Broadband Bible
Broadband Bible
* This book outlines everything people need to make the move from a dial-up connection to an always-on DSL or cable Internet connection that is up to forty times faster than a standard modem connection
* Nielsen estimated there were thirty-nine million U.S. homes with broadband access in April 2003
* Gaskin explains available broadband options, shows how to pick the right one, describes wireless alternatives inside and outside of buildings, details how to connect more than one computer t
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(out of 1 reviews)
List Price: $ 24.99
Price: $ 2.31
Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
- All-in-one Internet-sharing router, 4-port switch, and Wireless-G (802.11g) access point
- Shares a single Internet connection and other resources with Ethernet wired and Wireless-G and -B devices
- Push button setup feature makes wireless configuration secure and simple
- High security: Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), wireless MAC address filtering, powerful SPI firewall
The Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router is really three devices in one box. First, there`s the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect both screaming fast Wireless-G (802.11g at 54Mbps) and Wireless-B (802.11b at 11Mbps) devices to the network. There`s also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Connect four PCs directly, or attach more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the Router function ties it all to
Rating: 
(out of 806 reviews)
List Price: $ 66.99
Price: Too low to display
Review by Anne Purchase for Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
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This is great! I’m not too “computer savvy,” and this was just the right wireless router to get me started with my own home network. I’m sure there are many more wireless routers that can perform better than this one, but they’re so much more expensive, and I guarantee this will suit your needs perfectly!
All I had to do was put the CD in my computer, then some text instructions and an animation showed me exactly what to do. There are about 4 steps, (not including naming your network and such.) This is a well-priced, general wireless router, and is just amazing! I used this to connect to my game systems also – (A Wii and Nintendo DS) And they connected perfectly! No worries at all. And, I get a perfect “3-bar” range everywhere in my house! The router is on the middle floor of my house, and I can get perfect connections in the basement, upstairs, wherever!
I highly recommend this router to any first time users of a wireless network, and anyone else looking for a reliable wireless network. Many other routers are 2x more expensive than this router, and don’t do that much different. I hope this is the router for you!
-Sleek design -> No external antenna
-VERY simple set-up, even to a first time user
-Great range, no “dead spots”
Enjoy! ^_^
Review by Lifelong Sponge for Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
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I am still just stunned. Here I was, all prepared for a painful afternoon of geekese and error messages and unexplained no-connectivity, like the last time I had to do this…ordering out for pizza and a late night and probably some booze to ease the pain…and twenty minutes later, I’m on my laptop. (Fifteen minutes of that was fighting with the laptop.) You insert a CD, it walks you through four easy steps, generates the needed keys, and you’re done. So now I have to stay sober and cook dinner, but it’s a small price to pay. The wifi signal is strong, the router design is sleek and unobtrusive (a minimum of horrible sleep-disturbing blinking green lights, my personal pet peeve), the price was absolutely right. We’ll see how I feel a month from now, but at the moment I’m on a non-techie high….
Review by D. Hentze for Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
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I had an original WRT54G that I bricked screwing around with the firmware. I needed another router right away, so I picked the WRT54G2 up at my local BB for $50. I was going to spend a lot more for an “N” router, but figured it wasn’t worth it for my modest DSL/home network. I had the WRT54G2 up and running within 10 minutes. No problems. No drama. I was concerned about the internal antenna, but I still get a full signal even in my basement. It seems to work very well, and looks much better in my office than the original WRT54G.
Review by Filippo Scognamiglio Pasini for Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
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I have to say that I have come to like the WRT54G2 a lot.
Works very well with my PC, my fiancé’s Mac, a Playstation3, a wired multiuse printer/fax/copier and the standard cable modem RCN provided.
Configuration was quick and easy and I had no problems in that regard.
My only complain with this product is the fact that the DHCP server has problems after a while. If you leave a PC/device on for too much time, it will “lose” it’s IP address and there is no way around the issue other than rebooting / power cycling router and affected devices. It doesn’t happen too often so it’s not a major issue, but I would have appreciated the linksys forums to be more supportive of my post on this issue – as they really have not been.
