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Author Topic: Converting to Wi Fi at Home  (Read 6130 times)

Offline Brig

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Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« on: December 04, 2008, 11:05:58 am »
I want to be able to connect to the internet wirelessly with both my iMac and my work laptop.  I am with Cogeco, and therefore have cable internet access (not sure that's relevant).  I don't really care if I can't connect wirelessly to my printer, etc. (but it would be kinda nice).  I have two printers.

What do I need to do?  Am I required to buy all this Apple Airport Express stuff, or can I just buy a simple LinkSys router for $50?

On your mark... get set... NERD!   ;D
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Offline Ex-airbalancer

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2008, 11:10:26 am »
Does Cogeco offer a wireless modem?
If not like you wrote, get a linksys
I got my wife HP wireless all in one printer for her office and work great for most things, just have a problem tiring to send faxes though the wireless connection
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Offline initial_D

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2008, 11:38:05 am »
A good Linksys router would do the trick.

Wireless printers are kinda PITA most of the time. Personally prefer one with a network port and sit it next to the router. MAC wifi printer are even more fuzzy, in my experience anyway.

Windows ROCK!!
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Offline safristi

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2008, 11:44:27 am »
..THROW all the wires off yer 17th story balcony and PRETEND..................is wireless the NEW PAPERLESS UNIVERSE.....................i could go fer a decaf semi latte no frappe goat's milk foamed caramel essence wif nutmeg sprinkled................aaahh uno momento I gotta pee.......be right back wif MAC.....daddy.............free wireless Starbucks :censor:-up....and read all tha Chapter's  top ten fer FREE............... :rofl2:
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Time is to stop everything happening at once

Offline Brig

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2008, 11:44:49 am »
Quote from: initial_D on December 04, 2008, 11:38:05 am
A good Linksys router would do the trick.

Wireless printers are kinda PITA most of the time. Personally prefer one with a network port and sit it next to the router. MAC wifi printer are even more fuzzy, in my experience anyway.

Windows ROCK!!

Whoa... wireless printer?  I don't think mine are.  In any case, it's not a priority.  I just want to be able to surf from anywhere, and get rid of that ridiculously long cable under my desk.  Plus, my Dell work laptop has a wireless card, and I do work from home quite a bit.  It would be nice to just sit at my dining room table to access our VPN.
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UmroAyyar

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2008, 11:46:55 am »
You can get one of those routers with USB printer ports. You can then print to the printer from any machine as long as the drivers are installed.

Make sure your cordless phone frequency is different than that of your router. Otherwise too much interfrence. Linksys is the least prone to serious interference.

2.4 and 5.8 GHz cordless phone or router.
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Offline initial_D

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2008, 11:51:32 am »
A MAC with OS X should be able to access a Windows shared printer. (attach the printer to the PC, "share" it out, and install the services for MAC computer access).

http://iharder.sourceforge.net/current/macosx/winmacprinter/



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Offline initial_D

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2008, 11:52:29 am »
Quote from: safristi on December 04, 2008, 11:44:27 am
..THROW all the wires off yer 17th story balcony and PRETEND..................is wireless the NEW PAPERLESS UNIVERSE.....................i could go fer a decaf semi latte no frappe goat's milk foamed caramel essence wif nutmeg sprinkled................aaahh uno momento I gotta pee.......be right back wif MAC.....daddy.............free wireless Starbucks :censor:-up....and read all tha Chapter's  top ten fer FREE............... :rofl2:

Used to take the mags over Star Bucks table in Chapters and read ... used to.
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Offline safristi

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2008, 11:57:20 am »
 ??? ::) WHY ...yer local 'bucks stopped stocking PLAYGIRL!!! Maxim or MILF- JUGS!!!.............. ;D :P ;).....

 PUNK ya just got Demi_creamed by Ashton Kushner's wifie.................. :-X 8)
« Last Edit: December 04, 2008, 11:59:28 am by safristi »
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Offline initial_D

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2008, 11:59:58 am »
No, No Readers Digest & Costmo.
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Offline Brig

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2008, 12:03:12 pm »
Quote from: initial_D on December 04, 2008, 11:51:32 am
A MAC with OS X should be able to access a Windows shared printer. (attach the printer to the PC, "share" it out, and install the services for MAC computer access).

http://iharder.sourceforge.net/current/macosx/winmacprinter/


My home computer is the iMac.  My work laptop is a PC (Dell).  I want the Dell to be free to move around.  I don't want to attach a printer to it at all.
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Offline random006

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2008, 12:56:00 pm »
Quote from: Brigitte on December 04, 2008, 12:03:12 pm
Quote from: initial_D on December 04, 2008, 11:51:32 am
A MAC with OS X should be able to access a Windows shared printer. (attach the printer to the PC, "share" it out, and install the services for MAC computer access).

http://iharder.sourceforge.net/current/macosx/winmacprinter/


My home computer is the iMac.  My work laptop is a PC (Dell).  I want the Dell to be free to move around.  I don't want to attach a printer to it at all.

