09
Oct
tatar job asked:
Even as you’re reading this, you are probably sitting at a computer that is confined to a particular part of your home, say your bedroom or living room. But, what if you want to use a laptop or computer from anywhere in your house? That’s where a wireless router comes into play.
A wireless router is basically a network device that lets you connect several computers to the internet without using a cable, but by using wireless access points, or WLAN. In essence, wireless routers allow the freedom of several users to be able to access the internet. Plus, wireless routers also free you from messy wires.
Basically, a wireless router works using signals that have the same radio frequency range as the wireless network card installed in the PC. The significant feature of this exchange of signal system is that both the router and the network card function on the same radio frequency range, thus allowing the transmission of data to and fro, between the devices.
In other words, the wireless router uses radio frequency range signals between devices instead of physical wiring connections to transmit signals. Being an intelligent device, a wireless router can determine whether a signal needs to be transmitted to a local computer on the internet or to the internet.
The signal’s strength is dependent on the manufacturer along with the internet signal strength that the ISP provides. A wireless network has the added functionality of providing security to the network with firewalls, security keys, and so on.
It is not difficult to set up a wireless network. All you need to do is connect the wireless router to your internet connection, and then just set up the drivers in your computer or laptop. You need not worry about anything, because the wireless router that you buy will come along with the drivers, manuals, and CDs, which will help you with the software and driver set up and the configurations.
Clearly, there are several advantages that a wireless router provides. The term ‘wireless’ is what it is all about. With a computer connected to a phone line or a cable, you get the sense of being tethered to a machine that is in turn tethered to a fixture or wall. This entails you sitting at one spot for a long time in order to do your work or access the internet.
But by fixing a wireless router, you can roam about all over your house, or even building, without having to remain connected to a cable modem or phone jack. This way, if for instance you prefer working outside, you will have the freedom to go out onto the deck, without needing to worry about setting up outdoor cables. If you feel like strolling down to your favorite café for a mug of latte, you can head straight there and surf the net while you wait for the brew to be made. These days, even airports allow you to surf the net without wires while waiting for your plane. Simply put, as long as you have a wireless router in place, especially a long range one, you can log on and surf the net practically from anywhere.
Not having to be tethered to a wall is particularly beneficial for employees or self-employed business people. Basically, any location can become your virtual office. With services and stores equipped with wireless routers, it’s easy to set up shop at any convenient restaurant like McDonalds or Panera. And in towns and cities with wireless facilities, access will spell freedom from the confines of a cubicle or tiny office. These days, more and more companies are allowing their employees the option of working from home.
Even as far as the sales force of a company is concerned, they can go from place to place without needing to return to the headquarters. Since the nearest Starbucks can be turned into a virtual office, business updates and sales reporting can be carried out via a laptop or PDA. This will mean more time being spent in the sales effort and less time being spent in the office.
The broadband router wireless VoIP technology is another great innovation. With this device, you can connect to the internet, using any ordinary phone device. You can then make calls to anybody in the world via your internet connection.
So do wireless communications have any drawbacks? Unfortunately, they do. Even though a great deal of flexibility and convenience is offered by this technology, some tradeoffs are there. A wireless network that is shared by all the users of a particular area has less bandwidth. This is felt most often where high-bandwidth multimedia applications or heavy file transfers are used. In addition, it is more difficult to secure wireless networks, plus, the installation of networking wiring to points of access requires coordination and long lead times with some combination of facilities maintenance and OIT. Hence, if you are thinking of going in for a wireless router you need to take the drawbacks into consideration.
Before buying a wireless router, it is best to check out the reviews about various brands in the market. There are many reliable and well-known brands such as Belkin wireless router, Netgear wireless router, and Linksys wireless router. Check out online to see which one will suit your needs, whether at home or in the office.
Wireless routers make life far more convenient and easier. You can go anywhere, without being restricted by wires and still be able to access the internet.
Even as you’re reading this, you are probably sitting at a computer that is confined to a particular part of your home, say your bedroom or living room. But, what if you want to use a laptop or computer from anywhere in your house? That’s where a wireless router comes into play.
A wireless router is basically a network device that lets you connect several computers to the internet without using a cable, but by using wireless access points, or WLAN. In essence, wireless routers allow the freedom of several users to be able to access the internet. Plus, wireless routers also free you from messy wires.
Basically, a wireless router works using signals that have the same radio frequency range as the wireless network card installed in the PC. The significant feature of this exchange of signal system is that both the router and the network card function on the same radio frequency range, thus allowing the transmission of data to and fro, between the devices.
