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about it, they weren't good ideas (sorry, Charlie). Sony replaced the LCD screen and, for the last week, all has been well.
My goal was to install Proxim's Cordless Ethernet Bridge and have my laptop connect through our cable modem wirelessly. Bottom line: it works great. Check out their website at www.proxim.com/symphony/.
I did have a few installation issues. Presently, we have the @Home service running with a proxy server. Our proxy server software is WinProxy by Ositis Software. Our "server" has 2 network interface cards (NICs). One NIC is connected to the cable modem and is configured by our ISP. The second NIC is connected to our switch (similar to a hub) that lets all of the PCs throughout the house talk to the "server" and, though that, to @home for the Web and email. That NIC is configured to use a non-routable IP address. In other words, other machines on the net can't see those machines.
Each one has an address of 90.0.0.x. The server is configured as 90.0.0.1 and the networked machines look to the server as their domain name server. (Their DNS [Domain Name Server] configuration is 90.0.0.1.)
Installing the Symphony Ethernet Bridge was just a matter of plugging in the bridge to an unused port on the switch. Installation on the laptop was also straightforward. Put in the PC Card and configure the laptop as the next machine on the network (90.x.x.8). It is important to note that you must load the software that comes with the Ethernet Bridge and not the software that comes with the PC Card!!
Well, I did all this and -- nothing. Nada. Silence. Disappointment! I was able to test the connection: "excellent" throughout most of the house and "good" in the outlying areas. I was able to see the other computers on the network. But no Internet. Big time frustration!! According to the manual, everything should have worked but…
Finally, I broke down and called technical support. I had the pleasure and good fortune to speak with Andrew Peay at Proxim. I spoke with Andrew on a Friday evening and he gave me his home email so that we could continue working over the weekend.
What was my problem? Essentially, Symphony wants to use a non-routable address in the 10 series (10.x.x.x) instead of the 90 series. Additionally, I was using a clever name for our workgroup identification and Symphony likes a network named workgroup. (In your Control Panel, check the Network Icon and the Identification tab.) So, I had to change all the computers to "workgroup" and change the 90.x.x.x series to 10.x.x.x. A few minutes of tinkering and -- Voila! Instant success!
Thank you Andrew -- I really appreciate your dedication to getting my problem solved!
So how does this all work? Just fine, thank you. I configured a desktop machine with an internal PCI card to work on the network, and it too works just fine. I can roam with my laptop all over the house and have no problems with my connection. The setup on the laptop allows me to have two configurations so I can switch between my "wireless" setup at home and "wired" setup at the office in a click. While not as fast as a direct connection, the speed is still terrific.
I consistently get speeds well over those I used to get with my ISDN connection (128K baud), and often much faster. The system is rated at 1.6 Mbps with a range of 150 feet. Pages load fine, and I haven't had many drop offs. I find that, as I get farther away from the transmitter, it's harder to maintain a fast connection. There is an icon in my system tray that blinks blue or red depending on your connection. Often just turning the laptop will change a "red" to a "blue".
I really like the ability to bring my new toy anywhere in the house or back yard and get a connection. (I haven't tried it in there yet). This definitely is a great solution if you want to un-tether your computer or if you can't string wire throughout your environment! My only complaint: only 150 feet! I haven't tried taking it across the street to Charlie's house yet -- you wouldn't either if you heard his idea to fix my screen problem. Maybe next week?
Leaving the unfinished business for last: I am still working on getting a confirmed speaker for our November meeting -- so watch the DVPC web site for more details!
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