[Wylug-help] Cheap wireless ethernet

[Paul Scorer]

Clearly wifi!

BUT

Be aware that 802.11b will likely give you no more than 5Mbps at best,
although this would be fine if
* the wireless devices are strictly line of sight
* they are not too far apart, say < 15m max
* there is only one machine at the far end

If there is only a single fixed machine at the far end, it may be
possible to use a "wireless access point" at your end and a pci wireless
card at the other.

If it were me, I would put in 11g! I think you may even find it hard to
get any 11b hardware now.

WAPs are about £50 (for 11g - may be less now) and linux compatible :-)
pci cards ~£20 (see also below).

Do *NOT* forget to put some security on it. e.g. *don't* broadcast the
essid; *do* use 128 bit WEP - these are not "secure"  but are better
than nothing. Otherwise the porn police will be after _you_ when a
war-driver "borrows" your connection.

PaulS

PS: I can sell you a _non_linux_ compatible pci card for ~£20 ono :-)
[Broadcom chipset :-( ]


On Mon, 2006-11-13 at 09:13 +0000, Dave Whiteley wrote:
> Suggestions please.
> 
> We have wired ethernet at home.  I want to extend this to include a friend's 
> house across our back lane.  Putting up an actual wire is not attractive or 
> really possible. 
> 
> I am doing this for semi-charitable reasons, so cost is very much an issue.
> 
> I welcome suggestions for the best way to achieve a link. Most of our kit is 
> old 10Mb stuff.
> 
> Dave