Tech Guide: Wireless network purchases
4: Here's what you need to know about wireless networking, from the standards and technologies to the best products for your home or office.
You may already have a home network and now want to connect it with your friend's network across the street, or perhaps you want to create a public hot spot to draw customers to your business. With the right equipment, you can expand your network for more extensive coverage in your own home or bridge the digital divide in your neighborhood by starting a community network.
Networking components:
Repeaters |
Wireless bridges |
Antennae |
Power-line bridges
 Repeaters
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As a digital signal travels down a cable or through the air, it gradually gets weaker. To get the signal to go farther, you need a device that can pick it up, then send it off again at full strength. Repeaters do just this. Repeaters are easy to confuse with bridges, and in fact, some access points and bridges include a repeater mode that allows the device to receive a signal from another access point and repeat it to adapters or other access points within its range. However, some bridges are capable only of talking to other bridges. Look carefully at the feature set to see if the product you are considering offers a repeater mode.
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Things to consider about a repeater
• Is it compatible with your other repeaters and access points?
• Does it have a removable antenna or an external connector?
• How many Ethernet ports, if any, does it have?
• Does it include both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint modes?
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Wireless bridges
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A bridge connects two or more wireless networks in a large home, across the street, or across campus. Bridges attach networks together either through point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connections. Not long ago, bridges were expensive high-end products, but now you can find consumer bridges at very reasonable prices. Unfortunately, this technology varies based on the chipset and the firmware, so bridges tend to work only with other bridges of the same type and model. Before you lay down your cash, make sure that the bridges you're considering will work together.
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Things to consider about a bridge
• Is it compatible with other bridges and access points?
• Does it have a removable antenna or an external connector?
• How many Ethernet ports does it have?
• Does it include both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint modes?
• Is it easy to install? |
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Antennae
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A good way to increase the range of your wireless network is to add an antenna that is better suited to your needs. Antennae transmit signals in different ways. For example, if you want to share Internet access with your immediate neighbors, install an omnidirectional antenna on your roof. If you want to cover a specific location, such as the park across the street, a directional antenna works best. For faraway areas, you will need a high-gain antenna capable of bridging the gap. In general, the higher the gain of the antenna, the further its reach will be. Look for an antenna that has been certified by the FCC to work with the router, the access point, or the adapter that you plan to use with it. Also be sure that the antenna has the right type of connector to mate with the connector on your networking gear.
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Things to consider about antennae
• Do you want to cover a broad area or make a long-distance link to another location?
• What is the gain of the antenna?
• What type of antenna connector do you need?
• Is the antenna certified by the FCC for use with your equipment? |
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Power-line bridges
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A power-line bridge can take your wireless network into places it might not otherwise be able to penetrate. For example, you may have a room with a wall that is covered with metal shelving. This would probably put it outside the reach of your wireless router. However, you can use a pair of power-line bridges to connect your router to an access point via your electrical wiring, which lets you add wireless connectivity even to those hard-to-reach areas. You can buy power-line bridges with both USB and Ethernet interfaces, so make sure you get the right interface for the device you intend to connect it to.
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Things to consider about power-line bridges
• Does it have the right interface for your access point or router?
• Is the bridge HomePlug compliant? |
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