. As for your PDA, check that it supports compact flash card as you will need the compact flash version of the wireless adapter.

Beyond wireless at home

The definite enhancement in the quality of your life is not confined to the vicinity of your home. The pervasiveness of wireless networking is now sprouting at public places such as airports, schools, campuses, shopping malls, restaurants, cafes, hospitals, hotels, exhibition halls and yes, commercial airplanes and holiday cruise liners, too. It is so flexible that two or more people can even form an ad-hoc wireless network to exchange files and information at any place on this planet.

For most people, a mobile phone is now a necessity of life. We see this happening with wireless networking too. Therefore, enter the next level of freedom and start experiencing the joy of wireless networking.

The author is product manager, SMC Networks, Asia Pacific. She can be contacted at bee ling.ng@smc-asia.com