* * * * *
                                        
                        The sudden lack of Wirelessness
                                        
[WAP in the Facility in the Middle of Nowhere] [1] (WAP in the Facility in
the Middle of Nowhere) [2] I finally took the time today to get my own WAP
(Wireless Access Point) going. When Rob [3] moved out, his WAP went with him,
leaving us … um … wirelessness (or is that “wirelessless?”). 

Or something like that.

So off to CompUSA [4] to obtain some wireless equipment, but the spot lights
and the distinct lack of parking made me suspect I picked the wrong night to
go shopping for wireless equipment. I went in anyway, determined to get what
I came for, reguardless of how long it took (besides, it got me out of the
house of Two Kids and Incontinent Dog [5]).

Despite the crowded store, I was able to get through the checkout line in
under ten minutes with the needed equipment—a WAP and wireless PCMCIA (People
Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms) card (both from Linksys [6]). I
was a bit upset that the WAP had more features than I wanted (I do not need a
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)/firewall/NAT (Network Address
Translation)/switch/router functionality) but given that all the WAPs being
sold had similar features and went for about the same price, I didn't have
much choice in the matter.

Well, unless I shop online, but I'm not in the habit of doing that.

It took me quite a while to get set up. Short story—changing the default
settings (including IP (Internet Protocol) address) of the WAP, having to
jumper a network card to use the proper connector (10Base-T instead of 10Base
2) in a buried computer (underneath two other computers) and obtaining
current Linux drivers for the wireless card I'm using.

All told, it took several hours to configure and get working.

But I now have wireless!

Woo hoo!

[1] gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2003/03/21/thumb.wap.jpg
[2] gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2003/03/21/wap.jpg
[3] http://www.tragic-smurfs.com/
[4] http://www.compusa.com/
[5] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2003/03/17.1
[6] http://www.linksys.com/

Email Sean Conner at sean@conman.org

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