wireless networking

[monsterone]

yes i know this has been talked about before (mods lock at your discression). but i have specific problems that need to be dealt with.

i'm a graphic artist, who is half a techo retard. shit i've only owned my own computer for less than 3 yrs. so this is what i want to do:

1. i want to set up my own web site(and i'll probably use 50 megs for now) but want to set up my computer upstairs as a server for that website.

2. i need to find the most economically efficient/ best quality way to set up a wireless network with the computer downstairs.

3. when i get the money i want to purchase a server. what's the best route to go?

4. i need tutorial sites to use as shortcuts for programming (i've taken classes but still kind of suck)

5. anything else you can help me out with will definitely help me out.

much appreciated.



<center><img border=1 src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=monsterone01"><br></center>

<center>
<font color=green size=3>ﷲﻩמּﻰדּﻍקּﻩמּﻍ</font>
moe & horde king, come back soon
<font color=black>"what did the five fingers say to the face?"</center>
[color=White]

[Reephdweller]

As websites and hosting go, I have an account with 1and1 (http://order.1and1.com), which has some pretty good deals. Additionally my website (http://www.osirusonline.com/) is through a company called myhosting.com (http://myhosting.com/).

If you're looking to get a server Dell makes some pretty decent ones. You can also get some great deals on used ones at Dovebid (http://www.dovebid.com/) which is a business auction website where when dotcom companies go bust they auction their servers, computers, and other office equipment off. I know a few people who've gotten pretty good deals through this website.

As for wireless, I don't have so much experience in this department, though my boss was able to set his up on his laptop on his own (and he doesn't have much technical ability), so if he could do it, I think anyone could. He bought his at Costco, I believe it's a Linksys and he said it works flawlessly. His wife now uses the main desktop computer for herself, and he uses his laptop in his home office and they share their internet connection through the wireless network. I'll see if I can find out more information about this and post it.

I've been looking to do the same in terms of a wireless network, though I've been shopping for a laptop. I'd like to do my web and graphic design on my laptop and network it in with my desktop pc. If I could set that up at some point I'd be able to make websites and design while I'm at work and be able to do two things at once. My regular job, and any freelance work I could get.


I also found a great website for javascript, I'm still learning a lot of this stuff, but sites like these help a lot, it's the JavaScript Source (http://javascript.internet.com/), also Webmonkey (http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/index.html) is a pretty good site for web developers.

<center><IMG SRC="http://www.chaoticconcepts.com/randomizer/random.php?uid=3">
Reefy's website... (http://www.osirusonline.com/)</center>
<font size="1" color="red">
<center>Check out The Ron and Fez Show Logs...UPDATED!!!!! (http://www.osirusonline.com/ronfez.htm)</center>
<marquee behavior=alternate bgcolor="#FFFFFF">Right now you could care less about me...
but soon enough you will care, by the time I'm done</marquee> </font>

[ADF]

If you're using a service like 50megs, the files aren't stored on your computer so there's no need to use one as a "server." Just use whatever computer runs fastest or that you'll be doing the majority of the work on for the site. Setting up a wireless network in your house is relatively easy. Linksys makes good stuff, although I occasionally have to reset my router. Check out a site like Cnet.com and hit the "wireless" section. I'm guessing that the size of your site won't necessitate a server.

<center><img src = "http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/samurai2.gif"><br>I'm so glad the cheat is not dead.</center>

[JPMNICK]

i'm a graphic artist, who is half a techo retard. shit i've only owned my own computer for less than 3 yrs. so this is what i want to do:



1. i want to set up my own web site(and i'll probably use 50 megs for now) but want to set up my computer upstairs as a server for that website.

What is the reason to host your own website? What type of internet connection do you have? Most cable modems as well as DSL limit upload speed to 128k, compared to a download speed of 3Mb per second. HUGE difference. If you want to host graphic files, 128k is really not going to cut it. You are much better off paying for another service to host you page.
There are better sites than 50 megs, you can search around for exactly what you need.


2. i need to find the most economically efficient/ best quality way to set up a wireless network with the computer downstairs.

Wireless networks are very easy to set up. Def. go with a 802.11g setup. it is faster than .11b and compatible. You will need a router, a card for your current computer and a card for the new computer. But since you may not host the website at home, you may not need any of this. Linksys is great, that is what I use in my house. They were just aquired by cisco, so i think it can only get better. they have great firmware.


3. when i get the money i want to purchase a server. what's the best route to go?

Depends on what you need it for. If it is just for a webpage of home fileserver, really anything will do. Up until a few months ago my home server was a PII 266 with 384MB of ram. Worked great. Used it as a print server, file server, stream music as well as video. Never had a problem. I am sure it could have been a webserver. If I had to pick up a server now, I would prolly go with a high end PIII, maybe 800mhz or 1ghz. You can get a complete box used for around 200 dollars. Just add some more ram and you will be good. If you feel like spending around 500, and you have an older case lying around, you can get a P4 chip and mobo combo, throw in some ram and you will be set. You do not need an add on video card or sound card for a server. the ones built into the mobo will be fine.


