So I got my new computer (well, most of the pieces anyway, the keyboard’s coming next week hopefully), and I wanted to get wireles set up and running straight away so that I could get on the ‘net with it and download any patches etc that I needed. I get everything connected, then get my box to pick up my AP and then what happens? Nothing. Absolutely, positively, not a damn thing. For some reason, I could not get my desktop box to connect properly to my AP. It would say it was connected, but if I logged into the admin interface on it (using my lappy luckily), it wouldn’t say it was connected.

To cut a potentially long story short, I tried playing with some of the settings in Windows’ control panel, and it turns out that XP and the Netgear control utility don’t play so well together. When I told XP to control all wireless network settings, everything Just Worked(tm).

So now I am posting this, the first post from my new desktop, which is wirelessly connected to the ‘net (insecurely ATM!) into another room, where my modem sits on its own. When I get my keyboard, things will really be getting wireless, but this will do nicely until then!

I’ve moved house now, although I haven’t got ym new desktop, so I’m not set up properly. I’m still operating via laptop, but my ADSL isn’t connected at this house, so the wireless modem isn’t much good to me at this point either :).

Just out of interest, I turned on my wireless card and loaded up Net Stumbler the other day and have noted that I continuously get a strong signal (60 ish SNR) for another network which must be close. What is really interesting is that if I walk out the back of my house, the signal to my own AP drops off significantly, but the signal to this other network remains constant and strong. I can only guess that they have a powerful antennae on it or something which provides me with a strong connection regardless of the small change in distance/location.

The network is secured (WEP), and is identifying itself as an ‘Agere‘ modem, but that’s about all I know.

How would one go about finding out who’s network this is? I’m interested to know who it belongs to and what sort of a set-up they’ve got.

In arranging my new desktop machine, I realised that things were going to be much easier for me if I could use wireless for my Internet connection. With the nearest telephone point being in another room, I’d have to run a cable all over the place otherwise, so this way I can leave the modem near the phone port and connect wirelessly without any hassles.

I gave the guys at Zoom ITG a call and arranged to have a Netgear Wireless USB Adaptor (MA111) included with the new box that they are building for me, so I should be all sorted once it gets here!

Looks like next week some time, I should have one of these bad-boys to go along with a new PC. This keyboard is a pretty cool-looking thing, and it’s bluetooth to boot 🙂 It comes with a mouse (also bluetooth), to provide a complete wireless desktop.

The best review I have found of it is this one at OverClockers.com.au. Sounds pretty impressive, even if it does mean that I’ll probably have to use Windows Media Player to control all my audio files etc – oh well.

One of the coolest things that I’m looking forward to using is the MediaPad, which acts like a remote for your computer, allowing you to control media playback, get email alerts and even MSN Messenger notifications. That should be interesting to try out.

I wonder how ‘stumble-able’ the signals between the keyboard, MediaPad, mouse and base-station are?… security problem?

Next weekend, I’m moving house to a new place (still in Como, WA), so I’ll have a chance to try out some new things. Shortly after moving, I’ll also be getting a complete new desktop set-up, so I’ll be able to try some cool things with my new config. Here’s a couple things I’m looking forward to:

1. Having my desktop set up in my office for serious work/play, connected to my ADSL modem directly (CAT-5)
2. Having my laptop lying around in my lounge-room or kitchen, connected wirelessly, ready for me to load it up and do a quick search or whatever
3. Possibly playing with some wireless surveillance cameras and things like that, controlled from my main machine in my office 🙂
4. Stumbling the apartments that I will be in (and the ones next door) properly, since I don’t think I’d get it all from the road
5. Hopefully doing continuous scans over time from my desktop (if I put wireless in it) to detect surrounding networks as they come on/go off during the day (if at all)
6. Using MS Remote Terminal Server or whatever it’s called to connect from my lappy, to my desktop, then control it to select songs to play out via my stereo system 🙂
7. Having someone over and trying out a networked game, with them in the loungeroom, on my lappy, and me on my desktop

It should be fun to try out some new things, now that I’ll have another machine to play with 🙂

Wirelessweek.com is a pretty good site for information about all sorts of things in the wireless industry. It doens’t appear to have an RSS feed unfortunately, but is a good place to catch up on what’s going on.

Wi-Fi Networking News looks like it has a pretty good finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the wireless world, with very regular updates and a good coverage of industry info.

Note to self: keep an eye on these guys.