WIRELESS
Although wired networks have the edge in terms of speed and security, wireless or 'Wi-Fi' is significantly more convenient. For some devices, such as tablets, smartphones, and ultra-thin laptops, it can often be the only way to get connected to a home network.

The good news is that, in recent years, wireless networking has become significantly more secure. The 802.11 standard, known as Wi-Fi, has been improving with time - and the old, insecure WEP encryption protocol has been replaced with WPA and then WPA-2. If you're still using hardware which relies on WEP, it's time to upgrade - a ne'er-do-well looking to borrow an Internet connection can break into a WEP-protected wireless network within seconds.

Older equipment often required you to first establish a wired connection for secure setup, but many modern devices include WPS secure wireless setup.

If you already have a wired network in place, there's an easy way to add wireless support: a Wireless Access Point. These are devices which connect to a spare port on your network and broadcast a wireless signal, allowing devices that aren't physically connected to the network to share the existing infrastructure in the same way as wired devices.

When buying an access point, always double-check the standard used by the device you're trying to connect up. While the Wi-Fi standard is largely backwards-compatible, certain versions - such as 802.11a - use different frequencies, and won't connect to other types of network.

The most common type of wireless network is 802.11g, which is backwards-compatible with 802.11b - the original Wi-Fi standard. These are starting to be replaced with 802.11n hardware, however, which offers a significantly improved range along with enhanced speed. Thankfully, 802.11n access points will happily work with older 802.11g and 802.11b devices - albeit at a reduced speed.

A wireless router will let you share your broadband internet connection via Wi-Fi.

If you don't have a network in place already, and you're looking to share an Internet connection, you'll need a wireless router. These combine the features of a traditional wired router - typically including at least four wired Ethernet ports and a connection for the Internet line - with a wireless access point. Buying a wireless router represents a significant saving over a separate router and access point.

As with a wired router, you'll need to know the type of Internet connection you have: cable or ADSL. If you buy the wrong type, it won't work with your Internet connection - although it will still function as a wired switch and wireless access point.

If you find that your wireless network doesn't quite reach to the far corners of your house, higher-gain antennas are available as a drop-in replacement - just check that the antenna on your existing router or access point unscrews, and isn't moulded in to the casing. Another option is a Wireless Range Extender, which is a device that sits between the access point and an area of poor signal in order to retransmit the wireless signals - and improve the lot of devices sat in 'black spots.'

3G MOBILE CONNECTIVITY
A wireless network is all well and good when you're in the house, but doesn't offer much help when you're out and about - but there is another form of wireless networking which does: 3G, or mobile broadband. Based around the same technology as a smartphone, a USB 'dongle' connected to your laptop will allow you to browse the Internet from almost anywhere - but they do come with a cost.

You can get broadband on your portable PC while you're away from home by using a 3G dongle.

A mobile broadband dongle is like a very simple mobile phone that plugs into your PC's USB port, and comes with the same sort of charges attached: the cheaper dongles will usually require you to sign up to a monthly contract, which will come with a certain amount of data included in the price - usually 15GB or so. Pay-as-you-go versions are also available, but cost more up-front - and if you're a heavy user, can cost significantly more in the long run. They do, however, allow you to set a maximum limit on your spending.

Before buying a 3G dongle, check the coverage in the areas you'll be likely to use it. If your mobile phone can't get a signal on Vodafone, then neither will a broadband dongle - so you'll need to look at a different network for best results.

Tags: data communications wireless network personal computer universal serial bus windows xp wi-fi home network wireless