In other words, the wireless router uses radio frequency range signals between devices instead of physical wiring connections to transmit signals. Being an intelligent device, a wireless router can determine whether a signal needs to be transmitted to a local computer on the internet or to the internet.
The signal’s strength is dependent on the manufacturer along with the internet signal strength that the ISP provides. A wireless network has the added functionality of providing security to the network with firewalls, security keys, and so on.
It is not difficult to set up a wireless network. All you need to do is connect the wireless router to your internet connection, and then just set up the drivers in your computer or laptop. You need not worry about anything, because the wireless router that you buy will come along with the drivers, manuals, and CDs, which will help you with the software and driver set up and the configurations.
Clearly, there are several advantages that a wireless router provides. The term ‘wireless’ is what it is all about. With a computer connected to a phone line or a cable, you get the sense of being tethered to a machine that is in turn tethered to a fixture or wall. This entails you sitting at one spot for a long time in order to do your work or access the internet.
But by fixing a wireless router, you can roam about all over your house, or even building, without having to remain connected to a cable modem or phone jack. This way, if for instance you prefer working outside, you will have the freedom to go out onto the deck, without needing to worry about setting up outdoor cables. If you feel like strolling down to your favorite café for a mug of latte, you can head straight there and surf the net while you wait for the brew to be made. These days, even airports allow you to surf the net without wires while waiting for your plane. Simply put, as long as you have a wireless router in place, especially a long range one, you can log on and surf the net practically from anywhere.
Not having to be tethered to a wall is particularly beneficial for employees or self-employed business people. Basically, any location can become your virtual office. With services and stores equipped with wireless routers, it’s easy to set up shop at any convenient restaurant like McDonalds or Panera. And in towns and cities with wireless facilities, access will spell freedom from the confines of a cubicle or tiny office. These days, more and more companies are allowing their employees the option of working from home.
Even as far as the sales force of a company is concerned, they can go from place to place without needing to return to the headquarters. Since the nearest Starbucks can be turned into a virtual office, business updates and sales reporting can be carried out via a laptop or PDA. This will mean more time being spent in the sales effort and less time being spent in the office.
The broadband router wireless VoIP technology is another great innovation. With this device, you can connect to the internet, using any ordinary phone device. You can then make calls to anybody in the world via your internet connection.
So do wireless communications have any drawbacks? Unfortunately, they do. Even though a great deal of flexibility and convenience is offered by this technology, some tradeoffs are there. A wireless network that is shared by all the users of a particular area has less bandwidth. This is felt most often where high-bandwidth multimedia applications or heavy file transfers are used. In addition, it is more difficult to secure wireless networks, plus, the installation of networking wiring to points of access requires coordination and long lead times with some combination of facilities maintenance and OIT. Hence, if you are thinking of going in for a wireless router you need to take the drawbacks into consideration.
Before buying a wireless router, it is best to check out the reviews about various brands in the market. There are many reliable and well-known brands such as Belkin wireless router, Netgear wireless router, and Linksys wireless router. Check out online to see which one will suit your needs, whether at home or in the office.
Wireless routers make life far more convenient and easier. You can go anywhere, without being restricted by wires and still be able to access the internet.
Dan Thompson asked:
How Much Bandwidth / Monthly Transfer Do You Need?
Bandwidth is the measurement of the amount of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given time. The majority of web hosting companies will set monthly limits. Some of these hosts will allow overselling which means your site will remain up but you receive a bill for the extra amount used others will simply pull the plug until next month.
Bandwidth explained:
Bandwidth is the amount of data transfer that you are allowed to have for a hosting package i.e. Let’s say you have a web page that is 48KB in size, now each time a user opens your site and goes to that page S/he downloads 48 KB of information on to their computer. If a 100 users view that page one time each then there has been a total of 4800 KB of data transferred from the server on which your files are stored for the computer of users.
Size of web Page: 48 KB
Number of users who viewed the web page: 100
Total amount of data transferred: 48KB * 100 = 4800 KB
Bandwidth is the term that is used to denote the amount of data that has been transferred from your web space.
The amount of bandwidth that you require while choosing a host depends on two factors:
The size of your site. The popularity of your site.
If your site is not very big and you do not have any audio/video downloads and it’s not very popular i.e. not a lot of people visit your site then you do not really require a lot of bandwidth, on a average a web site uses up only 500 MB of bandwidth per month. Or if your site is small but extremely popular then you might have to go for a web hosting package that offers high bandwidth.
