Wireless—Necessary or Not?
We have set up wireless access in our schools because the use of many laptops at one time would be exceeding unwieldy if cables had to be used at all times with them. We have had few issues with the school wireless at this point and we feel lucky and blessed to be able to offer this.
The wireless question for home use is what seems to cause more confusion.
If you are using Dial-up access—using your phone line which is then unavailable to anyone else, you probably will not have any luck getting that set up. There is no specific port for a phone cord and I have not found any place to configure Dial up networking.
Using DSL (probably the majority of you are in this category) you have a few options. If you now have just one computer plugged into your DSL you can remove the Ethernet cable (the one that looks like an over-sized phone cord) from the back of your computer and plug it into the Ethernet port on the side of your Apple. That should work to bring the Internet up.
If you are using DSL but have more than one computer already sharing internet in your house, you can see if you have another open port in your router, purchase an Ethernet cable (online,maybe at Walmart, never at Best BUY $$$$) and hook into the open port and to your Apple).
If you are using DSL and are considering putting in a wireless router, this can substitute for your previous router (see above) or you can add it to the DSL modem if you have not had a router. Routers can be purchased for about 80.00. You want a “G” or “N” type. It will say what it is on the box. Good brands include D-Link, Linksys, Belkin. The instructions that come with most wireless routers are pretty good. Follow them closely. Please do set some kind of security—WPA is best, WEP is better than nothing. If you don’t set security then anyone can “borrow a cup of wifi,” slowing down your connection and possibly introducing bad things onto your network ( this is the rough equivalent of taking an extension cord and plugging into your neighbor’s outside wall plug, stringing the extension cord across to your house and running your refrigerator off of it). Once you connect up to your wireless, the Apple should sense when you are near your wifi and when you are near the school’s and adjust accordingly.
Also a wireless router comes with ports for regular “wired’ access as well so if you have some computers without wireless ability, you can still hook them to this router.
I hope this provides a little clarity or at least information on the question of wireless connectivity at home.
