Posted on: Tuesday, January 18, 2005

HELP DESK
Wi-Fi good for more than just connecting to the Internet

By Kim Komando

Home wireless networks are great for sharing an Internet connection among computers, but why limit yourself to that? New gadgets let you use that network to its fullest.

For example, printers with built-in Wi-Fi offer tremendous flexibility. Simply plug the printer into any electrical outlet and install its software; it will be recognized by any computer on your network.

Right now, there isn't a huge selection. But Canon, Epson and Hewlett-Packard have models starting at $200.

Have an MP3 music collection stored on your computer's hard drive? Consider streaming the music to your home entertainment system. Plug Apple's AirPort Express ($129) into an outlet by your stereo. Plug a standard audio cable into the AirPort Express' line-out jack and the audio input jack of your stereo. It works only with Apple's iTunes, which can be downloaded free. Apple also sells a remote control for $59 that allows you to pause, skip or shuffle your collection.

Creative Labs' SoundBlaster Wireless Music ($199) and Netgear's Wireless Music Player ($121) also stream MP3 and Windows Media Audio files. Both connect to any stereo or stand-alone speakers and come with remotes.

You don't have to stop with your MP3 collection. You probably have a large collection of digital photos and maybe even some home movies stored on your computer. You can stream that content to a media hub. A media hub, or media center, connects to your television or stereo and displays video, audio and photo files. Most media hubs cost around $200. Media hubs are offered by Actiontec, D-Link and Prismiq, among others. The Actiontec and Prismiq models allow you to surf the Net on your TV, too.

If you don't want to look at your pictures on your television, why not beam them to a digital picture frame? Wallflower digital picture frames display pictures and video. They even connect to the Internet so your friends and family can e-mail pictures, which will instantly display. A 12-inch frame starts at $659.

You can also use your wireless network to stream content to a Wi-Fi TV. Sony's Location- Free TV lets you access multimedia content from anywhere in the house or even the world. As long as you have access to a Wi-Fi network, you can connect to the TV's base station. You can surf the Net and conduct e-mail correspondence using the display's touch-screen keyboard. The 7-inch model retails for $1,099; the 12-inch model goes for $1,499.

One final note: Wi-Fi signals do not travel particularly long distances. They can reach theoretical distances of 150 feet. But walls, doors and floor levels can weaken or kill a signal. If you find that a particular product will not work in certain areas of your house, you can purchase an antenna to boost your signal for about $50.

Also try equipment marked "802.11n." This is emerging technology. It has a stronger signal than 802.11b or g.