| When you buy wireless equipment, you want to | | | | wireless phone frequency, although you can find |
| make sure that everything you buy will work in | | | | phones that operate on other frequencies. |
| your house with the computer(s) you already | | | | Microwaves, however, always operate at about |
| have and over the distances required. Before you | | | | 2.4 Ghz. It is okay to have these devices in your |
| spend any money on equipment, consider the | | | | house, but they should not be in the same room |
| following issues. | | | | with any computer hooked to your wireless |
| Find out about the construction of your walls. In | | | | connection. |
| theory, wireless technology is capable of passing | | | | You should begin your equipment search by |
| through walls and other obstacles relatively easily. | | | | determining what you need to create an effective |
| However, in reality, some walls are of a thicker or | | | | network. You should think about the distances |
| more solid construction than others and may | | | | you need to cover and whether you have to go |
| block some of your wireless signals. You only | | | | through any stone or brick walls. You can then |
| need to consider the interior walls, of course, and | | | | determine how much you want to spend. If you |
| you will need to consider floor construction if you | | | | live in a small house that is made of wood, you |
| want to use your wireless network on different | | | | can probably buy the least expensive equipment |
| levels. Materials such as drywall, plywood, other | | | | you can find. Remember, the more problems that |
| kinds of wood including doors, and glass can be | | | | potentially exist in your network, the more power |
| easily penetrated by wireless signals. You could | | | | you need to overcome them, and the more the |
| run into trouble with brick, plaster, cement, metal, | | | | equipment will cost. |
| stone, and double-glazed glass, but it really | | | | Reading reviews written by experts and other |
| depends on how porous a material is. If your walls | | | | wireless network users can be a big help in |
| are made of the more difficult materials, your | | | | selecting equipment. It is always good to get |
| wireless connection may have a shorter range or | | | | several opinions about a product, particularly if you |
| a slower speed. This means you may have to | | | | are buying it online. If you can see some wireless |
| spend more than you expected to get the kind | | | | equipment actually in operation, that is even |
| of equipment that will overcome the structural | | | | better. |
| barriers in your home. | | | | If you are a Windows user, you will have a much |
| Another thing to check for is potential | | | | easier time implementing your wireless network if |
| interference with the wireless frequency range of | | | | you install and/or update to the latest version of |
| network. Interference can slow down a network | | | | Windows. Wireless was not a common technology |
| significantly and reduce its range as well. If there | | | | when previous Windows versions were released, |
| is interference, you will know about it because | | | | so they do not have built-in support for it. A |
| your connection will stop working. The two most | | | | wireless network will be much easier to set up if |
| common sources of wireless network | | | | you have the Windows XP Service Pack 2 |
| interference are wireless telephones and | | | | version. It has lots of tools for configuring and |
| microwave ovens. The most common wireless | | | | using wireless technology that are lacking in other |
| network frequency, 2.4Ghz, is also a popular | | | | versions. |