What is LAN?

[TOPMO3]

Hello.
I got an NX80V. Cool thing, I got a mem stick and stuff.
I know it is LAN compatible, but what exactly is LAN? It has to do with the internet, that I know. Does it provide internet access to my PDA anywhere at all times? Do I have to pay for the internet? I heard that bluetooth will work next to a computer with bluetooth, how about LAN? Would you recomend LAN for some browsing and email? And finally, where can I get the best deal on a LAN card?

Thanks a lot, you seem like great guys.

[applejosh]

LAN = Local Area Network

In the case of the NX80, they're referring to wireless LAN (i.e. 802.11b with the optional wireless cards). In order to use the wireless LAN, you'll need to be able to connect to another WLAN (wireless local area network) device, preferably an access point. The access point is then usually connected to some sort of ethernet network that is connected to the Internet. As far as paying for the Internet access, maybe. Some coffee shops, etc., provide free wireless access (via a wireless access point) for their patrons. Other places implement some sort of payment deal (you pay for some many minutes/hours of usage). However, I've had mixed success with "public" access points. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

I use my NX for retrieving email (via Snappermail) and for very light web browsing (the small screen on PDA's makes it difficult to read a lot fo web pages).

As far as getting one of the wireless cards, check places like pricegrabber.com and ebay. (And it's been suggested that the older WL100 cards are better in range than the newer WL110 cards, although I doubt either is in production still.)

A good idea would probably be to do some research on 802.11b (via google maybe) to get an idea of how it all works. (And check the wireless forum on this site.)

Have fun with your new toy.

[TOPMO3]

Hey. Thanks a lot for a detailed reply.
So, where are there "access points" and what are some WLAN devices. How do I connect with them. Will I be able to use internet at home? You say you have a LAN card. Do you pay for intenet access? And what percentage of the time does the internet work?

[*YellowRose*]

Hey. Thanks a lot for a detailed reply.
So, where are there "access points" and what are some WLAN devices. How do I connect with them. Will I be able to use internet at home? You say you have a LAN card. Do you pay for intenet access? And what percentage of the time does the internet work?
Starbucks has 'access points' in all their restaurants, as does Paneras, and a lot of other more 'upscale' chain stores - most establishments advertise it with stickers on their doors, etc... You can check here (http://www.jiwire.com/) to see a list of wireless access points in your area, although it is NOT a complete list (at least for my area) Generally, when places provide wireless access, they DO NOT charge for it. It's a marketing tool, used to get people to come to the business.

You will be able to surf wirelessly at home if you get a wireless router for your computer.

Regarding 'what percentage of the time does the internet work?' - depends on the location . . . all routers have to be serviced occasionally . . .

You may want to read the wireless forum. Lots of information there . . .

[applejosh]

Regarding 'what percentage of the time does the internet work?' - depends on the location . . . all routers have to be serviced occasionally . . .

Plus I've run into instances at some "public" places where wifi works with my PPC but doesn't work with my Palm. (To be fair, I have run across situations where my NX connects and my flaky PPC won't as well.) It seems as though some places really don't care if handhelds work on their network or not; they just want the uppity business crowd with their laptops, so they don't test their setups with Palm or PPC devices.

As far as paying for acces at public access points, I don't go to places where I have to pay for it. I figure I really don't need to be in touch that much.

I have a wireless access point at my home, so I surf the web there (through a cable modem). I do have to pay for cable access, though, but that's more of a home convenience (I don't think I could go back to dial-up). I use my WL100 Sony wifi card to connect to access points. (Note: In order to use a wifi card in your NX, it has to be one of the two models made by Sony - no other cards will work.)

And a WLAN device is basically any device that connects to a wireless network using one of the 802.11 specifications (currently a,b,g - although b is the most common by far and the only one available for Palm devices currently.) Do a search for 802.11 tutorials on google, and you should be able to find some more detailed information written by people (hopefully) smarter than me. The articles might also be able to explain the concept better. My cold medicine is kicking in, so my head's a little foggy.

Wireless forum on this site:
http://www.1src.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=52

Cheers!

[TOPMO3]

Thanks again for the replies. Several more questions.
What is the range of a wireless access point?
I have comcast cable and internet. Can I use it for wireless LAN?

[BennieBoi]

"A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building)."

I believe LAN works for approximately 300 ft. In order to set up a wireless network involving LAN you must buy an access point. Your access point is attached to the modem or cable box (<Linksys> common company of access points). Then you will pick up the signal from the access point by your WLAN card. Tadah!
-BennieBoi p.s. any more questions just ask :)

[applejosh]

The range of a wireless access point depends on many factors. The quality of the access point, how "open" the space is, interference from other 2.4GHz devices (some cordless phones, bluetooth), etc. BennieBoi is correct in that the average is 300ft. But in my last house, I couldn't get a signal more than two walls away, and the signal barely penetrated the exterior (which was brick, not aluminum siding). This could be because my access point is old and was cheap, but in my new house, the range appears to be a little better (and I have aluminum siding funny enough). So, the best thing to do is try. :) Some manufacturers make "boosters" for their devices (Linksys does I think) which supposedly boost the range a bit (disclaimer: I've never tried them). So if you find you're not getting the range you want, you might be able to attach one of those.

Also, please look in the forums and google for WEP. WEP (wired equivalency protocol or something along that effect) helps prevent others from gaining access to your internal network through the use of encryption, keys, etc. It's not ironclad, but it helps keep out the vast majority of the riff-raff.

[oscarivera17]

Can I use the WL100 card in a Toshiba satellite laptop?
Thank you

[applejosh]

I suppose if you have a CF-PCCard adapter and the proper drivers for whatever operating system you have, you might be able to. I am able to use it in my PPC using the Symbol drivers for their older card. Never tried it in a laptop (don't have the adapter for one). The card is basically an Intel 2011B chipset. If you can find drivers for it, it might work.