Cheap wireless Network Solution for $375.95

[Sandman]

Here is a cheap wireless network solution for those that have asked in previous posts.

ORINOCO RG1000 WLS GW KIT 4588-971

The high-speed networking system provides wireless connectivity to Internet service providers, and enables sharing of various computer peripherals from anywhere within your home or small office. Operating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band, the system gives you the freedom to roam up to 150 meters* at 11 Mbit/s, indoors or outdoors. It provides Internet Sharing using Network Address Translation (NAT). It includes a built-in 56K modem that provides Internet access through a regular phone line. It also supports an Ethernet® port that allows you to connect to a broadband cable, xDSL, or ISDN modem.

I have one hooked up to the Linksys cable/dsl router, with 3 pcs wired to the Linksys and a laptop and one pc(which would have cost more in time and a difficult wiring job from the others I installed in the house - also need a slot adapter) connected wirelessly, pretty sweet setup and easy to expand and move if needed.

It can be purchased here:
http://www.onvia.com/usa/products/index.cfm?Task=ViewProduct&SearchText=orinoco&IdCatalog=2543788
for $375.95 with free shipping (retails for $449 elsewhere)
This kit is the RG1000 gateway and one Silver 11Mb pc card.
It is a lot cheaper and better than most set ups out there, most access points alone cost around $750.

Information from the manufacturer is here:
http://www.wavelan.com/products/productdetail.html?id=29
ftp://ftp.wavelan.com/PUB/DOCS/ORINOCO/BROCHURES/RG_1000.pdf

Hope this helps...
:angel:

[Apex]

I'll be getting mine in a few days at most. I ordered it about a week ago. I can't wait. This, in conjunction with a laptop. It's going to rock :)

[Sandman]

If you need any help in setting it up let me know. Yeah it does rock, being unthethered is sweet...

[Startide]

Are there any recommended choices for 3rd-party antennae that can be used to increase the range of the base station or the untethered laptop? Since I live almost at the top of a ridge, I have a significant ability to extend my range if only I could use a higher gain antenna...

[Sandman]

As far as I know, I don't think so. I know with the Lucent Acess points you can hook up an external antenna for outside a closet or for better placement, where there is no physical network connection or power, but for the RG1000 application I don't recall anything in the manual on it.
Here is the link for the Range Extender Antenna:

http://wavelan.com/products/productdetail.html?id=10

And here is the FAQ on the RG1000:

http://wavelan.com/products/rg1000.html

You can hook up an antenna to the pc card NIC by removing the rubber stopper in the card and installing the Range Extender Anenna for even larger transmission between the access point and PC card NIC. If you use an antenna on each end you will double your transmission distance but this all depends on your transmission environment.

You might want to check with Lucent directly or one of their 3rd party distributers, since you usually have to pay for tech support with Lucent.

Hopefully this answers your questions.

[dcanora]

I've been looking at these 802.11 solutions, and most of the ISA/PCI cards for desktops are just hosts for the PC Card (e.g. you have to buy the ISA/PCI card and a PC Card for the desktop).

Is this solution similar? Does the PC Card that comes with the base unit go in the base unit, or is included for use in your laptop/PDA?

TIA-
-d.

[Sandman]

Originally posted by dcanora
I've been looking at these 802.11 solutions, and most of the ISA/PCI cards for desktops are just hosts for the PC Card (e.g. you have to buy the ISA/PCI card and a PC Card for the desktop).

Is this solution similar? Does the PC Card that comes with the base unit go in the base unit, or is included for use in your laptop/PDA?

TIA-
-d.

No the PC card included either goes into a laptop card slot sometimes known as PCMCIA slot or into an ISA/PCI card of the remote PC. No extra card or host is needed. The RG1000 is you connection to your LAN and/or cablemodem/DSLmodem and/or phone line for 56k it does alot. Some older systems like the Diamond at home required a card in the host and the client. This system's PC Card will also work on other wireless systems and the RG1000 supports some other man. cards, I think the MAC's new wireless system.

Hope this answers your question...

[ngpeter]

Or for an even cheaper solution, if you already have a PC running 24/7 on a high speed connection with some proxy server software. Simply add a wireless pc card/pci adapter and configure an additional subnet if you already have a wired ethernet LAN. The pc cards can be setup for peer to peer communications, this is a 802.11 standard so other brand pc cards should also work with this setup.

My additional cost was 2 "orinoco silver cards" and a "pc card isa" adapter.

