What to purchase and what to pay.

For my introduction to wireless networks etc.. please see my guide "wireless networks A-Z
http://reviews.ebay.com/Setting-up-a-wireless-network-From-A-Z_W0QQugidZ10000000001149475

After establishing which type of adapters and how many you
need, you can then figure out which types to buy. There are 4 main players in
the wireless field. D-link, Netgear, Linksys and Belkin. I personally am not
familiar with belkin products as I have never sold or used them and am not
familiar with their prices.

There are 3 standards out there now A, B and G. a newer X
standard is coming out in the near future. The A version is the first standard
and extremely problematic and unreliable that if you do have this I recommend
you not use it (even if someone is giving you it for free, it’s not worth the
aggravation and pain) B is about 4 years old and A LOT more reliable then A but
still has its issues. The newer and current version G is for the most part 100%
reliable though it is more expensive then the B versions. There is also a super G mode which is a double 108mb and can handle more traffic then the regular G.
Choosing which to get depends on your budget, needs and
usage. If for example you want to transfer large files wirelessly over the
network or download a movie onto your laptop while online wirelessly, or you
have a few computers going online wirelessly in the network you will need to use
G (54-108mb)But if you want to just go online for email etc.. And don’t have
many computers, and then I recommend you stick with B.As long as your card / router are “backwards compatible”
this means if say the router is B you can use a G card to connect to it and vice
versa then you are ok!

I, use in my apartment by school a netgear WGT624 108mb
router and a netgear WG11U 802.11g double 108mb USB adapter on my laptop and it
works good. At home by my parents I use a WGT624 802.11g 108mb router and that
works amazing even in the backyard! So it all depends on how you want to use it
and how much you want to spend.

Purchasing your items…- 802.11b
I firstly recommend you go with all products of the same
company if possible and not a lot more money. The reason for this is because
they will work smoother together and it will be easier to install and manage the
manufacturer’s software this way.

Most importantly!! While generic products are cheaper and
may seem just as good. From my personal experience as a consumer and as a
seller... Generic products are no good and are mostly a waste of time and money.
Stick with the brand names even though it’s more expensive.

Wireless B routers should cost between 15-40$ depending on
the brand / model and condition; For example I sell the Linksys BEFW11S4 which is 802.11b and $39 I also sold the Linksys W11S4PC11 which was an 802.11b combo
of the router + laptop card for $50 Though to be honest my experience is mostly in Netgear and D-link when it comes to networking. I recommend the MR814 (v2 perferably) which retails about 25$

Laptop cards (PCMCIA) should cost you from 5-20$ again
depending on the brand / model and condition. I recommend D-link DWL-650 15$
Netgear MA521 15$ or for those that need 16 bit get the MA421 25$

USB should cost 15-20$ I recommend the MA111

PCI 10-20$ Go with the MA311 15$ or the DWL-520 15$

Purchasing items… 802.11g
Wireless routers... 30-50$ I recommend Netgear WGR614 54mb
30$ Netgear WGT624 108mb 40$ Netgear WGU624 double 108mb 45$ D-link DWL-G700AP
54mb 47$ D-link DI-624 108mb 50$

PCMCIA cards... 20-35$ go with Netgear WG511T 108mb 33$
Netgear WG511U double 108mb 33$ D-link DWL-G630 25$ D-link DWL-G650 extreme G 108mb 35$

PCI cards… 25-40$ go with Netgear WG311 54mb 25$ Netgear
WG311T 108mb 30$ DWL-G520 108mb 35$
USB adapters... go with WG111 54mb 30$ but make sure not to
get a TIVO adapter if you don’t need TIVO it will cost more.For those that do need a TIVO compatible adapter, you need the version 1 but make sure it says TIVO compatible in the listing. Netgear WG11U double 108mb 40$ or the Linksys WUSB54GP USB 2.0 which is a standup antena adapter 35$
You can also buy a set / combo of the combined items at a cheaper price.
 
Misc. Items.
 MA701 11mb Compact flash card for PDA will give your (compatible) handhed device wireless. 35$

 Kensigton WIFI + Bluetooth hotspot finder, a small keychain like device that will detect any wireless network in range. 20$
 Netgear WGR101 this sweet handy little device is not only tiny, but is also a powerfull transmiter. You need only plug it into a existing wired ethernet jack / port / router and POOF your wireless! With a handy switch to go from public to private..30$

 D-Link DP-311P wireless printer server. Just plug it in and your printer broadcasts wirelessly 40$