What is needed to add wireless to wired network?

[Opus4]

Now that I've got a laptop w/built-in wireless, I've been looking into adding wireless capability to my existing network so I can attempt to roam a little bit while watching TV. (What else could I possibly use a wireless network for!?) Yes, I realize there may be continuous connectivity concerns, but I can't resist the temptation to try this technology.

So... my question relates to what wireless hardware I would need to do this. Since my existing 8 port switch is full, I see 2 possibilities (unless I'm wireless-challenged, which I am, and am missing another important option):

1. Buy another switch and a wireless access point. Simply add the switch in a central location by an existing PC & then connect the PC + AP to the new switch.
   

   - OR -

2. Buy a wireless router that comes with a 4 port switch built into it. I've already got a router, so this would just act as switch + AP by that same centrally located PC in option 1. This is the cheaper option.

Is it possible to use option #2 w/o using the router that is built into the wireless device -- essentially just use it as a switch + access point?

Thanks for any info about this. Later on I'll worry about the streaming issues others have mentioned...

- Andy

[Kanati]

#2. Yes. Easiest way to do it. With a network, the easiest way is usually the best.

Plug the wireless router into your switch and set it for DHCP with your cable/dsl modem (you didn't mention your internet connection) as it's gateway. Then set up the DHCP in the AP for a block of ten addresses or so and off you go.

[Opus4]

Thanks, but I guess that just confirms that I don't know what I'm doing. It didn't work at all tonight, so I'll look into it more tomorrow. I bought such a Netgear device & their position on not using the built-in router seems to be: "That's outside the device's intended use, so don't ask us about it." Even the configuration program just quits when I tell it how I want to use it.

- Andy

[ke6guj]

What model are the routers that you have, the new wireless Netgear, and the original router, if you have one? The reason I ask, is that we may be able to set up the new Netgear as a switch only, or else, the older router may be able to be turned into a switch, and you can use the new Netgear unit as your router.

If we cant turn one into a switch via the configuration, you may be able to just plug in the LAN side of the new router into a port of the switch and not use the WAN port at all. That would keep everything on the same subnet. Otherwise, if you plug the WAN port of the new router into the switch, you would need to keep track of two subnets, more work, not recommended.

[salsbst]

Not sure what model you have, but typical consumer routers these days seem not to support direct IP mapping (in other words, you can't disable one-to-many NAT). Without direct IP mapping, there will be certain routes (from machines on the main/outer LAN to machines on the AP's inner LAN) that won't pass traffic.

Honestly, I'd return the AP/router combo device and get a pure AP (e.g. http://netgear.com/products/details/WG602.php ) and a bigger switch. Less headaches, more functionality.

[JUC]

I just bought a wireless access point--no router. I connect that to my switch and all worked well. This would probably be the easiest.
JUC

[Kanati]

If we cant turn one into a switch via the configuration, you may be able to just plug in the LAN side of the new router into a port of the switch and not use the WAN port at all.

Duh... Six years as a network administrator and I forgot to mention that. You don't want to use the wan port at all in that configuration.

Salsbst and JUC's solutions of getting a pure AP would are definitely the best, but you CAN get that netgear to work if you don't mind fiddling around with it a little bit. One way would be to put it on the other side of the switch and plug the switch into IT'S lan ports with the AP as the uplink to the modem.

[Opus4]

I've got a Netgear WGR614. After making some changes this morning, it looks like I can use it as a switch (currently, my MVP working through it). And, no, I wasn't using the WAN port. But, it doesn't want to enable wireless even though its config pages say wireless is enabled.

With CompUSA's rebates on this thing, it was just too tempting vs. the cost for a new switch + AP. But, with my knowledge of networking, maybe that would be better for me... besides, then I could add a gigabit switch, in preparation for upgrading my main network.

- Andy

[ke6guj]

You didn't mention what your other router is. What type of network are you running? You could swap the new router for the old, set up the wireless the "factory" way, and try to use the old router as a switch by just using the LAN ports.

Depending on the deal you got, a wireless router can be had for less than a AP a lot of the time. If so, then it would be cheaper to keep the new router, use it as your main router, and pick up a gigabit switch if you need to.

[Opus4]

I didn't mention the other router & so on because, for various reasons, my plans don't include considering replacing that. I also don't want to locate the wireless AP at that spot, since it is at an extreme corner of my house.

I couldn't resist playing around with it some more ($30 vs. ~$180 is a big incentive for me)... I finally figured out how to get the wireless part turned on via another settings screen that didn't seem related at all. So, everything seems to work: PCs connected to the wireless router's switch connect & share files as normal, my MVP works while connected to it, and my laptop has wireless access all over the house w/WPA enabled.

So... thanks for all the comments (even if I didn't use them all).

- Andy

[ke6guj]

sweet, glad to hear that you got it knocked out. Was pretty sure it could be done the way you wanted to, just that it would take some extra configing to make work.

[Stuntman]

I have a wireless router plugged into my SageTV Server.. I just bought a netgear ethernet to wireless game adapter.. I want it to be able to plug a MVP into so that it can then go wireless to the router that is on the SageTV pc.. Should I configure the game adapter as ad-hoc, or Infrastructure mode?

Thanks!

[ke6guj]

Infastructure mode. Just pick a channel on your router and set the same channel on the game adapter. Depending on the adapter, you may not be able to set up any WEP or WPA security. In that case, you'd have to leave it wide open.

[eobiont]

I just wanted to mention that the Linksys WRT54G can be configured (with free 3rd party firmware) to function in just about any matter imaginable. I don't know that much about what I was doing, but I loaded up the firmware (called dd-wrt) that allowed me to turn this Wireless AP into "client mode" to basically let it act as a wireless -> ethernet bridge (aka Game adapter). These routers can be had for $40 with rebates which is way less than the game adapters go for - and later you can turn it into a wireless repeater or AP again if you want - it even will work in WDS mode - whatever that means. If you do get one of these, try to make sure that you find one that is version 3.1 or earlier - the version 4.0 ones don't have full support yet. Also, the more expensive 108Mbps (GS version) has lesser support as well.