On the other hand if your web site is huge, providing audio/video downloads, as well as being very popular then you would certainly require a huge amount of bandwidth. Let’s say you have a video file that is 150 MB in size and in a single day a 100 visitors download the file. This means that 15 GB of bandwidth will have been used. If you multiply that by 30 days for the month it comes to 450 GB.
Unlimited Bandwidth
Many website hosting companies offer “unlimited bandwidth” as part of their web hosting packages.
It’s absolutely true, you can have unlimited bandwidth. However, you will need an unlimited amount of money by your side! Jokes apart, if you ever come across such a host it would be best to turn around and run back the way you came from.
Any web hosting company claiming “Unlimited Bandwidth” is simply lying. There’s no such thing as “Unlimited Bandwidth”.
In the real world, we’ve never seen any broadband company offering an internet connection as “Unlimited Megabytes Per Second.” So, how could a web hosting company, which normally doesn’t even own its own access lines, claims to customers that it will give them “Unlimited Bandwidth”? I have yet to come across a hard disk with unlimited disk space either.
Just think, if you can get unlimited bandwidth for $25-30 a month then why aren’t big companies like Sun, Microsoft etc. not hosted there? In fact, why isn’t everyone hosted there? For that matter, if unlimited is a standard feature then why don’t all website hosting companies offer it? Is it because the hardware is expensive? No, it’s because some hosts are honest and don’t give in to such gimmicks.
There are a lot of ways you can be duped by these ‘ unlimited’ hosts; here are just a few of them:
The secret of ‘unlimited’ is actually buried in the Terms of Service by the host. Do not be surprised to find that unlimited only equals 900mb or so .
The host may restrict the sort of files that you can host on their server. Generally image galleries and audio/video files attract a lot more downloads thereby resulting in higher bandwidth consumption. So if there are no files of this type, your site won’t really require a lot of bandwidth.
Some newly opened hosts use it as a scam. They take your money and after a few months when their server starts to become slow or reaches its limit, they run. with your money!
Some hosts outline in their Terms of Service that you can have unlimited bandwidth as long as you qualify for it. i.e. Your site must use less then, let’s say 2 GB of bandwidth in order to qualify for the unlimited bandwidth feature. As soon as your site goes over that limit they either start charging you for it or cut off your downloads altogether.
In life it’s absolutely true that you you always get what you pay for, and it’s no different for web hosting.
If a host is using a cheap advertising gimmick like ‘unlimited bandwidth’ they maybe lying about a few other things too.
In short: Website Hosting Companies offering “Unlimited Bandwidth” to attract customers need to be avoided. Most of the time, high bandwidth sites on these “Unlimited” plans will be disconnected, and no refund given or will end up with a large bill at the end of the month that they had not counted on. Normally, the web hosting company will simply say that the site violated its Acceptable Use Policy or Terms of Service.
So Why Do Unlimited Bandwidth Plans Exist?
Most websites only consume a very small amount of bandwidth and disk space. Web hosting companies that provide unlimited anything as a plan feature are banking on the fact that you won’t use very much. Unlimited is a marketing trick to get your business. The web hosting market is very competitive. Although selling plans that pretend to be unlimited can seem dishonest, it does not mean that the hosting company will not provide good service. Check in the hosting company’s Terms of Service: there will probably be a note about what “unlimited” really means.
When Are Unlimited Plans Ok?
If you have a small website and know that it will not consume too much space or bandwidth, then unlimited plans make your choices a bit easier to understand. Most plans that offer unlimited will have some restrictions such as no audio or video downloads. The reason audio or video downloads are typically not allowed in unlimited hosting plans is because these types of files consume significant bandwidth and disk space which exposes the host to the risk of having to add more hard drive space and bandwidth, which costs them more money. If you choose an unlimited plan and you know your needs won’t be very intensive then you won’t run into any problems.
When Are Unlimited Plans Not Ok?
If you intend to have a lot of visitors to your site, lots of downloads, including audio or video files, do not choose an unlimited plan hoping to get unrestricted bandwidth. You will find yourself with problems. Your web host is not going to run at a loss for long – they could shut down your website or even charge you extra (read the terms of service).
So What Is The Best Thing To Do?
The best course of action is to plan ahead. Remember, you can always buy more bandwidth or disk space if you need – often for just a few extra pounds
Only consider an unlimited hosting plan if you know your disk space and bandwidth requirements are very low. If, on the other hand, you have an ecommerce site or a site that you expect to grow in size and bandwidth in future, avoid any plans that offer unlimited bandwidth or disk space.
Remember it is impossible for any provider to actually provide an unlimited amount of bandwidth or disk space.
How Much Bandwidth / Monthly Transfer Do You Need?