So 5 stars for product design, features and ease of use
- 1 star for DHCP server flaw
- 1 star for poor product support
= 3 stars
Review by John Mccool for Cisco-Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router
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This was very easy to set up. It took about 5 minutes total to set up the router and have a wireless connection to my desktop. I have an excellent reception to my desktop that sits about 30 feet away in another room. Also, I have my desktop and laptop (both running vista), xbox 360, and ps3 connected to it wirelessly. the xbox 360 NAT is open and the ps3 NAT is type 2. I’m not sure what that stuff means technically, but in normal person terms it means that I can connect to others with no problems. The back of the router has 4 10/100 ethernet connections on it as well if you want a wired connection.
The design of this router is really excellent. The antennas are built into the router and the dimensions of it are really small and thin! This gives you more flexibility of where the router can be placed.
Streaming recorded TV, music, and pictures from my desktop to xbox (using media center) work well for both being connected wireless with no reduction in picture quality.
With the release of the new Xbox 360 dashboard I am able to stream HD video from Netflix wirelessly through my 360 with this router. The wait time for video to start is short and the picture quality of HD shows like Heroes and 30 Rock is great.
*Update* I have had the 20″ 2.66ghz iMac since May 08 and connecting it to my linksys was as simple as selecting the network and typing in my password. The router has been up and running several months now with no resets or connection issues. This is a very stable router that requires little to no maintenance. Now my connections to this router are a laptop with Vista every now and then, Mac with OS X 10.5, ps3, 360, and 2 iPhones. There are no problems when 2 or more devices are using the connection. I am connected to a 6mbps cable connection.
Recently I got the new unibody MacBook and an eyeTV hybrid 2009 model. I use it to record TV (mainly the HD shows sent via QAM from comcast) on my iMac. I want to stream a HD show like The Office from my iMac to my macbook that is connected my my 46″ samsung (lnt-4665), but I have found that “g” is not fast enough to stream a show recorded in HD. It is fast enough to stream a show recorded in SD, so I need an “N” router if I want to stream wirelessly.
Review by Thomas Duff for Broadband Bible
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If you’re looking for a book to explain the array of options when it comes to high-speed internet access, get a copy of the book Broadband Bible Desktop Edition by James E. Gaskin (Wiley). This is a really good book…
Chapter list: Why You Need Broadband Internet Access; Getting Familiar with Broadband Technology; Types of Broadband Providers; Types of Alternative Broadband Providers; Emerging Broadband Service Options; Pros and Cons: Choosing Your Best Broadband Option; Understanding Computer Security; Examining Your Home Broadband Hookup; Examining the Multitenant Broadband Hookup; Server and Storage Options; What You Need To Know About Desktop Networking; What You Need to Know About TCP/IP Networks and Routing; Backup and Disaster Recovery; Wired Connection Options; Wireless Connection Options; Wireless Security in Depth; Avoiding Wireless Eavesdropping and Hacking; Troubleshooting Internet Access Problems; Troubleshooting Your Side of the Connection; Quick Hits Roundup; Additional Web Directory Listings; Broadband, Internet, and Networking Definitions; Index
If you haven’t yet made the jump to broadband internet access, you may be confused over all the options and terminology. Cable vs. DSL? Home networking? Routers? Gaskin does an excellent job in this book to explain everything you need to know to make the move. The flow of the book is well-done, in that it moves from “why do you need broadband” to “here’s how you decide which option is best”. Even for those of us who have had broadband for awhile, it’s a good read to catch up on some other options that are becoming more viable, such as broadband over power lines. The writing is clear and concise, without falling into endless jargon that defies the reader to understand it.
This book would have helped me out immensely when I made the jump from a slower DSL line to 3MB cable internet access. Since we have a number of computers in the home, I wasn’t quite sure how to make sure I did and bought the right things to allow me to get them all to access the internet. Although I ended up being successful at the whole setup, there was a lot of fear and trepidation on my part. With Gaskin’s book, I would have been much more confident up front. Even now, there’s some information in here that will help me debug an issue I’m having with communication between two of the computers.
For a single source of understandable information on moving to high-speed internet access, you won’t go wrong with this book. Highly recommended.