Determining Network Readiness

We’ll follow the example started in Chapter 4. We first need to take inventory of the type of NICs we have already in the different computers we want to participate in the wireless home network. Make a table like that shown in Table 6-1, recording how we need to connect the computer in the Need column, and what we have today in the Have column.

Table 6-1. Network Readiness

Based on the table, we have wireless capability in one of the laptops (as a reminder, Chapter 4 showed you how to determine if your computer has wireless capability). This leaves us with one laptop and two desktop computers that need additional equipment to support wireless.

In addition to outfitting the computers with the right equipment, you also need a wireless router, which will communicate with all the computers and provide them access to the Internet via the cable or DSL modem.