Bandwidth is the measurement of the amount of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given time. The majority of web hosting companies will set monthly limits. Some of these hosts will allow overselling which means your site will remain up but you receive a bill for the extra amount used others will simply pull the plug until next month.
Bandwidth explained:
Bandwidth is the amount of data transfer that you are allowed to have for a hosting package i.e. Let’s say you have a web page that is 48KB in size, now each time a user opens your site and goes to that page S/he downloads 48 KB of information on to their computer. If a 100 users view that page one time each then there has been a total of 4800 KB of data transferred from the server on which your files are stored for the computer of users.
Size of web Page: 48 KB
Number of users who viewed the web page: 100
Total amount of data transferred: 48KB * 100 = 4800 KB
Bandwidth is the term that is used to denote the amount of data that has been transferred from your web space.
The amount of bandwidth that you require while choosing a host depends on two factors:
The size of your site. The popularity of your site.
If your site is not very big and you do not have any audio/video downloads and it’s not very popular i.e. not a lot of people visit your site then you do not really require a lot of bandwidth, on a average a web site uses up only 500 MB of bandwidth per month. Or if your site is small but extremely popular then you might have to go for a web hosting package that offers high bandwidth.
On the other hand if your web site is huge, providing audio/video downloads, as well as being very popular then you would certainly require a huge amount of bandwidth. Let’s say you have a video file that is 150 MB in size and in a single day a 100 visitors download the file. This means that 15 GB of bandwidth will have been used. If you multiply that by 30 days for the month it comes to 450 GB.
Unlimited Bandwidth
Many website hosting companies offer “unlimited bandwidth” as part of their web hosting packages.
It’s absolutely true, you can have unlimited bandwidth. However, you will need an unlimited amount of money by your side! Jokes apart, if you ever come across such a host it would be best to turn around and run back the way you came from.
Any web hosting company claiming “Unlimited Bandwidth” is simply lying. There’s no such thing as “Unlimited Bandwidth”.
In the real world, we’ve never seen any broadband company offering an internet connection as “Unlimited Megabytes Per Second.” So, how could a web hosting company, which normally doesn’t even own its own access lines, claims to customers that it will give them “Unlimited Bandwidth”? I have yet to come across a hard disk with unlimited disk space either.
Just think, if you can get unlimited bandwidth for $25-30 a month then why aren’t big companies like Sun, Microsoft etc. not hosted there? In fact, why isn’t everyone hosted there? For that matter, if unlimited is a standard feature then why don’t all website hosting companies offer it? Is it because the hardware is expensive? No, it’s because some hosts are honest and don’t give in to such gimmicks.
There are a lot of ways you can be duped by these ‘ unlimited’ hosts; here are just a few of them:
The secret of ‘unlimited’ is actually buried in the Terms of Service by the host. Do not be surprised to find that unlimited only equals 900mb or so .
The host may restrict the sort of files that you can host on their server. Generally image galleries and audio/video files attract a lot more downloads thereby resulting in higher bandwidth consumption. So if there are no files of this type, your site won’t really require a lot of bandwidth.
Some newly opened hosts use it as a scam. They take your money and after a few months when their server starts to become slow or reaches its limit, they run. with your money!
Some hosts outline in their Terms of Service that you can have unlimited bandwidth as long as you qualify for it. i.e. Your site must use less then, let’s say 2 GB of bandwidth in order to qualify for the unlimited bandwidth feature. As soon as your site goes over that limit they either start charging you for it or cut off your downloads altogether.
In life it’s absolutely true that you you always get what you pay for, and it’s no different for web hosting.
If a host is using a cheap advertising gimmick like ‘unlimited bandwidth’ they maybe lying about a few other things too.
In short: Website Hosting Companies offering “Unlimited Bandwidth” to attract customers need to be avoided. Most of the time, high bandwidth sites on these “Unlimited” plans will be disconnected, and no refund given or will end up with a large bill at the end of the month that they had not counted on. Normally, the web hosting company will simply say that the site violated its Acceptable Use Policy or Terms of Service.
So Why Do Unlimited Bandwidth Plans Exist?
Most websites only consume a very small amount of bandwidth and disk space. Web hosting companies that provide unlimited anything as a plan feature are banking on the fact that you won’t use very much. Unlimited is a marketing trick to get your business. The web hosting market is very competitive. Although selling plans that pretend to be unlimited can seem dishonest, it does not mean that the hosting company will not provide good service. Check in the hosting company’s Terms of Service: there will probably be a note about what “unlimited” really means.
When Are Unlimited Plans Ok?
