Seven Tips for Safely Sharing Your Access Point Helpful Tips for Sharing a Wireless Internet Connection Aaron Weiss
Ten years ago, sharing an Internet connection was practically an act of rebellion. I vividly remember a debate with my cable ISP (who shall remain nameless), which refused to allow subscribers to "share" their connection among several machines.
But, with the first generation of turnkey routers already in big-box stores, and wireless networking just emerging, it seemed even then that this provider was on the wrong side of inertia.
Of course, today network sharing is commonplace. So common, in fact, that some of the basics are already taken for granted. If you're new to sharing an Internet connection — in your house, your office, or even with your neighbors — it might seem like there's a lot of mumbo jumbo to sort through to get everything working.
First, we have to start with some assumptions. The first assumption is that you already have broadband service that you want to share. For most people, this means either a DSL or cable Internet connection. Other possibilities include wireless and satellite broadband.
On the other hand, dial-up and cellular data connections are a different breed — although shareable, the equipment and methods differ from what we'll cover in this tutorial.
Step 1. Assess Your Situation
This much is true: to share your connection wirelessly, you're going to need a wireless router. You might even already have one, as supplied by your broadband provider. These days, some DSL and cable connections include combination modems/wireless routers.
Most wireless routers have visible antennas sticking up, so it should be pretty obvious if you already have one where your Internet connection is plugged in.
Depending on your Internet provider and level of service, you might have only a broadband modem, or a broadband modem combined with a wired router, but without wireless broadcasting (no antenna). In either case, you'll need to buy a wireless router. There are a plethora of retailers online, but let's assume you're driving down to your nearest big-box electronics store. Everyone loves a road trip, and you can pick up a Cinnabon while at the mall. [Full disclosure: this paragraph was not sponsored by Cinnabon.]
When choosing a wireless router, the two primary factors to consider for your needs are speed and range. (Security is important, too, but most new routers support the same levels of security. We'll talk more about securing your network later.)
Today, there are three wireless technologies you may find on store shelves. Informally we call these "b", "g", and "n" — all shorthand for the technical names 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n, which you will probably see printed on the box in either long or short form.
One of the most significant differences between the three wireless types is speed. Wireless b is the slowest — and oldest. Although it is fast enough to share the average broadband connection, there is little point in purchasing a wireless b router only today.
Wireless g is about five times faster than b, and is currently your best bet or sweet spot for price and performance. It is likely that most of the products you find on the shelf will offer support for wireless g (as well as wireless b).
Wireless n is the newest technology and vendors are starting to push it hard. But be warned — you still pay a premium for wireless n, and the performance of these early generation units falls far short of their maximum theoretical capabilities. Don't be fooled by the "300Mbps!" speed ratings you see on wireless n products — rarely do they actually reach these speeds, although they are faster than wireless g.
Step 2. Know your LAN
All the machines that will share your Internet connection are together known as your LAN, or "local area network." Your LAN might consist of a set number of machines, or a variable number, if there are mobile computers that come and go.
It takes two to tango — for the best performance, the wireless card either built-in or inserted into your mobile or desktop PC needs to support the same wireless standard as your router.
The good news is that thanks to backwards compatibility, if you connect to a wireless g router from a wireless b PC, you will not have any trouble — but you will only achieve wireless b speeds. Generally speaking, any PC with wireless b, g, or n can connect to any wireless router b, g, or n (except in some cases when high security is used), but the connection will only be as fast as the slowest technology.
Step 3. Need for speed
Any speed difference between wireless g and n is mostly noticed only when transferring files between machines inside your LAN. For example, copying a large video file from your mobile to your desktop PC will probably be faster on a wireless n network than g, assuming good signal strength. But remember that your PC will need a wireless n card to take advantage of this speed.
Wireless vendors have also added their own enhancements to wireless g to add extra speed. Some of these enhancements go by names like "Super G" and "Turbo G" and "Speedbooster" and can as much as double the speed of a wireless g network. Remember that this will mainly affect transferring files within your own LAN.
Also remember, the speed boost will only be available when both your wireless router and your PC support the same technology — i.e. a router with "Super G" will only hit maximum speed when paired with a PC with "Super G."
The added cost of premium speed enhancements, and possibly the need to buy new wireless receivers for your PC, may or may not be worth it depending how much data you move within your LAN.
Step 4. All the Range
Going wireless isn't much use if you can't go where you need to go. The range of a wireless network can vary, sometimes dramatically, depending on both physical and technological factors.
Wireless signals travel very well through open spaces, but they degrade when passing through walls, floors, windows, and roofs. Building materials like concrete, steel, and aluminum exact a greater penalty than wood, glass, and vinyl.
The design of your wireless router can affect range, too. You will see models with one, two, or even three antennas. Some wireless routers might not appear to have any antennas, but they do — they just happen to be hidden inside the plastic case. I prefer external antennas because they can be positioned to maximize signal strength and, in some models, replaced with stronger substitutes.
As with speed enhancements, some wireless routers are marketed with improved range innovations, under names like "Rangemax" and "TrueMIMO." These technologies use multiple antennas to decrease signal loss.
Like their speed-enhancing counterparts, they also work best when paired with wireless receivers supporting the same technology. However, range-enhanced wireless routers do usually provide some benefit to all wireless connections, particularly in signal-challenged situations like basements.
To enjoy the best range from your wireless router, try to position it in an elevated open space. If you had to choose, for example, between a second story or a basement, the second story will usually provide better range throughout the home or building.
