Wireless?
I received a call from Keith Thomas last night who asked about wireless internet. He said that church leaders are meeting tonight at 6:30. I wanted to send this email this morning, so the church leaders can have it tonight at their meeting (of which I will be available by phone for if there are any questions). Could you please make sure the appropriate people receive this?
There are a few things to consider when doing wireless:
1. The computers would need some sort of wireless card. You can purchase USB wireless converters:http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10760297 (price 21.88) I realize that you are a church, but these could be easy to steal. If you think that might be a problem, you could have your computer users check them in/out.
Here are a few other options:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.doproduct_id=13215309http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10929514
2. We would have to make sure that your signal would reach all of your computers. I don’t know how strong the wireless signal is in the basement. If it is not strong, you would have to buy a wireless router.
3. This is less secure than a wired connection.
4. The internet will not work as well if all the computers are being used at once.
I have asked Martin about this because I am not familiar with wireless internet, and here is what he says about it:
“Wireless makes me nervous – anyone who’s wondered around GSLIS, which is a carefully designed wireless install, looking for a sufficiently strong signal to work on their laptop knows how fickle it can be. But on the other hand, it certainly would provide them with the type of flexibility they were seeking. The other downside of wireless is that it is a shared bandwidth media. If several desktops are doing something that requires high bandwidth, then wireless won’t be up to snuff. Finally, wireless doesn’t come cheap. It looks like for 8 wireless USB adapters it would run around $320. I don’t know how much the wire track, face plates, and female RJ45′ would run, but I don’t think it would be that much. And as you point out, the USB adapters can be easily removed and re purposed outside the building.
All in all, it might be technically feasible and we (AB2 students (these are additional students besides are group) and I could be there
to help 
could certainly give it a try if they were interested, but it’s not the kind of slam dunk, definitely would work, type of thing that the wired plan would be. But for the ultimate in flexible labs, it certainly could have some merit.”