Wireless Set Up - Equipment in TechSoup

Our non-profit has agreed to house computers with internet access for public use, mostly middle school students will use them or adult job searchers.  I have a separate internet access line, Fibernet, which the City of Weston pays for, so it will not interphere with our office internet.  What products do I need to set up this service.  I have access through TechSoup to purchase the products, but I don't know what I need.  This is for 5 computers.

Could you please look at the products available and tell me what to get?  I can get someone else to set it up, if I can't do it myself, but I need help to determine if I can get the hardware I need from TechSoup.

Hope you can help me.  Thank you.

jweeks@wvlewisfrn.com

Jacky from Weston, West Virginia

Hello Jacky, there are a few options for you to accomplish what you are trying to do.  You said that you wanted to network 5 computers to share access to the internet.  Was there any particular reason that you were looking at going with a wireless network versus a wired network?  I think the equipment that you'd get through Tech Soup and Cisco may be a bit of an overkill for what you have described unless there is some information that you have omitted.  Typically, on a small network, I just get a Linksys router from Radioshack or Staples. 

The other consideration is do you want any Internet filtering on this connection or allow un restricted access to the Internet?  You may be at odds in protecting the children's access but not censoring the adult access.

As Gary said, for 5 computers this can be set up with easily available consumer equipment. 

For a wired connection with out any access restrictions you will have your fibernet connection which I presume will be presented to you via an Ethernet connection. 

This would plug into your Internet router an example would be http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/products/BEFSR81 and plug your 5 PC's into the Lan side of the router.

If you need filtering or children protection, let us know what your needs are and we can offer several solutions also.

Dave

dwelp:

If you need filtering or children protection, let us know what your needs are and we can offer several solutions also.

And if the children need some help getting around whatever you put in, perhaps we can help them as well.

Look like I didn't give enough info.  Sorry.  Thanks for the help so far.

The computers will be in different locations in the building and may need to be moved around when we do workshops, etc., which is why I need wireless.

I do need child protection and would like to secure adult use as well (no x-rated).  This is an open concept building, but we do have some closed offices.  1 computer would be in a closed office for our VISTA worker.

I can go the router route if that is best, but I need some info on best practices for security, filters, whatever to achieve clean computer use.  We will have a supervisor, but she will not be in the room all the time.

How many square feet are you trying to cover?  I'm guessing that's going to be one of the limiting factors here...