small home network

[tired techie]

I am helping a friend install a small home network. They seem to be
okay with a wired network today and will consider adding wireless
later. The basic config is two PCs and a Mac want to share a DSL
connection and each others printers. No web server or Internet gaming
is envisioned.

The D-link DI-604 ($35) appears to do the trick. If they upgrade to
the D-link DI-704P ($52) they get a printer port.

Will the Mac be able to communicate with the printer port? Or will it
be happier talking to one of the PCs to get to the printer?

Any opinions on D-link gear? I built my network a while ago with SMC
and am very happy. Recent posts have stated that SMC has really lost
it's edge. Should I be looking at Linksys, Buffalo, Netgear ?

I assume for the $35 they will have a functional device but no bells
and whistles, like Stateful Inspection. Are other important features
missing? Will we regret getting this entry level device? Is there
something much better in the $100 or less price range?

Thanks in advance.

Tired Techie

[Steve W. Jackson]

In article <52ee00a3.0309261451.53b4972f@posting.google.com >,
[email]email383@aol.com[/email] (tired techie) wrote:

:> I am helping a friend install a small home network. They seem to be
:> okay with a wired network today and will consider adding wireless
:> later. The basic config is two PCs and a Mac want to share a DSL
:> connection and each others printers. No web server or Internet gaming
:> is envisioned.
:>
:> The D-link DI-604 ($35) appears to do the trick. If they upgrade to
:> the D-link DI-704P ($52) they get a printer port.
:>
:> Will the Mac be able to communicate with the printer port? Or will it
:> be happier talking to one of the PCs to get to the printer?
:>
:> Any opinions on D-link gear? I built my network a while ago with SMC
:> and am very happy. Recent posts have stated that SMC has really lost
:> it's edge. Should I be looking at Linksys, Buffalo, Netgear ?
:>
:> I assume for the $35 they will have a functional device but no bells
:> and whistles, like Stateful Inspection. Are other important features
:> missing? Will we regret getting this entry level device? Is there
:> something much better in the $100 or less price range?
:>
:> Thanks in advance.
:>
:> Tired Techie

Frankly, I don't consider low entry price a barrier if it's to act as a
router and no servers will be run. If it were me in that instance, I'd
go with cheaper -- caveated by my refusal to buy a brand I've never
heard anything good about.

As for printing, I can't say for certain, but I'd suspect that a
"printer port" won't do anything for the Mac. A print server could be a
different matter (but don't quote me). In general, if they're going to
be running OS X on the Mac, there are a pair of web sites I know of that
will tell you how to set up a queue that lets the Windows machines use
it. I'm an all-Mac household, but I work at home on a Windows XP
laptop, and it's set up to use my Epson CX5200 in just that way.

= Steve =
--
Steve W. Jackson
Montgomery, Alabama

[Tony Hwang]

Hi,
Wireless is nothing much different than wired as far as set up goes.
Sharing files/printers between Mac and PC may need some work.
If OS X is running on the Mac, they have something to accommodate PC
side. There are also some programs you can buy to make this task easier,
such as Dave, PCLan, etc.
And one important on wireless from my experience. I set up a PC, and
iBook on a SMC wireless router with printer server at kids' condo few
weeks ago. When I fired it up, it picked up nearby Linksys WAP even
before our wireless router/printer server
upstairs responded. Whoever in the building complex was using his
Linksys in default setting without any security measure. After setting
our wireless PC card, I got rid of his interference. So make sure you
make the wireless link as secure as you can using WEP, Firewall,
different channel, adjusting the signal strength, etc. Once it is set
up, it is as solid as wired. Kids haven't complained about anything yet.
Tony

tired techie wrote:

> I am helping a friend install a small home network. They seem to be
> okay with a wired network today and will consider adding wireless
> later. The basic config is two PCs and a Mac want to share a DSL
> connection and each others printers. No web server or Internet gaming
> is envisioned.
>
> The D-link DI-604 ($35) appears to do the trick. If they upgrade to
> the D-link DI-704P ($52) they get a printer port.
>
> Will the Mac be able to communicate with the printer port? Or will it
> be happier talking to one of the PCs to get to the printer?
>
> Any opinions on D-link gear? I built my network a while ago with SMC
> and am very happy. Recent posts have stated that SMC has really lost
> it's edge. Should I be looking at Linksys, Buffalo, Netgear ?
>
> I assume for the $35 they will have a functional device but no bells
> and whistles, like Stateful Inspection. Are other important features
> missing? Will we regret getting this entry level device? Is there
> something much better in the $100 or less price range?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Tired Techie

[Jim Schimpf]

Tony Hwang <dragon40@shaw.ca> wrote in message news:<t08db.29436$TM4.4538@pd7tw2no>...

