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Last year I finally installed a wireless access point at home.\u00a0 The reason was the only one that makes sense when it comes to using wireless; I had a location that I couldn’t run a wire to.\u00a0 We added a kid playhouse in the back yard and I didn’t want to dig a trench all the way out there for a wire.\u00a0 So I picked up a wireless access point.<\/p>\n
There are three attributes of wireless that I preach to my students.\u00a0 Wireless is…<\/p>\n
1 – slow
\n2 – unreliable
\n3 – insecure<\/p>\n
I use WPA<\/a> to keep my neighbors out of my network.\u00a0 From my kitchen\u00a0my laptop\u00a0can “see” eight access points.\u00a0\u00a0WPA\u00a0with a 63 character password<\/a> keeps me secure.\u00a0 Six of\u00a0my neighboring\u00a0access points are wide open.<\/p>\n WPA won’t help speed things up.\u00a0 In fact, WPA will make a slow wireless connection a little slower.\u00a0 And there is nothing you can do about the reliability.\u00a0 Wireless networks just don’t work some times.\u00a0 The closer you are to the access point, the better, but you can count on your wireless not working once in a while.\u00a0 It is the nature of wireless.\u00a0 Reboot your access point, move your computer closer to the access point… hold your mouth just right.\u00a0 You will get connected again.<\/p>\n I have upgraded my home switch to gigabit.\u00a0 That’s 1000 megabit.\u00a0 My wireless is 54 megabit.\u00a0 1000 miles an hour is A LOT FASTER than 54 miles an hour.\u00a0 It may seem like a nuisance to run wires, but if it is at all possible, run wire.\u00a0 Wired networks rarely fail to work, they are fast and secure (as long as you have a firewall between you and the Internet).<\/p>\n Wireless can be convenient.\u00a0 Wired wins all other categories.<\/p>\n TSPY=5.63<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last year I finally installed a wireless access point at home.\u00a0 The reason was the only one that makes sense when it comes to using wireless; I had a location that I couldn’t run a wire to.\u00a0 We added a … Continue reading