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How not to install a wireless home network ...

It takes courage for a journalist to admit: "I had been writing about wireless home networks for months, but writing about technology and using it are two different things." True confession time from Business Week ...

The majority of people who decide to "unwire" their homes have little trouble. These days, few of us live in really large buildings with several storeys and thick stone walls, and we tend to find that in a one-storey apartment, it is fairly easy to get a wireless signal from the ADSL or cable modem to anywhere in the building.

But it's worth reminding ourselves that it can go wrong - even if, like reporter Steve Rosenbush, you think you understand the technology in principle.

He details a series of unexpected problems, some caused by "user finger trouble" and others by simple failures of understanding. While he tries to be encouraging, reporting that "You don't need any particular technical expertise. I certainly don't have any," it quickly becomes clear that if you don't have technical expertise, you need plenty of luck.