Wireless in my dorm room?

Hey everyone,

my dorm room doesnt have wireless, just an ethernet from the wall. What can I buy to give my room wireless, a wireless router, or some sort of an access point? Money is also a big issue to me, so the cheaper the better!

Thanks

 

Most college sysadmins will have a COW(rightfully so) if you add an unauthorized WIFI AP. I would check with your IT dept and make sure they allow it. Otherwise there could be serious repercussions.

 

Yes, like Dook said, first check with your school's IT people to make sure they allow students to set up wireless networks in their rooms. If they do, then all you need is a router. Depending on the type of WiFi card you have, you can buy a draft-N router (expensive) or a regular b/g one.

 

Yep, most dont allow it. I set up one for my roomate even though we had wireless in our dorms (everyone used it so it was super slow), yet the wired was fast. About 2 weeks later they kicked him off the network for using my access point.

 

They wouldn't allow it at Ohio State either. They have the majority of the campus setup for wireless anyhow, so I can see why they don't want people trying it themselves. You could possibly create a network blackhole too and cause them huge headaches.

 

Well, I can tell you that most of the big networks are running NAT. Practically, you have DHCP server to hand out IP address for its clients, which are students and faculties. The DHCP packet will tell client machines what default gateway to go to in order to get out to the internet for each subnet. Now, you can imagine if the school allows you to have wireless router, and it also acts as a DHCP server. Of course you router is going to compete with the real DHCP server and hands out wrong IP address and DHCP information. I think you know the rest.

 

Stick with Ethernet man, much faster than wireless anyways. And tough it out for a year, then when you are living outside of the dorms you will be free to do as you please.

 

Get yourself a wireless router, is much more flexible, some routers can also give you 100Mbps connection as Ethernet and even more.

 

Umm. We just advised him NOT to do so as its more than likely not allowed on a college network.

 

If the college doesn't allow it, then no router

So the only solution is to tender the appropriated Ethernet cable length.

 

My uni is fine with it...next door has Wireless - N and they let me use it...woot! But the wired connect is only 10mbp...=.=''

 

My prep school allows no personal routers, (and technically no wireless in the dorms, only ethernet) but my wireless card can pick up the wireless signals pretty well.

 

Yikes. Im surprised they're still using 10mbps. Are they planning to upgrade any time soon?

 

Don't think so...but its fast enough.