When you cut the Ethernet cord on your home network, you can experiment with some amazing new technologies, such as streaming media or keeping an eye on your house via a wireless security camera. Of course, it’s easy to get excited about these possibilities only to be disappointed when the connections don’t work as flawlessly as advertised.

 

Find Hotspots and Connect Easily

iStumbler (free) is a handy tool for finding wireless hotspots in public spaces and connecting to the one with the strongest signal. After you install and launch the app, note which wireless network has the strongest signal, and then click the AirPort icon in the menubar to connect.

 

You’ll be amazed how many wireless networks you can find with iStumbler - and that’s just from your backyard gazebo.

 

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Add Wireless Home Security with a Webcam

Ever hear a noise when you’re in the back of the house and wonder if someone’s at the front door? You can find out with a wireless webcam, which shows you who’s there and can even take snapshots of your front step at regular intervals. The Trendnet TV-IP400W ($278.99) is a Mac-friendly Web-based surveillance system that lets you monitor your home remotely over the Internet.

 

With Java support, the Trendnet TV-IP400W works great with the Safari browser for viewing a video feed from the front door or wherever you’ve placed the camera.

 

To get started, first connect the TV-IP400W to your home network using an Ethernet cable - this is just a temporary connection to help you configure the device and select your wireless network. Launch your Web browser, type 192.168.0.20 in the address bar, press Return, and click the Java link to view and control video. To configure the wireless network name, click System Administration, then Wireless, and then select your network name from the pop-up menu. Remote access involves a few intricate steps and may even require a call to tech support for help, but it’s worth it.

 

Your all-seeing eye: The Trendnet TV-IP400W.

 

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Share Files on a Network Hard Drive

 

A network or Ethernet hard drive - the technical term is network-attached storage, or NAS - allows an entire household or a small business to access the same drive via a wired or wireless network. The benefit is the ability to back up everyone’s data by backing up a single drive, and it’s also a handy way to share files among family or workgroup members.

 

Once you go network storage, you'll never go back.

 

To connect your Mac to a networked hard drive, such as the Buffalo LinkStation Live 250GB ($229), plug it into your wireless base station via the included Ethernet cable. Turn on the drive and launch your Web browser. Type the IP address for the networked drive, which is usually listed in the user manual, or run the installer program to locate it. (For many drives, you’ll use a browser to access the configuration page, although some also include software you install.)

For the LinkStation Live, type 192.168.0.184 and press Return. Log in (admin for username, and password for the password). Click Shared, place a check next to the shared folders, and click Add. Now, to access the drive on a Mac connected to the router, open a Finder window, select Network > My Network > name of drive (the default is the euphoniously named Hs-Dhgl829). Select a shared folder, click OK, and it will appear on your desktop.

 

Create a shared folder for all your stuff.

 

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Enable WPA2 Security - Not WEP

You may be tempted to configure your Apple AirPort Extreme or other wireless base station without security, or to use WEP security, which just requires a password. Security experts turn up their noses at WEP because it’s so easy to hack. Use stronger WPA2-Personal encryption instead, which is considered essentially unbreakable. Use the AirPort Setup utility that comes with the base station. Select Base Station > Manual Setup. Click the Wireless tab and WPA/WPA2-Personal from the Wireless Security pop-up menu. Create a password that contains letters, numbers, and a symbol or two.