Going wireless: Easier (and cheaper) than you think
Wireless is the way to go. It is fast, super-convenient, secure, affordable and very easy to set up and use. Its popularity extends from the office environment all the way to trendy coffee shops and restaurants, to airports and hotels. And, given its affordability and ease of use, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be using wireless in your home or office.
Wireless networking is a phenomenon that is significantly boosting overall personal and business efficiency, confirms Tiens Lange, product manager at Pinnacle Micro, which distributes D-Link networking solutions. "Setting up a wireless hotspot is pretty straightforward. All you need is an Internet connection, either via ADSL or 3G and an access point and router. For the home user or small business, or for establishments like coffee shops, this is not a tall order," he says.
With your ADSL or 3G connection established from a service provider, you now need to connect two separate networks – that of the service provider and the one which is your wireless network, usually referred to as a Local Area Network or LAN.
This is the purpose served by a router; it takes the ’incoming’ data stream of the service provider network, and connects that to the LAN. The LAN in turn connects your PCs to each other and out to the Internet.
There are several options for connectivity available from Internet Service Providers with a range of associated costs. Meanwhile, a wireless router is quite affordable, with D-Link models retailing from as little as R750.
"Setting up the wireless network at home or in the office is quite simple. It is a matter if plugging in the ADSL line into the router, adjusting some easy settings such as giving your network a name and enabling security, and entering your user name and password provided by the ISP," says Lange.
Accessing the network
Gaining access from a notebook or desktop machine requires that the PC is equipped with a wireless adapter; notebooks particularly are supplied with such adapters as standard. The machine will detect your network and prompt for a security password.
"When it comes to gaining at hotspots such as hotels or restaurants this will vary from venue to venue. Some establishments, like restaurants or coffee shops, provide end-users free access. However, some wireless hotspot providers do charge for the service. In such instances, customers obtain a code from the vendor and then plug into the network."
Together with D-Link, Lange says one of the company’s resellers, Digital Plumber, recently installed wireless hotspots at McDonalds restaurants in Rivonia and Sandton where customers receive free wireless connectivity. "This is a great value-added business benefit and I am sure it increases customer levels," he says.
Commenting further, Lange said that today, business travelers are coming to expect wireless connectivity at airports and hotels. "It is becoming the norm, and hotels are realising that they need to offer wireless Internet services to customers."
Take the precautions
Lange says the benefits of wireless must be seen in the light of entirely solvable security issues. "One of these pitfalls is the lack of encryption. On your own network, you must ensure that you enable encryption on your router," he says.
Sometimes it is possible to encounter a wireless network signal that masquerades as a legitimate hotspot for the purpose of stealing information from the user, such as a network password or a credit card numbers; furthermore Malware infections are all obvious security risks for Wi-Fi public hotpot users, Lange explains.
Lange says it is important to run regularly updated anti-virus and firewall software on your computer. "At a wireless hotspot, there are several literal strangers all running on the same network. It might not be intentional, but there is a chance that some of them might unwittingly be affected with malware or a virus – and this will lead to the infection of other users at the hotspot.
"Never disregard normal security measures. In fact, you have to be more vigilant. Talk to your service provider regarding security; they will be able to give you useful tips."
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