Network Guys - Wireless Laptop Cards & PC/MAC (Code!!!) Issues

[Warik]

I normally work from home, but my boss was hoping I could spend at least a day or two in the office to help them out when shit goes wrong. I'd need to be able to connect to the Internet, and I refuse to use a Mac to carry out my normal programming duties (plus they don't have an extra one available... ) so my only solution would be to bring my laptop and connect to their DSL network somehow.

I don't want to spend a lot on a network card, so I saw this deal on a USR one:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006412C/ref=ase_slickdeals/104-6006310-6164766

Any comments about USR cards? Can you suggest others that would work well without burning a hole in my pocket?

As for the PC/MAC issues, they are running their DSL network in a small home office (about 5-6 computers) with this "Airport" configuration (they have this mushroom shaped piece of equipment that looks like a spaceship that functions as the wireless transmitter). Would my laptop be able to function normally in their network? I don't see why not because it wouldn't make sense to me for a larger company to be either strictly mac or strictly pc, but I'm not sure. Comments?

thx

-Warik

 

[Code]

I don't think Apple makes Airport cards for the PC.

But I think the latest release of DAVE supports PC flavor 802.11 cards allowing them to piggy-back on Airports.

 

[dballer]

Warik....

I am checking on this now. A friend of mine just got one of these.. I think.

 

[HappyScrappy]

802.11 is all that airport is - except their stupid things don't support encryption or any reasonable distance unless you have version 2.0.

just get any card and it will work. I have a pcmcia one for my laptop and a linksys wireless hub - but I stopped using it b/c I really only ever sit in one place with my laptop and a cable directly connected is faster and easy if you never move.

hot damn.

 

[Warik]

I don't think Apple makes Airport cards for the PC.

I didn't mean I was looking for an Airport card, though. Just wondering if the standard wireless laptop card would function over their network. Whatcha think?

 

[Warik]

802.11 is all that airport is - except their stupid things don't support encryption or any reasonable distance unless you have version 2.0.

just get any card and it will work. I have a pcmcia one for my laptop and a linksys wireless hub - but I stopped using it b/c I really only ever sit in one place with my laptop and a cable directly connected is faster and easy if you never move.

hot damn.

I would guess that my distance from the transmitter would never exceed 20 ft in a straight line (although at maximum distance, I would be downstairs and the transmitter is upstairs, so we'd be going through the floor). I WOULD like to use it at school as well where they have a wireless network in some of the buildings, but there we're talking some serious distance that sometimes even kills my cellphone reception.

I'll probably go with this Linksys card I found for $65. The USR card is cheaper, but after buying a piece of shit "x2" modem years ago I lost all respect for US Robotics.

-Warik

 

[HappyScrappy]

I like linksys stuff, but I know some have issues with them.

check out www.dslreports.com - that is a discussion board like this that started out just about dsl and now has evolved into all of home networking and any net connection - they have some great stuff there - ratings and suggestions as well.

my linksys didn't do all that well going through floors - where I am now would only need to go about 8 ft, but that is just dandy for my network cable.

there are different variations on a theme of the 802.11 protocol - a, b, c, etc and they all involve either higher encryption levels or faster speeds and such. most stuff doesn't really support them yet - and the stuff that does is $$

lots of schools are moving to a wireless environment, as are many companies. which leads to all the hacking that you see referenced on the net (not really hacking since there are basically wide open - even with the encryption - it really is just a matter of how hard you want to try).
Standford is the one that comes immediately to mind - my friend was looking into going to their law school and he said all the classrooms have wireless net and Aereon (sp?) chairs - but he is coming here to Harvard instead.

 

[dballer]

my question would be is the only network in this office wireless? if not then you could get a standard 10/100 RJ-45 ethernet card.
I think linksys makes one that is not very expensive. any card that is 802.11b compliant should work

 

[Warik]

dballer,

I believe it's wireless only. They MIGHT have ethernet connectivity as well but I haven't checked and will have to check tomorrow since I'm the only one who knows how to look at the router and say "yep... you can plug an ethernet cable into here." hah

 

[Code]

My understanding of the Airport is that it forces the machine to transmit via AppleTalk.

802.11 is a joke, and is not safe to use office-wide. The Security dude at that office should be flayed alive.

Or just give me the address of the company [assuming it's local to me in the Bay Area] and I'll demonstrate to him why it's unsafe

 

[Warik]

My understanding of the Airport is that it forces the machine to transmit via AppleTalk.

802.11 is a joke, and is not safe to use office-wide. The Security dude at that office should be flayed alive.

Or just give me the address of the company [assuming it's local to me in the Bay Area] and I'll demonstrate to him why it's unsafe

Dude it's a travel company... not the NSA. You and your security/encryption obsession is going to drive you nuts one day. =)

(BTW: We don't have a security dude... but I'll be happy to flay a random agent if you wish.)

 

[thx9000]

Dude it's a travel company... not the NSA. You and your security/encryption obsession is going to drive you nuts one day. =)

(BTW: We don't have a security dude... but I'll be happy to flay a random agent if you wish.)

You won't be saying that after someone goes WarDriving past your office...

 

[Code]

. but I'll be happy to flay a random agent if you wish.)

12 lashes should suffice.