wireless networks

[DANNY8]

Wanna look into using a wireless network here at home. At the moment we got cables going everywhere, and from room to room. We got 2 PC's and a laptop.

Could I get a modem/router like this?
Linksys WAG160N Wireless N 300 Router /w ADSL2+ Modem | eBay

Then plug one of these into each of the computers and they'll talk?
150M WIFI USB Wireless Network LAN Adapter Card 802.11n | eBay

How quick is it to transfer files over a wireless network? Slower or quicker then over a cable network? I'm regularly transferring large files (movies) from my computer, to the other computer which has a few portable hard drives on it, so need to keep it quick-ish if possible.

How secure are they? Can anyone get into my stuff?

How do I use other people's wireless networks to gain access to the net? I thought it was as easy as finding an unsecure network and ya can gain access thru their internet and it uses their usage....but a mate rekons u just use their internet to gain access to ur own or sumfin?

Can anyone explain all this?

[Static89]

Transfer speeds over physical cables are always faster then wireless. as for the router and USB receivers you posted. seem ok, the laptop should have its own inbuilt wireless though. most do.

as for the internet thing? im not sure what your trying to say?

if you have the net. plug the cable into the router/modem, then plug a ethernet cable into your computer and router/modem. that way you can set it up.

if you plan on stealing someone elses net, the USB sticks will work. assuming the network is unsecured.


As for wireless security. if i can get access to a computer. i can get your network password and use it on my computer. it IS possible to get access to wireless secured networks, but as far as i have reserched. it will take a long time and is fairly hard. most people have no idea how to.

[DANNY8]

Yeah my laptop has wireless built in, but was gonna stock up on those USB network adapters coz they're only 7 bux.

We don't want to try and steal internet, that part I'm just curious about how it's done. If I know how people do it, it could be easier to keep them away. I assume it isn't very easy otherwise there wouldn't be as many wireless networks around.

At the moment a phone cable goes to our modem, the modem goes to a router, the router splits off 3 cables, one into a room on the opposite side of the house (which we wanna get rid of...the cable that is, not the connection) with the portable hard drives, another cable stays in the same room (as the router) and I hook my laptop up to it, and the 3rd cable is again in the same room hooked up to my PC. I could just put the portable HDD's in here with my computer so it wouldn't matter, but we have the other computer setup to run through our plasma so we can watch the movies (or anything) on the plasma, so I guess would be best to keep them with that computer. But then both computers get used to transfer movies to flash drives when we wanna watch a movie in bed (dvd player with usb input).

Might be better if we just stick with the cables I rekon.

As for using someone's net. How is that done?
At work I can just pickup mcdonals free wifi, but the connection is crap and it keeps dropping in and out, I guess coz I'm just in/out of range. There's another 2 networks which show up, one secured, one unsecured. I try connecting to the unsecured connection and it always fails (it's a better connection then the macca's one). A mate rekons the reason it won't work is coz I don't have wireless internet, and that to be able to use an unsecured network I must have wireless internet at home???? It just doesn't make sense to me tho, I can't work it out.

[Static89]

No offence to your mate, but he smokes to much crack.
the unsecured network most likley is just a shitty router with not much range, and drops in and out.

for movie transfer. your best to stick with the cables. just plain quicker.

In my house, due to circumstances where people dont know ####all about the net. i have to bridge off another router to my router because the owner of the house feels the internet stuff ( modem/router should be in his room. locked. )the good part is, he lets me join my router to it. and has no idea wtf he is on about. so i get half decent net reception. due to the router being right next to my equipment. but i have the laptop joined wirelessly, my desktop, soon to hold all my movies/music and such, wired. along with my xbox. and a spare for just incase stuff.

So it goes. Cable line in. modem/router(connects to pc and PS3)-to my router-to my pc and xbox and wirelessly to laptop. lol.