Word: wi
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...just installed a Wi-Fi network in my home. Wi-Fi, known on Apple computers as Airport and to PC geeks as 802.11b, is an increasingly popular way to get online without being tethered to a cable. The connection hangs in the air as a radio signal, ready to be received within 300 ft. of the transmitter. Plug an Internet cable into a wireless router (I used a $199 DSL router from Belkin), put wireless cards in all your computers (they cost about $100 a pop), and you're ready to surf on the move. So, as I discovered...
First, make sure everything you buy conforms to the dominant wireless standard, known as 802.11b, or Wi-Fi (short for wireless fidelity). That way, if you want to mix brands or network a Mac to a Windows PC, everything will still work together...
...into the laptop's PCMCIA slot and has a small antenna sticking out from the end (also $50 and up). To connect a Mac desktop or notebook, get an Apple Airport card ($99). If you're buying a new notebook, most major PC manufacturers will sell you one with Wi-Fi capabilities built...
...Wi-Fi routers and network cards come with software to walk you through the installation. The steps will vary slightly, depending on each computer's operating system. The older the OS, the trickier it can be; Windows XP is designed to detect and configure a PC card to talk to an existing network, and getting an iBook running Mac OS X to communicate with my Linksys router was a breeze...
...days later, I get an e-mail from Frank Keeney, who operates NAN No. 2. He asks if I was able to find it. Nope, I write back. He sends a reply that says a lot about the state of Wi-Fi today: "If you'd gone about 100 feet down the road, you would have...