4. i need tutorial sites to use as shortcuts for programming (i've taken classes but still kind of suck)

What type of language? C/C++, Java, scripting, html? I have a bunch of stuff bookmarked so let me know.

5. anything else you can help me out with will definitely help me out.

Make sure you back everything up. I tell people this all the time and no one ever does anything, then when there computer dies(it is usually the hard drive going bad) they are all pissed off that their shit is gone. I back up 2 different ways. Once every 2 or 3 weeks I will back up all important information to a DVD. But everynight my laptop will backup to my home server all the files that I selected. I have this being done automatically with the pre-installed backup software in windows XP Pro. It starts at like 3:30am so I never notice it, and goes over my wireless network so no matter where my laptop is it will work. This is a great feature.

If you need anything else PM me.





http://home.comcast.net/~nickcontardo/jpm_sig.jpg
Thanks to Monsterone for my first sig.

This message was edited by JPMNICK on 3-26-04 @ 9:20 AM

[monsterone]

you guys are the best. thank you much. and if you can give a few more host sites to throw up a website on, please do.

and my plan on seting up my own server is to (down the line) freelance in web graphics.

<center><img border=1 src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=monsterone01"><br></center>

<center>
<font color=green size=3>ﷲﻩמּﻰדּﻍקּﻩמּﻍ</font>
moe & horde king, come back soon
<font color=black>"what did the five fingers say to the face?"</center>
[color=White]

[ADF]

I've been too lazy to switch over from freeservers (although I pay), but ICDsoft.com looks to have a good deal.

<center><img src = "http://thereisnogod.faithweb.com/images/samurai2.gif"><br>I'm so glad the cheat is not dead.</center>

[FollowThisLogic]

Hosting a site yourself would probably be tricky, especially since most cable modems these days have a dynamic IP address. You may have the same IP for months and months, but at any day it could change.

That means if you have your www.whatever.com pointed at your cable modem, and that address suddenly changes, your site is dead in the water until you change your www.whatever.com to point at the new address.

So if you figure in the time it takes to notice or be told that your site is down (could be a day, days, maybe weeks, who knows), then add an extra 24-48 hours for the address change to propagate around the world, you're looking at downtime that no business should have.

That, plus the limited upload speed mentioned before, and I'd definitely suggest getting a web host, rather than hosting yourself.

---

Wireless networking is a snap, but for chrissakes CHANGE YOUR SSID AND ENABLE WEP! Your SSID is the name of your wireless network. For example, the default on a Linksys wireless router is "linksys". If some hacker-wannabe kiddie is wardriving around your neighborhood and sees that, you're a major target for network theft. In other words, they know you haven't changed any settings on your router, so they will freely use your network and your bandwidth...... maybe to download off Kazaa, making YOU the target for the RIAA....

And WEP is wireless encryption. Because changing the SSID isn't enough (it doesn't make things secure). In your wireless router's configuration, you'll see the encryption settings. You can set up an encryption passphrase to use on the computers around the house. This all sounds like a bitch, but it's not really that hard, and it's worth the pain in the ass to set up.

<b>And one last, important tip that will save you a tech support call:</b> your cable modem (or whatever broaband device) binds itself to the network card with which it's attached. This means, if it's currently attached to your PC, and you go and hook it up to your wireless router, the router will NOT be able to see it. The solution is simple - hook it up to the wireless router, ensure that the wireless router is ON, then POWER OFF (unplug) ONLY THE CABLE MODEM for 15-30 secs, then plug it back in. The cable modem will then bind itself to the wireless router and be on its merry way.

<center><img src="http://www.followthislogic.com/stuff/rf-screw.jpg" alt="Just say 'Screw all ya'll.' It'll work. Trust me.">
I <font face="webdings" color=red size="+1">Y</font> my Special Spiteful Title!</center>

[JPMNICK]

Follow this Logic made some great suggestions. Changing the SSID is huge. Also make sure you change the default password. That is prolly the biggest mistake you can make.

Also as for the dynamic IP Addresses. There is this service called DNS2GO, and they will take yuor dynamic connection and assign it to a web address. then they always keep it live. Your site address obviously stays the same, regardless of you IP Address.

Explanation (http://dns2go.deerfield.com/Dynamic_DNS/)



http://home.comcast.net/~nickcontardo/jpm_sig.jpg
Thanks to Monsterone for my first sig.

[TheKnicks23]

CHANGE YOUR SSID AND ENABLE WEP!

Or for even better security enable WPA.

<center><img src="http://theknicks23.8k.com/images/larrydavidsig.jpg"></center>

[monsterone]

thanks again guys. i went with a linksys wireless g router. i'm a jackass for getting it on sat on not checking the circulars on sun *(could have saved $25 at circuit city instead of comp usa).

i'm having trouble networking the 2 computers, but atleast have an internet connection upstairs. i'll figure it out this week. maybe updating later. woo who.

<center><img border=1 src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=monsterone01"><br></center>

<center>
<font color=green size=3>i'll beat my dick like it owes me money</font>
<font color=white>moe & horde king, come back soon</font>


</center>
[color=White]