Guide to Broadband Hardware - Part 4 of 5

In addition to a wireless router and adaptor, there are many additional features you may choose to buy in order to get the most out of your wireless connection. Part four of the broadband hardware guide will examine what’s on offer.

What else do you need for the wireless generation?

There are many questions you should consider before opting for a wireless router or adaptor.

For a router, think about how easy it is to set up, whether it has an ADSL modem in-built (you will not want this if you have a cable connection), whether it will work with your laptop, what distances it can cope with.

For an adaptor, do you really need one or is it already included in your laptop? Do you need a USB wireless adaptor or is there a slot for a card? Is the adaptor compatible with your wireless router?

There are many different manufacturers to choose from for your router and adaptor including D-Link, Netgear, Buffalo, Linksys and Belkin. Most of these providers supply ‘wireless kits’ which come with all of the accessories you need to make your wireless connection work. However if these are not supplied or you lose or damage any of your equipment you may need to buy replacements, such as:

• Ethernet cables and connectors: These come in different categories based on the speeds they can hold. You must choose connectors that match the device you wish to connect to.
• Fibre cables: Ensure the reliability and performance of servers and storage.
• USB cables: Connect a USB device to a PC or hub.
• Video/sound cables: In some cases, picture and sound quality can decrease if you use ordinary cables. Consequently some cables have been designed to enhance these qualities, such as the PureAV range from Belkin. These include audio cables with better sonic accuracy; audio and video kits for high-quality connections; speaker cables; video cables with sharper detail; and portable audio that reduces interference for a more natural sound.

You can also buy devices to extend your wireless range. Signal strength is the key to picking up a good connection and making the most of your wireless service and sometimes you may need to replace the router’s external antenna with one that is more efficient.

If you want to provide coverage to a specific area you should pick up a directional antenna – anything outside its narrow broadcast path will receive weak signals. Unidirectional antennas are better suited to laptops that you move around the home as the broadcast path is much wider – though they are more susceptible to breaches of wireless security.