> Hi,
> Wireless is nothing much different than wired as far as set up goes.
> Sharing files/printers between Mac and PC may need some work.
> If OS X is running on the Mac, they have something to accommodate PC
> side. There are also some programs you can buy to make this task easier,
> such as Dave, PCLan, etc.
> And one important on wireless from my experience. I set up a PC, and
> iBook on a SMC wireless router with printer server at kids' condo few
> weeks ago. When I fired it up, it picked up nearby Linksys WAP even
> before our wireless router/printer server
> upstairs responded. Whoever in the building complex was using his
> Linksys in default setting without any security measure. After setting
> our wireless PC card, I got rid of his interference. So make sure you
> make the wireless link as secure as you can using WEP, Firewall,
> different channel, adjusting the signal strength, etc. Once it is set
> up, it is as solid as wired. Kids haven't complained about anything yet.
> Tony
>
> tired techie wrote:

> > I am helping a friend install a small home network. They seem to be
> > okay with a wired network today and will consider adding wireless
> > later. The basic config is two PCs and a Mac want to share a DSL
> > connection and each others printers. No web server or Internet gaming
> > is envisioned.
> >
> > The D-link DI-604 ($35) appears to do the trick. If they upgrade to
> > the D-link DI-704P ($52) they get a printer port.
> >
> > Will the Mac be able to communicate with the printer port? Or will it
> > be happier talking to one of the PCs to get to the printer?
> >
> > Any opinions on D-link gear? I built my network a while ago with SMC
> > and am very happy. Recent posts have stated that SMC has really lost
> > it's edge. Should I be looking at Linksys, Buffalo, Netgear ?
> >
> > I assume for the $35 they will have a functional device but no bells
> > and whistles, like Stateful Inspection. Are other important features
> > missing? Will we regret getting this entry level device? Is there
> > something much better in the $100 or less price range?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Tired Techie

HI,
I've been using a DI-704 for about 1.5 years. The price was good
(then) but not as good as yours. The only problem I've had is we have
no Air Conditioning in the house and if it goes over 90 F the routing
function quits. The switch part keeps workiing and my internal
network is still up but I just cannot get out the WAN port. Now that
Autum is here I'm OK till next summer.

--jim

[Mike Cohen]

I have a D-Link DI-624 (802.11g wireless + 4 port hub). I had lots of
trouble with firmware 1.24, but since upgrading to 1.25 it works great.

In article <52ee00a3.0309261451.53b4972f@posting.google.com >,
[email]email383@aol.com[/email] (tired techie) wrote:

> I am helping a friend install a small home network. They seem to be
> okay with a wired network today and will consider adding wireless
> later. The basic config is two PCs and a Mac want to share a DSL
> connection and each others printers. No web server or Internet gaming
> is envisioned.
>
> The D-link DI-604 ($35) appears to do the trick. If they upgrade to
> the D-link DI-704P ($52) they get a printer port.
>
> Will the Mac be able to communicate with the printer port? Or will it
> be happier talking to one of the PCs to get to the printer?
>
> Any opinions on D-link gear? I built my network a while ago with SMC
> and am very happy. Recent posts have stated that SMC has really lost
> it's edge. Should I be looking at Linksys, Buffalo, Netgear ?
>
> I assume for the $35 they will have a functional device but no bells
> and whistles, like Stateful Inspection. Are other important features
> missing? Will we regret getting this entry level device? Is there
> something much better in the $100 or less price range?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Tired Techie

--
Mike Cohen - mike3k <at> onepost <dot> net
Personal: [url]http://www.mc-development.com/[/url]
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