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Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:18 pm
by darinterry
Is there a standard for adding wifi cards or usb sticks to church computers? Is there a reason we don't have computers with built-in wifi? We have had several challenges with our local ISP and there have been days when the entire connection is down. MLS can't transmit. If we had wifi on the clerks computers, we could borrow a hotspot and still transmit. Any suggestions?

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:23 pm
by drepouille
You can certainly connect your clerk's computer to the meetinghouse firewall using a wireless adapter, but you cannot connect it to a hotspot or a neighbor's wireless, because all MLS transmissions must go through the VPN provided by the meetinghouse firewall.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:26 pm
by darinterry
Thanks Dana.
So again, what wireless adapter is recommended and why don't the computers come with built-in wifi.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:28 pm
by russellhltn
The recommendation is for computers to be hardwired to the firewall. If you want to explore an alternate connection, it should be done on the other side of the firewall - not at the computer.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:30 pm
by darinterry
Makes sense. Thanks for the quick replies.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 12:54 pm
by drepouille
darinterry wrote:Thanks Dana.
So again, what wireless adapter is recommended and why don't the computers come with built-in wifi.
Well, they do. The new standard computer is the Lenovo M73 Tiny, which has a built-in wireless adapter. That is the computer the Church sent to all the FMs to replace the last remaining Windows XP computers.

As for wireless adapters, we started using Linksys WRT54G adapters years ago. When those began to fail, I switched to Netgear N600 adapters. About a month after I installed those, my FM decided it was time to wire all the clerk's offices in the stake center.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 1:26 pm
by russellhltn
drepouille wrote:Well, they do. The new standard computer is the Lenovo M73 Tiny, which has a built-in wireless adapter. That is the computer the Church sent to all the FMs to replace the last remaining Windows XP computers.

As for wireless adapters, we started using Linksys WRT54G adapters years ago. When those began to fail, I switched to Netgear N600 adapters. About a month after I installed those, my FM decided it was time to wire all the clerk's offices in the stake center.
It's worth pointing out that's for connecting to the Meetinghouse Internet - though the provided firewall. Not for bypassing it.

The real problem here is the ISP situation.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:45 am
by johnshaw
I'm quite certain that MANY clerk computers connect through wireless because their FMG did not run ethernet anywhere other than the WAP's.... Nobody has ever said, purchase a certain brand of wireless adapter. By this point, they are all the same and are quite cheap.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 11:08 am
by russellhltn
johnshaw wrote:I'm quite certain that MANY clerk computers connect through wireless because their FMG did not run ethernet anywhere other than the WAP's.
But in that case FM should be buying.

Re: Add wifi cards to clerk computers?

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 12:00 pm
by johnshaw
Individual results may vary :)