Just get a linksys or equivalent.  Cogeco might have a wireless / wired / router modem but if not don't worry; the linksys is there in case.

As far as the bonus of wireless printing, check to see if both the Dell and the printer have bluetooth built-in.  Bluetooth will allow for communication within a short range.  Depending on the type of bluetooth transceiver, it could reach anywhere from 1 meter to 100 meters.  The most common for such devices is around 10 meters or a little over 30 feet.

Hope this helps!  (I believe I have now met my NERD alert quotient for the day).  Actually given that I work in the IT field, I met my quotient when I woke up. ;D :rofl:
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Offline Brig

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2008, 01:11:40 pm »
Quote from: airbalancer on December 04, 2008, 11:10:26 am
Does Cogeco offer a wireless modem?

They might, but I want my own, and don't wish to pay through the nose for their stuff.

Quote from: initial_D on December 04, 2008, 11:38:05 am
A good Linksys router would do the trick.

This is what I keep hearing.

Quote from: UmroAyyar on December 04, 2008, 11:46:55 am
Make sure your cordless phone frequency is different than that of your router. Otherwise too much interfrence. Linksys is the least prone to serious interference.

2.4 and 5.8 GHz cordless phone or router.

I do have a 5.8 GHz cordless phone.  Good to know.

Quote from: random006 on December 04, 2008, 12:56:00 pm
Just get a linksys or equivalent. 

As far as the bonus of wireless printing, check to see if both the Dell and the printer have bluetooth built-in.  Bluetooth will allow for communication within a short range.  Depending on the type of bluetooth transceiver, it could reach anywhere from 1 meter to 100 meters.  The most common for such devices is around 10 meters or a little over 30 feet.


Thanks, Nerdman.  I doubt that my printer has blueteeth -- it's over five years old.  I think it might have dentures.   :rofl2:
« Last Edit: December 04, 2008, 01:14:58 pm by Brigitte »
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UmroAyyar

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2008, 01:23:27 pm »
The easiest solution IMO is to buy a router with a USB printer port on it. That'd cost $20-25 more than the regular wireless router (approx $50).

The other option is to attach the printer to the iMac and then share it with your windows laptop. (That may require some tweaking, ease of setup depends on your willingness)
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Offline Brig

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #14 on: December 04, 2008, 01:28:36 pm »
Quote from: UmroAyyar on December 04, 2008, 01:23:27 pm
The easiest solution IMO is to buy a router with a USB printer port on it. That'd cost $20-25 more than the regular wireless router (approx $50).

The other option is to attach the printer to the iMac and then share it with your windows laptop. (That may require some tweaking, ease of setup depends on your willingness)

In either case, would this mean that I'd have to install the printer drivers on my Dell laptop?  It occurs to me that I cannot do that, since I do not have admin privileges for installations.  I may have to ask the IT team if it's permissible, and have them do it. 
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UmroAyyar

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #15 on: December 04, 2008, 01:32:26 pm »
Yes, the lack of privileges would give you more headache trying to make the machines talk.

How do you print right now?
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Offline safristi

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #16 on: December 04, 2008, 01:48:50 pm »
..friends with priveleges................PLUG &PLAY redux.............. :P
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Offline Railton

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2008, 01:55:53 pm »
Brig, Do you use a VPN 'SAFEWORD' key? If so, I'm not sure you can use wireless with it. The reason I say that is that I use a VPN on my Dell  office Laptop and I cannot get it to connect to the VPN on wireless, only direct cable connection.
Maybe I'm not doing something right?
Railton
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Offline safristi

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #18 on: December 04, 2008, 01:57:58 pm »
.."WORD"................out................... :)
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Squishy

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Re: Converting to Wi Fi at Home
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2008, 02:38:56 pm »
802.11b/g operate in the 2.4 GHz range, while (I think) 802.11n is in 5 GHz.  You likely have Wireless-G capable cards in both your laptops, which can handle 54 Mbps (the average "high-speed" internet connection is 2-7 Mbps).  Unless you plan on streaming HD video over wireless, or transferring multi-gigabyte files, an 802.11g router should be fine for all home office purposes.  You can get a Wireless-N router now, but it is likely that your computers will only support G speeds (the N router should be backwards compatible).

Lack of privileges will probably keep your work laptop from being able to print (and may even keep it off the wireless network).  You will have to talk to your IT department, and they may be able to install the appropriate drivers there for you to use at home, or they can boost your privileges for a day while you go home and install it (corporate policy may forbid that :( ).
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