Setting up the network

I first got DSL a couple of years ago when I was in library school and soon after, I took a course in networking. During the break between fall and summer semesters I bought an Ethernet router and set up a network for our desktop and laptop computers, to share files, printing, and Internet. This was a lot of fun, but it involved a great deal of wiring (not to mention extra money - Ethernet cable isn't cheap!) and hours of frustration crimping twisted pair cable in exactly the right way. After I graduated last summer, we went to dial-up in an effort to cut corners.

Now my wife is entering an online program and we just got DSL again. It's like a rush of fresh water after a drought, so after a few late nights catching up on Daily Show and Fresh Air archives, I decided to set up my network again. After discovering that my router's AC adapter cord was eaten by the cat (!), I decided to upgrade to a wireless router, since we have also just acquired a wireless-enabled laptop. Setting up the network was actually quite easy this time and my wife and I spend the following evening reveling in our wireless freedom, trading iTunes songs over the network.

Now that the network is in place, I can look towards incorporating my soon-to-be-Linux desktop.