Hi can anyone tell me what choices of wirelss router I have to work with AOL broadband for networking please? Will any of them work with any wireless card on my latop/pc network when I set it up?
thanks
Bridiebee
Could you give exact router model numbers if poss?

AOL is your best source for information regarding compatability issues with AOL.

AOL broadband should conform to the standards that all major BBs do; it shouldn't make any difference what router you use. If you find out that you can only use a certain brand router for AOL best to avoid AOL altogether. You really would not want to be "married" to their hardware and system.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime;
Then industry pollutes the water and kills all the fish.

You will not find any issues with AOL and the wireless network that you choose. AOL does use some funky port settings that can make firewall acl's harder to config without getting in contact with AOL. Typically home users rarely have firewall settings that are so restrictive that they run into issues with AOL port needs.

As far as the wireless router, I would choose an IEEE 802.11g. G is backward compatible with the older .11's and it allows you the choice of upgrading to G if you are not already there. For the money, Linksys (or should I say Cisco...:)) works quite well.

good luck,

Thanks for that Sumosid! I wish I understood it totally!!! Lol.
Its This bit ..
I would choose an IEEE 802.11g. G is backward compatible with the older .11's and it allows you the choice of upgrading to G if you are not already there. I am nowhere at the moment. Just stuck on broadband on aol sliver and told I will have to urgrade to gold if I want to network. Could you explain the bit I mentioned again please ..its all foreign to me.lol I am not networking yet just using my BT Voyager 105 Modem still
Thanks
Bridiebee

It sounds like AOL is your only ISP??? I will assume that they are providing your broadband connection to the internet via DSL or Cable---sorry to show my ignorance but I have no idea who AOL is using for their broadband services.

Please check with AOL's website on this, but typically an ISP (internet service provider) provides you with a broadband connection (DSL or Cable) modem. The modem will have a CAT5 cable with an RJ45 plug(looks like a phone connection but bigger) that runs from the modem to your existing PC.

When you buy a wireless router, you will unplug the CAT5 cable that went to your PC and plug it into your new wireless router's WAN connection plugin. You will then need to buy a wireless network Card (NIC) for each PC that you have on your home network--you can have up to 254 computers sharing this internet connection(not that I suspect that you will have that many PC's at home!). Linksys makes pretty decent stuff for home users that is pretty cheap. The IEEE802.11G is a very common wireless standard that offers the benefit of allowing faster communication in between your home networked PC's--it will not speed up your internet connection over the older 802.11b.

Communication between your new router and the AOL modem will appear to AOL as the same connection that you used to have---IE they will only see one MAC address despite the fact that you have many PC's sharing the modem connection. You shouldn't need to upgrade your connection with AOL--I suspect that they want people to upgrade so that they can supply their own router and charge you more a month which just means more money out of your pocket to AOL when you can purchase your own hardware (router, wireless NIC's).

Setting up wireless security and getting all of your machines to talk and see each other is the next step, which is pretty simple but if you are new to all of this you may want to post to the site again for suggestions.

Cheers...

Just for clarification, it wasn't until quite recently that you could use any router with an AOL account.

Only certain routers like Lynksys and then only certain models could be used with AOL.

Now more of them can, but that hasn't always been the case.

Larry

I gave the AOL broadband using DSL a try about 1 year ago. They were very specific about which equipment they would consider as compatible and supportable by AOL. If AOL is your choice, by all means get their okey dokey on what you buy. It won't cost any more and will eliminate one source of friction if you have trouble down the road. Anything that works with AOL will be suitable with your next supplier.

Thanks all. I am starting to understand. First I am in UK. I dont know if you all are?
Are you sure any wirless router will work ok for AOL silver? Lynksys i have heard of but its a jungle outt there?? i am looking for certain specs on these routers? I dont want to slow down my desktop in the process of using my laptop wirelessly!! I have XP home and hoping to have XP home or Pro on my laptop. Its an Athlon 2600 pc.
Yes I am just using the usb adsl modem right now and I see the socket and wire you mean.
I will need further hlelp later on but I dont want to go and buy a router and then find its toally incompatibel! I am trying to do this on a budget as it is.
Apart from the two network cards is that it??
Any other help appreciated and I am sure more questions coming your way lo.
Thnaks guys
Bridiebee