Wireless

[dimension76]

Hi Guys,

I am looking some advice. We intend to buy 20 pc’s to create a new IT suite in school. The powers at be suggest going wireless and have contacted a business broadband ISP and they can provide a Wireless modem (NETGEAR DG834G Wireless 54Mbps and provide an unlimited 4-6 Mb connection.

I have no experience in wireless and was wondering if this is possible. If Wifi(netgear) cards are installed in each of the 20 pc’s would there be bandwidth problems. If say the 20 pc’s are being used and connected to net at the same time would the speed be very slow..(would it run) Any advice Please

[Junyah]

I'm in education also. Did they give you good budget for this endeavor? An have you talked to your IT person yet.

When I hooked mine up, I had to do that in conjunction with my duties as a outdr. sci teacher. We had no IT. I went to some of the websites and did some googling. Whatworked for me is alot of the sites have diagrams and materials list. You see my classroom is large and its divided up into sections ... with the computers spread out.

I had to hook up apples and pcs. I copied a setup from one of the local colleges and grammar schools. Let's see .. I had a cable internet provider .. I split the compters into groups because i didnt have enough cash budgeted for fully going wireless.. I ran half wireless and half hooked up the the wireless ones or to the airports and routers. I scrounged around my warehouse for some routers, apple base stations, and airport expresses. bought some usb and wifi cards. It took a couple of the other teachers and I half a weekend to get it working.

It worked but the moral of my story is ... budget for some equipment, and good advice or installation. Check to see what your local HS or College is Using Also.

[jbennet]

i got 8pcs in my house sharing a 2mb cable brodaband connection
They connect to a linksys wireless g router and i get a fair rate of transfer so yes, i think 4-6 meg would do fine for 20pcs

[jwenting]

yes, for educational use it would be fine.
Make sure though to install a strong firewall to block all attempts to use P2P clients and other downloading except from authorised (by the school) sites (for example sites by publishers of the books the students are using) or they'll soon have every system employed as download stations for pirated software, movies and music and be introducing a never ending flood of virusses and trojans into your systems.

[Junyah]

Kids will be kids .. firewall is go...keepin ibackup image on disks ... keep track of what goes in and out .. oh! It was so bad that I had to block access to usb's, disk drives. CDs/DVD.

What finally worked was a shut down policy, and mvoing the internet computers closer to my desk and being able to see the kids backs... I've let them have their freedom .. but i gotta draw thing line somewhere.

If your a good teacher you'll know who's up to something. I have two of my students that were trying to install a hidden wireless system on me, tap into the router, and install limewire... Take It from an Old Street Cop and Teacher for 10 yrs. - Look for patterns, compensative behavior, and absence of normal ... and you'll get your kids ... and when you get then .. Positive Punishments, I hate punishments that don't have a positive outcome ... Oh! as a last result .. Give IPT Incentive Physical Training ... at least these couch potatoe suspects will get exercise. :0 Good Luck!