Hi Stuart,

Just need to add one warning. To get the Draft-N router range and power
improvement, the old laptop need a matching Draft-N NIC card. In order for an
old laptop to use the new Draft-N host adapter, it also must be running
WIN-XP, since these new cards aren't supported by Win-98/ME etc. If you don't
use XP or the Draft-N matching pair, you get the standard wireless G range
performance. Depending on where in the house the wireless router is situated
you might need a repeater, to get any decent range.

I bought one of the new Linksys Draft-N routers but had just a cheap
Wireless G type laptop host adapter. With the router at the front of the
house, my laptop lost signal as soon as I went out the back door to the yard.
I then set up a cheap "GIGAFAST or BLANC" wireless router which I got during
their $3 Boxing Day sale, and downloaded the new firmware which now allows it
to be used as a Repeater/Router. I parked it on a bookshelf in the back room,
and now I get about 70% signal strength all the way to the back fence about
100 feet beyond the house. The signal repeats just fine from the Linksys
wireless Draft-N version at the front, through several walls and doorways, and
the e house brick wall, to my observing site.

Also, Mizzou, if you decide on staying with serial cable, the official
range was about 50 feet. Any farther you need to use "shielded twisted pair"
cable to get 100 feet or a bit more. After that, you would need an old style
modem repeater for the cable. The other way, if staying with cable, is to do
the RS-232 to USB, then with shielded cables again, use a USB signal booster
device.
I suggest you go with a wireless router, and possibly a repeater, if
necessary. The Draft-N "matched pair" version might eliminate the need for the
repeater, if you are running WIN-XP or (unfortunately) VISTA.

Joe