I am writing this column sitting at my kitchen counter, without two major wires missing. The first missing wire, for electricity, is just a function of good charging of my battery. The second, to get me on the Internet, however, is the subject of my column today.

I am online thanks to Wi-Fi technology, which creates "hotspots" where any appropriately prepared computer can connect to the Internet without wires. The easiest way to explain it is to imagine how a cordless phone works. Basically, your base is "broadcasting" a signal within, say, 900 feet, that can be picked up by your cordless handset, as long as it is in range.

Wi-Fi works the same way. You buy a base station/transmitter that connects to your broadband (cable or DSL) connection and then "broadcasts" a signal within a 300-ft range. You then need a wireless card or adapter for each computer you want to connect to the Internet (or get a computer with a wireless card built-in). In my apartment, we have used up to three laptops and a desktop with our single Road Runner connection - it's works very well. Unless you are doing heavy video transfers, you are unlikely to notice a dropoff in bandwidth.

Of course, if you live in an apartment building, that 300-foot signal can be accessed by any wireless-capable computer in that radius. For example, when I boot up, I often get signals from my neighbors. If you don't feel like sharing free Internet access, you should turn on your Wi-Fi's encryption settings.

The prices for this technology have also come down dramatically. I bought my setup spending $250 for the base station and two wireless cards for $100 each, with the Linksys brand. J&R is offering the same system a year later for $70 for the base station and $50 for each card. Of course, if you buy a new laptop, you should make sure it has wireless built-in.

I was planning to give you step-by-step instructions here on how to set up Wi-Fi, but instead will point you to these excellent resources.

RESOURCES:

• How Stuff Works: Wireless Networking
• Business 2.0: How to wire your home for Wi-Fi
• Time: How to setup a wireless network
• Linksys | J&R Wi-Fi products
• Apple Airport

Write to techguru@sree.net and let me know your thoughts.