Why Connect?
According to International Data Corp. (IDC), about half of all U.S. households have a computer, and more than 20 million of those have more than one computer. In fact, market research shows that current PC owners are buying most of the new computers. This means that multi-computer households are becoming pretty common. If you are one these multiple-PC owners, you have probably thought about how great it would be if your computers could talk to each other. With your computers connected, you could:

• Share a single printer between computers
• Share a single Internet connection
• Share files such as images, spreadsheets and documents
• Play games that allow multiple users at different computers

Most people think that networking your home or small office can be painful-lots of wires, connections and the like. Plus, you have to make everything talk to one another. It's not as much of a challenge as you might think. With most people using Microsoft Windows operating systems, networking has been built in since Windows 3.11. Introduced in Windows 98, "Internet Connection Sharing" is a standard part of the operating system, allowing one computer to share an Internet connection with all computers on the home network. So, if you are running Windows, you can share files, printers and resources across your network without too much of a hassle.

No Wires. No Hassles. No Sweat...

Wireless Networking Made Simple...No Experience Required!
Some homes may use a standard wired ethernet network while others choose Home Phone Line Network to utilize their existing phone jacks as "connection points" to their network. Over the last several years, wireless networking has been available, starting with the HomeRF (1.6Mb) protocol and has grown into the new standard for wireless - 802.11b. This standard is now used not only in homes, but small and large businesses, and is widely used for college campuses and even in public areas like airports and hotels.
Wi-Fi is essentially a seal of approval that says the manufacturer's product is compliant with a variation of the IEEE 802.11 specification known as IEEE 802.11b. Under 802.11b, devices communicate at a speed of 11 - 22 Mbps whenever possible. If signal strength or interference is disrupting data, the devices will drop back to 5.5 Mbps, then 2 Mbps and finally down to 1 Mbps. Though it may occasionally slow down, this keeps the network stable and very reliable. 802.11a has also bee introduced, providing speeds of up to 72Mbps. The 802.11a devices are NOT compatible with 802.11b.

Here are the advantages of wireless networking:

• It's fast (11 - 72 Mbps).
• It's reliable.
• It has a long range (1,000 ft / 305 m in open areas, 250 to 400 ft / 76 to 122 m in closed areas)
• It's easily integrated into existing wired-Ethernet networks.
• Virtually all 802.11b wireless networking products work with each other no matter what brand or model.

Wireless offers Ethernet speeds without the wires. Access points vary greatly in cost, from about $59.99 to $1,400. Access points have an integrated Ethernet connection to connect to an existing wired-Ethernet network or routers provide connectivity to a high-speed data connection (DSL or cable modem). It also has an omni-directional antenna to receive the data transmitted by the wireless transceivers. Integrating PCs and Apple systems on the same network is also possible with the 802.11b standard.
The majority of wireless network adapters used are in PCMCIA card form. But some manufacturers do offer USB adapters or PCI format cards. The cost per card ranges from $39 to more than $300. They are not typically sold in "do-it-yourself" kits. Instead, everything is a la carte, allowing customers to build a system that exactly meets their needs.

To see our complete lineup of USB Adapters, click here.

Wireless Access Point.
This is the "controller" of your wireless network. There are two types of access points - hardware access points and "integrated" access points. Hardware access points are used as an extension of an existing wired network. "Integrated" access points also provide the features of a router, and are connected to a high-speed connection (ie: DSL or cable modem.

Access points generally can serve at least 50 users, so exceeding the connection limits is rarely an issue. Remember that when you are networking, your connection is shared with all active users. Having a 11, 22 or 72 Mbps network connection does not make your Internet connection "faster," however, it will allow faster data transmission between the users on the same wireless network. So, if you are planning on copying a bunch of files from your bedroom computer to the living room computer, or watching a video you recorded in your living room on your bedroom computer, the data transfer speed is great.

While surfing the internet, you may see a decrease in access speed to the internet if your son is downloading MP3s in his bedroom and you are trying to watch an online video. Your wireless connection speed will vary based upon your location (ie. out by the pool vs. across the room from the access point), however proper placement of your access point can assist in providing the best service to all areas you intend on using a wireless connection. TigerDirect carries a wide-range of wireless access points, including some which combine a multi-port wired hub so you can utilize one device for both your wired and wireless connections.

To see our complete lineup of Access Points, click here.

PCMCIA Wireless Adapter
This is generally used for laptops. A PCMCIA card simply plugs into your notebook PC Card slot, and after configuration with the software provided with the card, will connect to any detected network. Some access points allow for configuration of security so only "allowed" cards are provided access. This will alleviate any problems if your neighbor decides to ride on your internet service for free once they see you using the internet out by your pool.

Desktop PCs can also be connected to a wireless network by using an inexpensive
PCMCIA-to-PCI adapter, which allow for fast, easy connection of a desktop PC through the use of an internal adapter card that the PCMCIA card slides into.

To see our complete lineup of PCMCIA Adapters, click here.

Compact Flash Wireless Network Adapters
If you have a handheld device which includes a CF Type II slot, you can connect it to your wireless network using a Compact Flash Wireless Network adapter.

USB Wireless Adapter.
Great for use with desktop PCs, a USB wireless adapter allows you to
connect your system to the wireless network without installing any adapter cards or opening your PC whatsoever. These are a convenient and easy way to add wireless networking to an existing PC in your home. Additionally, based on user feedback, an external USB device has better reception than an internal PCMCIA card in the back of your computer, as you can move it around for the best reception.

"Wired" And "Wireless" Together
Earlier we talked about "integrated" access points provideding both wired and wireless access. Why would you want this? Well, let's say that you have the ability to run wire for the systems in your home. The cost is less per computer (an Ethernet NIC runs about $10.00 and the cable anywhere from $5-10) and you may have them easily accessible via cable. There are many mixed-mode devices, or "Gateways" available.

This device allows you to connect to a high-speed internet connection (via the WAN port) and up to three wired devices (on the ethernet ports) and up to 253 devices via the wireless access point built into the unit. This allows you to have standard desktops connecting with roaming notebooks and other devices where wiring is just not possible.

In summary, if you want to run a network in your home or office, it really isn't that tough! Pick the right parts to your network "puzzle" and get the best deal available. They'll work together and you'll make better use of ALL your resources.