[dcanora]

Thanks for the good advice!

-d.

[CiViC]

Wow, that's freakin expensive for the wireless network..i'm getting DSL in a few days, and I wanted to network the whole house (I was gonna get a switch from Amazon.com, they have free shipping and had a rebate, which I think already expired). This is OT and all, but what's a cheap way to network the whole house (there's a computer in my room, in the next room, family room, and in the basement)? I was gonna get a LinkSys switch, but I figured I was gonna end up losing a lot on the cables (are they crossover cables)? So, of course, my next alternative is wireless, but i'm too poor to spend $400...

[Sandman]

Originally posted by CiViC
Wow, that's freakin expensive for the wireless network..i'm getting DSL in a few days, and I wanted to network the whole house (I was gonna get a switch from Amazon.com, they have free shipping and had a rebate, which I think already expired). This is OT and all, but what's a cheap way to network the whole house (there's a computer in my room, in the next room, family room, and in the basement)? I was gonna get a LinkSys switch, but I figured I was gonna end up losing a lot on the cables (are they crossover cables)? So, of course, my next alternative is wireless, but i'm too poor to spend $400...

Civic,

How many computers do you plan to network?

Wireless is definitely the most versitle and easiest way to go. Also if you have an all wireless system the RG1000 has a built in NAT to allow up to 30 users share an internet
connection so no Linksys router/switch is needed so you will save yerself $150 there(but if you go that route install some firewall software on yer PC's especially if they are on all day).

Cutting holes in walls and drilling through floors (used a
4 foot long flexible 3/8" drill-bit),snaking wires, terminating and testing takes a while and an investment in tools,wires,quadboxes,jacks,and patch panels if it is done right can be a quite bit expensive.

Here is a quick estimate;
Patch panel $99
punch box $.50 ea
faceplate $3.00 ea
cat 5 jack $3.00 ea
cat 5 wire $39/250 ft
punch down tool $50
drill bit $20
50' fish tape $25
toner(maybe needed) $50

or you can do it cheap and just buy a 100' cat 5 cable for $39 and lay it on the floor,snake it through a few holes.

In the long run a wireless system is cheaper,neater, and the most versatile.

Also an average $69 wavlan 11 mb isa adapter for the pc card
(PCMCIA)for your PC.

Hope this helps...

[CiViC]

Wow, thanks for all the info man...heh, I printed it out just so that I had a nice hardcopy of that whenever I needed it :D ... actually, both ways seem pretty expensive to me..we have several computers in our house, and networking them really isn't a necessity, however rather than everyone touching my computer I figured i'd setup a network so that everyone could work in their own space. At minumum I was hoping to network at least three computers (my computer of course, the one in my sister's room, and in the family room for our thinkpad), although the more, the merrier. That's why I was gonna get a switch (kinda cheap at amazon.com a few days ago after rebate), but I figured the wiring would be expensive...

[Apex]

I'm now on the RG1000 and have 3 notebooks attached wirelessly (is that a word?). Man, it's a sweet setup. Walk anywhere and still be connected to the other computers and the internet:

1 Cablemodem into:
1 SMC 4 port 10/100 switch/router into:
1 Compaq iPaq Celeron 500 desktop
1 HP OfficeJet R80xi (connected to the printer port in the SMC)
1 Xerox NC60 Color Laser Printer
1 Orinoco RG1000 Access Point into:
1 HP Omnibook 6000
1 Sony Superslim Pro Z505JS
1 Compaq M300

Everything can print to the two printers, and everything can communicate with everything else, and all the computer can get on the internet at the same time.

The RG1000 kit ROCKS. Great for the price.

[CiViC]

Ever wonder what I Apex does? I sure do...he has this sweet-as-hell setup, has money to burn, and I wanna know if I should switch majors any time soon ;)

[snooky]

I'm quite interested in purchasing this kit. I'm just wondering if this would work:
1 cablemodem, set up to deliver 2 dynamic IP addresses:
uplink into my 8 port 10/100 netgear switch
1 port of the switch via ethernet cable into my workstation
1 port of the switch into the RG1000
wireless from the RG1000 to my laptop
So, would both machines be able to get their IP addresses and also see each other on the network? It sounds from Apex that it would, but I just want to make sure before I lay down the money...

[Apex]

Yep, that would work. You know though, you may want to in the future go for an 8port SMC router/switch/print server and sell your switch and ditch the second IP. That'll save you money.