Going
Wireless. The notion of being connected without any wires is immediately
graspable and very appealing. Just think about it … every teacher's
desk, throughout the school can connect to the Internet, print and access
the school information system … and not a single new cat. 5 wire
had to be pulled through walls or routed around immovable objects!
Q. Building a new Language / Multimedia Learning Center? Got a small room and one Ethernet connection down the hall and one week to get it up and running? What to do?
A. Set-up 10 iMacs™ with Airport™ cards and 1 Airport™ base station connected to that Ethernet outlet … you are ready to go (almost). Time & Money used: 1 day (max.) & about $1300 (srp) over the cost of the iMacs. Note: this is only the hardware and connection, but consumers can & do set-up Airport™ networks at home in about 30 minutes with no training.
This leaves you four days to get some software installed and usable. (That is by far the greater challenge and the staff techie who unboxes the computers and pulls the wires can't help you in this area anyway.)
But
just think about the Time & Money saved! Is it too good to be true?
That is the Question, exactly! And that is what the Going Wireless Forum is all about. CSUMB's Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Dr. Lev Gonnick, is leading the university through the wireless transition this year, and he will moderate this forum. Other panelists will include people from industry and academia who have worked with this challenging new frontier.
Oh, yes, that kid out there under the tree is doing online research with his wireless iBook.
p.s. Apple is not the only one in the game, but they innovated it and they're just a bit higher profile than the others, but you'll see Lev's wireless Compaq subnotebook in action at the Forum, too.
The MacWorld (magazine) web sits has a set of articles on Home & SOHO Networking with several practical tips on (Apple) wireless networking.
"…This week, Networking lovers unite on our Home Networking subject page. Whether you're at two machines, or maybe even two dozen, there is something to be learned in our Home Networking area. We're now featuring a router how-to, and a router review. A perfect combination for anyone getting ready to buy and install. Maybe it's wireless you want? We've got information on that too, on our Home Networking Subject page. Also, the very latest from Macworld.com, including the very latest OS X Beta Diary from me, Brett Larson. Find out what I think of the latest round of changes, and what I hope not to hear Steve Jobs say at the next Expo keynote."
As always, happiest of Fridays, and have a great weekend.
/Brett Larson | Assistant Editor, Macworld.com
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SUBJECT PAGE TOUR: Home Networking Wired or wireless, find out how and
what you need to create the perfect wired home.
Internet Sharing Made Simple How to Set Up a Broadband Router: If you
have a broadband Internet connection and more than one computer, it's
time to face the music -- you're destined to have a router. Jason Cox
and Brett Larson walk you through the task of setting up and configuring
one of these hardware marvels.
Phone Net for Home Net Farallon HomeLine: Want to wire your house for
Internet without busting through the walls? Farallon's HomeLine products
let your data ride on the same wires that carry your telephone conversations.
How well does HomeLine work? Read Macworld's review and find out.
Wireless Isn't Flawless -- Yet AirEZY2400-SWG: You can get your Macs
into a wireless network easily via AirPort -- but what do you do if you've
got an older Mac that doesn't support Apple's wireless technology? James
Galbraith tests one alternative, and finds it lacking.
Talk Home Networking in the Home Networking Forum now. You can post questions,
help other readers, or maybe post your solutions to wired home problems.