[tlug] wireless router: beginner advice

[Darren Cook <darren@example.com>]

Any thoughts on this, BUFFALO 11n/g/b対応 無線LANルーター Air Station
WHR-G301N, 5000 yen: http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B002X79784 [1]

Or this one, Planex FFP-PKR01, for just 3000 yen:
  http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B003WMAZ8K

I'm a bit vague on wireless LANs. Do I simply plug it in to my home LAN
hub [2], and can then connect linux, windows and other devices that have
a wireless LAN card in them? It gives a list of OSes it works with,
naturally not a mention of linux, but I'm puzzled where an OS fits in.
I assume I configure it somewhere to tell it where the gateway IP? And I
guess it can also be configured by DHCP, and provides some rudimentary
firewalling of its own? And I assume they all come with proper
encryption options, that are genuinely good assuming configured
properly? (I.e. are those all standard features I should expect on any
wireless router, or do I need to be studying specs and comparing models
carefully?)

My house is two floors. What part of the spec do I need to look at to
know the range of these routers? (One of the comments on the Buffalo
model says 60 tsubo house, and the signal is fine upstairs and through 2
walls.)

TIA,

Darren

[1]: More expensive, 7000 yen, at Bic, but more detailed information:

http://www.biccamera.com/bicbic/jsp/w/catalog/detail.jsp?JAN_CODE=4981254661871&deqwas_inflow=0010439195


[2]: Or should I plug it into the NTT adsl router, and plug my linux
firewall machine into this? I guess not, as then I'll basically have to
open my samba server to the internet, won't I?

-- 
Darren Cook, Software Researcher/Developer

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