If you have a small website and know that it will not consume too much space or bandwidth, then unlimited plans make your choices a bit easier to understand. Most plans that offer unlimited will have some restrictions such as no audio or video downloads. The reason audio or video downloads are typically not allowed in unlimited hosting plans is because these types of files consume significant bandwidth and disk space which exposes the host to the risk of having to add more hard drive space and bandwidth, which costs them more money. If you choose an unlimited plan and you know your needs won’t be very intensive then you won’t run into any problems.
When Are Unlimited Plans Not Ok?
If you intend to have a lot of visitors to your site, lots of downloads, including audio or video files, do not choose an unlimited plan hoping to get unrestricted bandwidth. You will find yourself with problems. Your web host is not going to run at a loss for long – they could shut down your website or even charge you extra (read the terms of service).
So What Is The Best Thing To Do?
The best course of action is to plan ahead. Remember, you can always buy more bandwidth or disk space if you need – often for just a few extra pounds
Only consider an unlimited hosting plan if you know your disk space and bandwidth requirements are very low. If, on the other hand, you have an ecommerce site or a site that you expect to grow in size and bandwidth in future, avoid any plans that offer unlimited bandwidth or disk space.
Remember it is impossible for any provider to actually provide an unlimited amount of bandwidth or disk space.
Kevin Andersen asked:
When you are planning on using Linksys routers for your internet connection, regardless of the work environment you will need to check out which of these router types is best suited for the work at hand. Currently you will find that you can Linksys router setup connects to the internet with a minimum of fuss.
These Linksys routers that you can choose should provide you with an easy Linksys router setup. It should not matter whether you are planning on using a wired connection or that of a wireless router type.
These Linksys routers can be used in a variety of situations. For instance you can use these network routers for home use, small businesses and for companies which need to manage the use of a multitude of computers.
For each of these systems you should look at the different Linksys router setup routines. This is necessary as both the wireless and wired routers have a different way to install and setup router programs. To gain an idea of the capabilities of these two router types you can look on the internet for information.
This information will help you when you are buying the router. Having bought the router type that you like, you can look at the instruction manual in order to see the Linksys router setup routine. As each of the routers has different installation procedures you will find that this manual is very useful.
Now as you carefully go through the Linksys router setup procedure you should make sure that any notes which are included with the installation program are also read. In these notes you can find additional information.
This information for the most part will be about the best ways to configure the router. You can follow these steps or you can try another variation – the manual for example – to gain some knowledge about installation tips. Once you have successfully installed and configured your router you are ready to give the system a trial run.
By looking at the different Linksys router setup routines you can see how to gain more speed and efficiency from your Linksys router. Since the different models of Linksys routers have different ways for the Linksys router setup you should familiarize yourself with this procedure.
The main item to remember when you are installing your Linksys router is not to worry. The Linksys router setup is easy in their installation process as well as the configuration routines. At the end of the procedure you will have a well setup and configured internet connection that will provide you with the high speed Linksys internet facility that you desire.
When you are planning on using Linksys routers for your internet connection, regardless of the work environment you will need to check out which of these router types is best suited for the work at hand. Currently you will find that you can Linksys router setup connects to the internet with a minimum of fuss.
These Linksys routers that you can choose should provide you with an easy Linksys router setup. It should not matter whether you are planning on using a wired connection or that of a wireless router type.
These Linksys routers can be used in a variety of situations. For instance you can use these network routers for home use, small businesses and for companies which need to manage the use of a multitude of computers.
For each of these systems you should look at the different Linksys router setup routines. This is necessary as both the wireless and wired routers have a different way to install and setup router programs. To gain an idea of the capabilities of these two router types you can look on the internet for information.
This information will help you when you are buying the router. Having bought the router type that you like, you can look at the instruction manual in order to see the Linksys router setup routine. As each of the routers has different installation procedures you will find that this manual is very useful.
Now as you carefully go through the Linksys router setup procedure you should make sure that any notes which are included with the installation program are also read. In these notes you can find additional information.
This information for the most part will be about the best ways to configure the router. You can follow these steps or you can try another variation – the manual for example – to gain some knowledge about installation tips. Once you have successfully installed and configured your router you are ready to give the system a trial run.
By looking at the different Linksys router setup routines you can see how to gain more speed and efficiency from your Linksys router. Since the different models of Linksys routers have different ways for the Linksys router setup you should familiarize yourself with this procedure.
The main item to remember when you are installing your Linksys router is not to worry. The Linksys router setup is easy in their installation process as well as the configuration routines. At the end of the procedure you will have a well setup and configured internet connection that will provide you with the high speed Linksys internet facility that you desire.