What do I need?

Question

One XP server that will connect with 10+ wireless notebooks. They will need to connect to internet (DSL) and run programs off the server (Word, etc).

Would that be a hub / switch for the network and a router for the internet?

I'm more familiar with ethernet not wireless in a peer to peer environment.

please be somewhat detailed. Thanks.

Answer 1

There are no wireless hubs or switches. Get a wireless router and configure the laptops to connect to it. Plug the server into a ethernet port on the wireless router. Set up accounts on the server for security and to restrict access to authorized users. Everything will access the internet through the wireless router connected to the DSL modem. You do not need an access point and a router as stated in the next answer.

Answer 2

A wireless router should take care of most of the requirements. Most wireless routers also have wired connection ports as well.

I'm concerned a little bit about having so many wireless notebooks on one wireless router -- you will need to check the specs on the wireless router to see how many concurrent wifi connections it can support.

You may have to get a wireless access point as well to connect to the wireless router to give you more wifi "seats" if you find that the wireless routers don't support enough simultaneous users. Make sure that you set the channel that the wireless router and the wireless acces point use to be different and as far apart as possible and make sure that the SSID is the same on both so you don't have to remember which laptop connects to which wifi device -- let them work it out themselves.

Good luck!

Annorax64

Answer 3

You are going to need a wireless access point that will plug into the router. But running word off the server and not installed locally on the notebooks is going to be real slow. Why aren't you installing word on the notebooks and storing the documents on the server? If you run word on the server then when those laptops are not in the office they won't be able to use word unless they get on the server.

Answer 4

Well if you are in fact using DSL, then you will first need a modem. The modem transforms the DSL signal into an Ethernet signal. From the modem I would plug into an 8 port router. You can put what ever you want behind the router, server, towers wireless router. It would be your choice at that point.