Wireless networking is getting more and more popular. It's not just for hotels and coffee houses any more - people are setting up wireless networks in their homes or offices, and new networks are blossoming like a pear tree in the spring. But, there is a problem…
Wireless (either the currently popular 802.11g or the older 802.11b) uses radio waves. The frequency of those radio waves is in the same radio band as other services, such as portable phones. Interference from portable phones and microwaves are not unheard of. But the biggest new source of interference is the wireless networks themselves - your wireless network may be performing slowly, or drop out, from unseen interference from your neighbors. Here's why.
When you set up a wireless router (or access point), you can specify the name of the wireless network (called the SSID) and the frequency that it runs at. But there are only 11 channels. Most people, however, don't override the default specifications and perhaps don't even know that they CAN override them. Every Linksys router out of the box has the SSID of Linksys, and every Netgear router out of the box has the SSID of Netgear, and so on. If you look at the wireless networks in your area (see guide below), you will possibly see lots of these. Complicating matters is that the default channel for most of them is 6. If everybody within radio range is using the same SSID and the same channel that is a recipe for trouble.
If you are having wireless networking troubles, you need to look around and see if there are other wireless networks in your area and if they could potentially interfere with you. There are basically two ways to do this. One is to install a program specifically designed to sniff out wireless networks. The one I use is called NetStumbler, and is available for free on the 'net (see www.netstumbler.com). NetStumbler will listen for and display information about all the wireless networks it sees, including yours.
If you don't want to install this program, or it doesn't work with your wireless adapter, you can get some of the same information right from Windows. Right click on your wireless icon in the system tray and select "View Available Wireless Networks". You should see a display of all the networks out there; the only problem here is that this information does not include the channel being used.
Once you are armed with the SSID and channel of interfering networks, you need to go into your router (or access point) setup to change the defaults. That is specific to each manufacturer and I can't cover them all here. But every router allows you to fairly easily change the SSID and channel number. Pick your own unique SSID, and a channel number not in use.
Another thing you should do while you are in router setup is to protect your wireless network. Do not select the original wireless encryption technique (WEP) as this has been proven to not be effective. Use the newer WPA instead. You will have to enter a key value, and you will need that key on each workstation that you want to join your network. But to use WPA every PC that connects will have to have a WPA enabled wireless adapter.
One of the reasons for the proliferation of wireless networks is that the cost of a wireless router these days is almost identical to a non-wireless unit. If you are planning for the future, it's easier to just purchase the wireless version now. You can always disable the wireless feature if you do not need it. I have begun to stock only wireless routers in the trusty BSC truck.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)