Yay! My community finally has come of age and can get DSL, which I immediately ordered (comes next Tues!). Part of this will be creating a wireless network throughout the house. I have firewalls (zonelabs) but heard that the entire network should be encrypted. Anybody know how to do this or what software is needed? The local bookshop was out of the Dummies guide.

The software that comes with your wireless network hardware is where you set the encryption. It should be in the documentation somewhere. It is probably turned off by default. TC

When you configure the network router for the first time, there's usually a section that will allow you to set up pre-installed encryptions and set an access key. JL

Cool! Thanks! The service doesn't become available 'til Tuesday, so I can't install anything. I was guessing there'd be something about it in the installation package (available only on cd!). One day, just one day, I'd like to know more than those that control my life...

Definitely set up your wireless to use encryption. If you don't, it's easier for someone to sit near your house with a wireless pc (laptop) themselves, and logon to your network. You're gonna love your DSL!

You do realize that once you go broadband there's no turning back. lol. Happy news! Persevere.

Just to try and instill a little jealousy, I'm moving in with my fianc next week and we're combining the money we spend on broadband and upgrading from 1.5mb to 6mb!! Wireless networks are the way forward. If you have a laptop you can also go to hotspots and surf the net. Even my local Starbucks is a hotspot. I LOVE DSL and I LOVE Wireless. How did we cope on 56k? And I don't even want to remember 9600.

lol Drawbridge. My first modem was 2400. I sorta miss listening to the modem dialing and then the squeaky tones it made until connect... ok, no I don't.

not onlyy use encryption, it's also a good idea to set the mac table so that only listed IPs (i.e. your machines) can connect to your network, change the IPs regularly so that drive by hackers or your neighbours have even less chance of using your bandwidth. Make sure that you use the latest version of WEP, te first protocol (shipped with early 802.11b kit)was only 40 bit encryption can be hacked in about an hour :( @muddygrub, I had a 2400 external modem too, great big black box compared to modern kit had it's own mains supply too!

...not to give too much away (age), my first modem was a 300 baud acoustic modem -- it required that you place the handset of the telephone into a cradle in order to go online...and now I'm zipppppppppppping along with cable! And remember, when moving at those higher speeds, stopping on the internet takes longer - so drive carefully.

OMG! THat's like in War Games! How OLD are you?!

Ha! beat you to it drawbridgep, I've had 6mb for ages and I won't go back..........NO! you can't make me , never, never, never.................... lol 8) Catlin

if you're moving in with the fiance`, don't you have better things to do than surf the web?..;)

Can you say Gopher? How about Arpanet. You could send text only. You downloaded jpgs or wave files like ftp. They weren't imbedded in the page. The only thing that did that was that fancy hypercard thingie from apple. You young punks have it soft nowadays.

Okay, let's date ourselves: the first "PC" I had access to was a Commador PET. My first computer was a Z80 based Sinclair 1000. 300 baud was the cat's pajamas! I remember saving for three months to buy a 16"K" memory expansion. Jeez, I have toasters with more computing power than I had then!

My first computer was an osborne portable.

My first was a jupiter ace!, z80a, a stonking 4k of RAM and FORTH as it's native language :) the 16k expansion pack cost 6 months worth of savings!

Mine was an Amiga 2000, which was multitasking, but you still needed a floppy to get it to start. Sort of like having a car key to be able to drive. lol 8) Catlin

Grr... Have two phone lines into the house, one in my name, one in my wife's. I tell the DSL people that I want it on my wife's line (made the mistake of calling on my line!). Long story short, got DSL (Yippee!), but on the wrong phone line. Another week to sort things out, but right now, I'm cruise 40x faster than I was! Woo Hoo!