Is wireless right for you? Continued from Home page.

Second: Risk, although you are at higher risk of intrusion with a wireless network a properly installed network can make it very difficult for an unauthorized user to gain access. If someone really wants to spend the time and effort they could get access, but what are the odds that someone will put this effort into getting to your network. In my opinion if the door is open people will come in. If you securely configure your network (Close and lock the door) they may jiggle the handle to see if they can get in, but when they find it's locked with a deadbolt they usually move on to unlocked doors.

Third: Distance, how far do you need to go from the router or access point to the client PC? If you are just going to the next room you may want to pull some wire. It can be simple (Room to Room through one wall) a drill and a CAT 5 face plate you can get from the local Home Depot will do the trick. (Always check to see it there is power, gas or water lines in the wall before drilling). If the distance is farther the cable can get expensive. If you do get a cabler, make sure they are certified and have insurance. Also expect to pay from $75 to $125 per hour depending on where you're located. For a wireless solution here look at the location your high speed internet access comes in to the location. If your DSL or Cable modem is set up at the end of the hall it will be harder to reach the other rooms. If it is centrally located you have a better chance of reaching more locations without a additional wireless repeater. Remember just because the distance is short, it does not necessarily mean you will have good reception, many infrastructure items can substantially reduce the signal, Metal framing and brick are just a few. For instance in my house I get great reception on my wireless notebook (Access Point in the finished basement) on the 2 nd floor, but if I try to sit at the kitchen table on the first floor I get no signal at all! I attribute it to all the metal and cabinetry in the kitchen.

Wireless is a great way to get a small business or a Home office up and running quickly, just take some time to evaluate your needs and risk and you will better be able to decide weather wireless is right for you.

Looking for a way to keep your customers in your Restaurant, Book Store, or Coffee Shop longer? Want to provide your customers with internet access while they stay or wait at your Hotel, Motel or doctors Office? D-link has the perfect product for you. The DSA-3100 is a complete hot spot gateway that provides a firewall, DHCP server and router functions for both public and private broadband Internet access in a single device simultaneously. Designed to allow businesses to create a public hot spot right out of the box to cater to the growing force of Wi-Fi enabled mobile consumers and business people, the D-Link DSA-3100 delivers intelligent management capabilities for monitoring and controlling up to 250 public user accounts while maintaining a private LAN for employees behind a robust physical firewall. The new D-Link DSA-3100 Public/Private Hotspot Gateway is an Ethernet-based gateway specifically designed to provide free or fee-based broadband connection to the public or to a company's employees while at the same time, providing a separate and secure private network that shares the same Internet connection. If your business relies on public patronage, now you have a way to give customer's access to the Internet, or to networked printers and other resources. If you're a private company that wants to offer wireless Internet access for your employees, you can do so with the confidence that you're still maintaining a secure private network that a wireless user will never see. Connect a D-Link wireless access point to the DSA-3100 and you've got a wireless hotspot. Connect a D-Link switch and now your back office computers and printers can share the same broadband connection. For more information contact MDL and we can assess your needs.