I just want to verify I am thinking about this correctly. I am about to add cable internet access and already have a cable modem.
I believe I need to add a wireless card to each of my computers and purchase a wireless router.
The cable modem would attach to the wireless router and send the signal to the individual computers.
Any suggestions, ideas or corrections before I invest in the equipment? Thanks.

Learn how to set up security, would be my suggestion.

Learn to set up security (it's not difficult), and do it yourself, don't let the cable company do it.

I am partial to Linksys (Cisco subsidiary) equipment, but there are other good brands out there.

Yes, you basically have it correct. Your cable modem will plug into your wireless router, which can (and should) be purchased with "hard wired" ethernet ports so that any desktop/tower computers can connect without the need for installing a wireless card. For all laptops, ethernet devices (TiVo, etc.), and desktop/tower computers too far away from the router for a hard wire, they each will need a wireless adapter.

As far as security, there are a number of proactive things you can do, but keep in mind that even with WEP, WPA, MAC address restrictions, etc., a wireless network is still fairly hackable. Enabling these things will prevent the casual hacker from getting into your stuff, but if you've got a particularly conniving or malicious neighbor with time on their hands, your stuff may still be at risk. I would suggest, if you're at all paranoid about things, to leave at least one computer hard-wired to the router and use that computer for all the credit card transactions you do, as well as any other transactions that involve sensitive and/or personal data.

Linksys is a good consumer-level brand as is Netgear and DLink. I've had experience with all brands and they each have their positives and negatives. When you're shopping around, note specific model numbers of the hardware you're interested in. Then, just type the model number into Google and you'll see many reviews come up. This should help you identify which devices fit your needs.

Plan the locations. It won't work so great if there is a long distance from the router to any of the workstations unless you get long range stuff. My house was laid out so that where the router ended up didn't work for where the computers had to be, so I ended up with another access point to cover the entire house.

And of course, change the administrator password and turn secutiry on.

This is a good suggestion. At my home, I have two wireless routers: one connects to the cable modem and acts as the DHCP server, and the other is plugged into the hard-wired network on the other side of the house and acts simply as a repeater. No matter where you are in the house (or the deck or backyard, actually), a signal can be found. It also helps if you can drop a hardwire down a heating/cooling duct or something so that you can separate the routers on different floors, if applicable.

Get an 802.11g router, not 802.11b, not 802.11pre-n or draft-n or MIMO.

This is excellent advice, IMHO. Depending on your needs, how your living space is arranged, etc., some equipment may be a better choice than others.

Linksys has a fairly robust user community online. If I had reviewed those forums before I bought, I wouldn't have purchased a music bridge that was incompatible with my router (both made by Linksys).

Are you sure, that this is secure..? Note: I am NOT a computer security specialist, but that's how I see it: When you are (hard-wired) on a wireless-network, you are "open" (at risk) for any and all attacks by a smart hacker ... I guess some on this very forum here are able to "look" into your whole network.

Actually, I have such a configuration you are suggesting: PC hardwired (to a D-Link DI-524 802.11g router), laptop wireless (with DWL-G630 802.11g cardbus adapter).
I checked my network with several programs and it looks like it's pretty secure (when attacked via the Internet). However, I don't feel too save against an attack from a "nearby hacker" ... access the laptop (shared files etc.) via the 802.11g wireless cardbus adapter. Yes, I have a (software) firewall at the laptop... but is this enough? All I want is a 99% secure infrastructure ... I know, a 100% security does not exist.

I have read a recent posting regarding PC security at this forum, very interesting. BTW, I started installing "HAMACHI" but got stuck (could not join "hamachi network or so..) and stopped the installation ....

Buy 5.8Ghz wireless phones. My 2.4Ghz phones kill my computer's wireless signals (which is only fair because the microwave kills the phone's signal).

When using a computer connected to a hard-wired network, there is very little chance of anybody "sniffing" any data packets or eaves-dropping on your computer signals like there is with WiFi. Someone would need to physically be connected to the network for there to be a security compromise, and usually that's more difficult than sitting nearby a WiFi network and picking up rogue signals.

I am doing this now as well.

My ISP (Pipex) requires me to dial in to connect (using a DSL modem which they provided). Will any computer on the laptop be able to get the router to dial as required? Or would I need to fire up my desktop (wired) every time that I wanted to use wireless?

Thanks,

Dr. PITUK

Shameless plug...but it may be useful
Part 2 - setting up the physical network
http://www.archatechs.com/blog/files/archive-1.html
This is probably way overkill for what you want to do, but the basics are the same.

Part 3 - security
http://www.archatechs.com/blog/files/archive-2.html
The bottom line about security: setup WPA (or WPA2) with a very long, very random password. Use up to 64 characters if you can then store them in a text file on a USB key. Keep that key in a safe place, then you can copy and paste when ever you want to add a new device to the wireless network. Despite what you may hear otherwise, the only security is WPA (or WPA2).... ssid hiding and mac filtering are not forms of security at all. WEP, the predicesor to WPA, can be broken in 10 mins by any kid with a laptop.

If the wireless signal was compromised then anything done via hardware would also be wide open.

If the sites you connect to use strong encryption, it doesn't matter if your packets travel by wired or wireless methods.

Sure, the wireless packets can be cracked, but what they will see are strongly encrypted data packets after cracking the WEP or WPA layer. Strong encryption can be cracked as well, but it takes more time to do it than it's worth.

If you're truly paranoid, you won't send any sensitive data on the internet at all.

Nonetheless, you should setup and use WPA (preferred) or 128-bit WEP on your wireless network.

-David