Just wondered if there are any technical folk out there with an opinion on what's best - wireless connection or wiring - not sure how 2 computers connect to the internet at the same time using wires?   We have to plan for our new build and I have this wariness of so many things using wireless - internet, doorbell, telephone, my mouse and keyboard, the little thing monitoring the electricity - so much whizzing around in the air it makes one wonder!    

Our computer is hooked up but we do have wireless as well- my children go on the net with their psp and hubby goes on the ps3 online. I think it just comes down to what you want- wireless mouse, keyboard would prob need batteries or a charger of some sort where wires do not- personally for my puter I prefer the wired mouse... Mind you for the Ps3 our remotes are wireless and just get put on chargers...

Wireless routers for the laptops - mouse built in so no worries on that score.  I like freedom of movement :)

Wireless phones are no good in emergencies so even though I have them in every room in the house I have a regular plug in one as an extra in the bedroom in case of power cuts - better safe than sorry, no power for whatever reason means no line in an emergency - but then with almost everyone also having mobiles that's not just as serious a problem as before but worth considering.

Wireless thermostat for the CH is another bug bare - we've had three so far on a system that's less than a year old and all of them supposedly very good makes.  Not in our experience - wouldn't fork out another penny for one.

Wireless doorbells - we've had several.  They always let us down regularly and I'm delighted that the original bell (over 120 years old) and set into the sandstone wall of the building has been refurbished and is now considerably more reliable as well as MUCH more attractive than plastic boxes stuck on doors - that rarely last ;)

Technology isn't all it's cracked up to be!

If you want a hard wire connection than of course you need the cabling in any room you intend to use a computer.  Even routers intended for home use can easily handled multiple devices with no problem.  It makes no difference to them whether the connection is wired or not wired.  

Wireless here, we have 4 computers in the house all sharing the same wireless connection.

I'd always go for wireless at home, much easier to maintain and you can use your laptop wherever you want to.  Just make sure you set up the security properly, far to many people have unsecured wireless networks

Always had broadband with modem connected then brought a notebook (wireless) so that I wasn't fighting the boys for the use of the pc!
Now the old pc never even gets switched on, though the wireless router is plugged into it, sons' have their own netbooks and can also play online with the xbox, anywhere in the house :) Had a few teething problems setting it up to STAY connected but *touch wood* everything's working fine now :)
Apart from wireless phones everything else is 'wired' and, like Teri says, mobiles come in handy if we have a power cut - though candles and a gas hob are even more useful LOL

For us wireless did not work for the desktop PCs. We kept getting disconnected again and again. The exact same thing happened both for my dad and my aunt and my daughter. (All have different ISPs, and there are even two different countries.) In the end we all gave up and used wires. Here we have two desktop PCs connected, no problem, just get one long cable for each and plug both into the router, there are two spaces in mine anyway (I'm with BT).

However my LAPTOP copes with wireless connection just fine -even though that is about antique and very slow in general. I had it set up to watch Crufts online all day long on the Thursday and Saturday to keep my desktop PC free for other things.

> Wireless phones are no good in emergencies

Thanks for that one Teri - had forgotten that.  We don't have a laptop - not sure we will ever have one.  Maybe we will put all the wiring in - Cat5 cabelling whatever it is called and just continue to use wireless.  Think I will wire in the doorbell too.  When I first set up this bell in this house - we used to get phantom rings - someone else nearby was using the same wavelength!  
In the past we had problems with connecting computers wirelessly - this one still plays up occasionally but I know what to do now.  The new BT hub is stronger so the signal is fine here.  We pick up half a dozen other networks too.  All that stuff buzzing around in the atmosphere.  Am I the only one bothered by it? 

Ours is securely setup, password protected and encrypted too, so hopefully no chance of anybody else getting into our systems, but when connecting we also pick up 3 other networks from houses close by all of which aren't secure.

I've had a wireless doorbell now for 3 years and it's still going strong, before that our next door neighbour had the same wireless bell and had theirs set up on the same wavelength too so when somebody rang their bell ours would ring, used to drive me and the dogs crazy.....lol.

We also have cordless phone, but always have a corded phone plugged in next to the bed for emergencies if the electricity should even go down, but we all have mobile phones so that shouldn't be a problem.

Our wireless is security set up as well- need password to get on- hubby forgot the password for awhile lmao

I too have cordless phones and a main one in my room that plugs into wall and jack- wall plug in is so we can have identi call plus we all have cel phones except for my son who I share mine with at times... I find at times the cordless like to act up and they don't turn on so I def like having the main one as well- better safe then sorry...

Our internet is both.  We are all wireless users however study, 3 bedrooms and livingroom are also all wired up.  The wireing is mainly for network sharing more then internet.  Box downstairs is wired to the network so all films and music are stored on there and can be watched via the TV or any computer.

Very technical in this house with all 3 blokes who live here working in or studying IT, each a different area too...How fantastic is my IT support.... :-D

Overall I don't think it's too much worry about all these whizzy connections flying though the air, non of us have had our brains burned out as yet and we have 4 laptops, two desktops, games consoles, box thingy that is a flashy hardrive IMO, wireless mice and keybords, telephones, aswell as the mobiles etc.

Dogs don't seem to suffer either :)

> How fantastic is my IT support

How lucky you are.  My son used to be my IT support but he is much too busy with work and family these days.   We looked into a system (Bose) I think that sent music all round the house.  It was expensive - I just like a radio on for radio 4.  Play all my music in the car when there is nothing on radio.   Not sure there is a real use to having computer's connected - except accessing photos I suppose!  I e-mail my husband.  I can't scan to this computer any longer - printer/scanner is wireless but I can't get it to work now.  

I too have a wireless programmer for my central heating which was brilliant until I had wireless internet and now the internet seems to interfere with the programmer and I have to turn the heating on and off manually.

Dont know if anyone would be able to tell me if my wireless laptop could affect my house alarm going off when we are out.
We took the dogs out for their walk tonight and while out the alarm went off, dont normaly leave laptop on but did tonight,just a thought if it could have been that set it off.
Thanks.

Ditto when anyone uses a remote locking on their car our door bell goes off drives Whistler potty. We have wireless at home and in the office but we have all computers wired to a main server. I would stick with wireless, my mouse does not have any wires either. Just got a Dell notebook to use at home so i can clear down my emails at home and not come back to about 50 every Monday morning.

If you get the chance get a DAB system I thought it was tosh until we got one and the reception is fantastic.

We've got wireless central heating programmer and never had any problems with our internet interferring with it and they are pretty close together too.

Forgot to say our sons PS3 is also connected to the wireless connection too, I think DAB is ok as long as you get a good reception at your house, we're surrounded by hills so can't pick up a good signal....can't even get Sky :(

Really we got sky because we could not get any other channel because we were in a dip with trees all around! The DAB is really clarion clear so I tend to use it a lot now.

Can't get Sky even with an extending pole on the chimney, the houses behind us are built on quarry land so it's solid rock, plus we're surrounded by trees, we could only get Welsh TV, so now have cable, the DAB is very hit and miss

Blimey we thought it was bad when we moved around Christmas one year switched on the tv and got snow. Its was a lovely christmas puzzles, books and we bought Sky before New Years Day! kids hated the loss of the tv I loved it.