20th February 2005, 6:50 PM
Ahem...
First of all, just about all my friends who have computers all over the house DO have a wireless network, simply because that little solution of yours involving a rat's nest of wires was not doable. Let me put it this way. How many people who DON'T care about the technology of it all living in the same house would allow the house to end up looking aweful with lots of places to trip over?
A wireless router currently can be obtained for very close to the price of a normal router. Also keep in mind wireless routers ALSO have ethernet in them. Seriously, cheap stuff. You can get a decent normal router for $30 now, and a decent wifi router for $50. You only need one! As for PC support, the newest laptops have it built in, like I said, so you don't need to dish out anything for extra cards. PCs are starting to get it built in, but really you don't need a card even, just an access point. Something you hook up to your ethernet card that recieves the signal.
As for security... Um, it's pretty secure you know. Password protected networks keep people from stealing your bandwidth pretty well. Also, just because you can see the router doesn't mean it'll let you see any other computers on the network. Your data is safe until you make it otherwise. Really, it's no bigger a worry than people hacking into a cable connection. I personally don't worry about that at all. Seriously, what exactly makes your sister's laptop a prime target for hackers? Unless she's the president of a major company, and people KNOW her IP address, I'd say she is completely safe. Finally, ever hear of a firewall? Amazing technology built into just about EVERY router.
One thing though, if your home town has only one wireless access point in a cafe somewhere, it defeats the notion of a portable system just as well as though it was on a cord, only the cord is like 10 miles away. You have a good point there. Really though, what is so unbelievable about wifi networks being set up? Cities ARE doing these projects. It's not like cities are constantly annoucing huge overhauls and they just stop doing them. No really, that's not sarcasm, they AREN'T doing that. Pretty much every time this sort of thing happens, it continues going along until things happen like every town having roads, or plumbing, or electricity, or phone service, or radio transmitting towers. It's just a matter of the time you need to wait. Besides, rural towns don't COUNT! :D
First of all, just about all my friends who have computers all over the house DO have a wireless network, simply because that little solution of yours involving a rat's nest of wires was not doable. Let me put it this way. How many people who DON'T care about the technology of it all living in the same house would allow the house to end up looking aweful with lots of places to trip over?
A wireless router currently can be obtained for very close to the price of a normal router. Also keep in mind wireless routers ALSO have ethernet in them. Seriously, cheap stuff. You can get a decent normal router for $30 now, and a decent wifi router for $50. You only need one! As for PC support, the newest laptops have it built in, like I said, so you don't need to dish out anything for extra cards. PCs are starting to get it built in, but really you don't need a card even, just an access point. Something you hook up to your ethernet card that recieves the signal.
As for security... Um, it's pretty secure you know. Password protected networks keep people from stealing your bandwidth pretty well. Also, just because you can see the router doesn't mean it'll let you see any other computers on the network. Your data is safe until you make it otherwise. Really, it's no bigger a worry than people hacking into a cable connection. I personally don't worry about that at all. Seriously, what exactly makes your sister's laptop a prime target for hackers? Unless she's the president of a major company, and people KNOW her IP address, I'd say she is completely safe. Finally, ever hear of a firewall? Amazing technology built into just about EVERY router.
One thing though, if your home town has only one wireless access point in a cafe somewhere, it defeats the notion of a portable system just as well as though it was on a cord, only the cord is like 10 miles away. You have a good point there. Really though, what is so unbelievable about wifi networks being set up? Cities ARE doing these projects. It's not like cities are constantly annoucing huge overhauls and they just stop doing them. No really, that's not sarcasm, they AREN'T doing that. Pretty much every time this sort of thing happens, it continues going along until things happen like every town having roads, or plumbing, or electricity, or phone service, or radio transmitting towers. It's just a matter of the time you need to wait. Besides, rural towns don't COUNT! :D
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)