Adding 802.11b to an existing HPNA network

Hello,

About four months ago I posted to this group asking how I could add
802.11b WiFi to an existing HPNA ("phoneline") home network. My
current network configuration is: A peer-to-peer HPNA network of five
desktop PCs and one laptop PC. The laptop and three of the desktops
are running XP Home; the other two desktops are running Windows ME.
One of the desktops (mine--call it the Internet Host) is connected to
the DSL "modem" through an Ethernet card, and that same machine
connects to the HPNA network through a second card -- an HPNA card.
The other machines on the network share the Internet connection using
the XP version of ICS.

I'd like to add an 802.11b access point to the mix, so that I can more
easily carry the laptop from room to room (not to mention the garden)
without having to plug it into a different phone socket in every room
in order to access the network. Having a WiFi access point in the
house will also let me use an 802.11b CF card with my Jornada 525
Pocket PC and surf or chat on the Jornada as I wander around the
house.

A few months ago, I tried to do this by hooking up a Netgear wireless
router to the Internet Host computer. After some fiddling, I was able
to access the router's built-in DHCP server and configure it to access
my DSL connection through the DSL modem (configuring DNS servers,
etc.), but the XP software bridge on the Internet Host machine would
not bridge the HPNA network with the router. As long as I had the
router running, the HPNA network members could see each other but not
the Internet Host computer or the Internet, and the Internet Host
computer could not see the HPNA network.

I gave up on this idea until this week, when someone suggested that
the problem was that XP's bridge cannot bridge more than two networks,
and the XP bridge on my Internet Host computer is already bridging (1)
the Ethernet "network" that connects to the DSL modem and (2) the HPNA
network that connects to the other computers, and through which they
share my Internet connection. That person suggested that I buy a
simple USB WiFi access point and connect it to one of the OTHER XP
computers on the network. Since those computers are not using
bridging, this person suggested, XP on one of those computers would
bridge the WiFi access point to the HPNA network and thereby to the
shared Internet connection.

Before I go traipsing out to CompUSA yet once again, can anyone tell
me with some certainty whether this will work?

Thanks for any replies, and my apologies for the long posting.

Best regards,
Avi Jacobson

On 26 Oct 2003 20:31:05 -0800, avi-(E-Mail Removed) (Avi Jacobson) wrote:

>A few months ago, I tried to do this by hooking up a Netgear wireless
>router to the Internet Host computer. After some fiddling, I was able
>to access the router's built-in DHCP server and configure it to access
>my DSL connection through the DSL modem (configuring DNS servers,
>etc.), but the XP software bridge on the Internet Host machine would
>not bridge the HPNA network with the router. As long as I had the
>router running, the HPNA network members could see each other but not
>the Internet Host computer or the Internet, and the Internet Host
>computer could not see the HPNA network.

I would think that you need to get rid of the Internet Connection
Sharing, BECAUSE of the router. Does it have more than one Ethernet
port on the LAN side? You probably need to find some kind of
Ethernet-to-HPNA "connector".

John Jones, Detroit

On 26 Oct 2003 20:31:05 -0800, avi-(E-Mail Removed) (Avi Jacobson) wrote:

>Before I go traipsing out to CompUSA yet once again, can anyone tell
>me with some certainty whether this will work?

Take a look at this info on the Practically Networked site:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...g/multilan.htm

John Jones, Detroit

Avi,

Another thought would be just to buy an HPNA to Ethernet bridge to
connect your AP. This would let you place the AP anywhere in the
house that you currently have a phone line. I'm using a Netgear PE102
for something very similar -- but there are other manufacturers offering
bridges that should work just as well.

Good luck,
Tom

"Avi Jacobson" <avi-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Hello,
>
> About four months ago I posted to this group asking how I could add
> 802.11b WiFi to an existing HPNA ("phoneline") home network. My
> current network configuration is: A peer-to-peer HPNA network of five
> desktop PCs and one laptop PC. The laptop and three of the desktops
> are running XP Home; the other two desktops are running Windows ME.
> One of the desktops (mine--call it the Internet Host) is connected to
> the DSL "modem" through an Ethernet card, and that same machine
> connects to the HPNA network through a second card -- an HPNA card.
> The other machines on the network share the Internet connection using
> the XP version of ICS.
>
> I'd like to add an 802.11b access point to the mix, so that I can more
> easily carry the laptop from room to room (not to mention the garden)
> without having to plug it into a different phone socket in every room
> in order to access the network. Having a WiFi access point in the
> house will also let me use an 802.11b CF card with my Jornada 525
> Pocket PC and surf or chat on the Jornada as I wander around the
> house.
>
> A few months ago, I tried to do this by hooking up a Netgear wireless
> router to the Internet Host computer. After some fiddling, I was able
> to access the router's built-in DHCP server and configure it to access
> my DSL connection through the DSL modem (configuring DNS servers,
> etc.), but the XP software bridge on the Internet Host machine would
> not bridge the HPNA network with the router. As long as I had the
> router running, the HPNA network members could see each other but not
> the Internet Host computer or the Internet, and the Internet Host
> computer could not see the HPNA network.
>
> I gave up on this idea until this week, when someone suggested that
> the problem was that XP's bridge cannot bridge more than two networks,
> and the XP bridge on my Internet Host computer is already bridging (1)
> the Ethernet "network" that connects to the DSL modem and (2) the HPNA
> network that connects to the other computers, and through which they
> share my Internet connection. That person suggested that I buy a
> simple USB WiFi access point and connect it to one of the OTHER XP
> computers on the network. Since those computers are not using
> bridging, this person suggested, XP on one of those computers would
> bridge the WiFi access point to the HPNA network and thereby to the
> shared Internet connection.
>
> Before I go traipsing out to CompUSA yet once again, can anyone tell
> me with some certainty whether this will work?
>
> Thanks for any replies, and my apologies for the long posting.
>
> Best regards,
> Avi Jacobson

"Tom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<gIknb.3483$(E-Mail Removed). net>...
> Avi,
>
> Another thought would be just to buy an HPNA to Ethernet bridge to
> connect your AP. This would let you place the AP anywhere in the
> house that you currently have a phone line. I'm using a Netgear PE102
> for something very similar -- but there are other manufacturers offering
> bridges that should work just as well.
>
> Good luck,
> Tom

Thanks for the advice, Tom!

Forgive the ignorance, but if I were to use the configuration you
suggest, could I really place the AP "anywhere in the house" -- even
where there is no PC? Assuming the ICS host computer is bridged to the
HPNA network (which of course it is), could I just plug the HPNA to
Ethernet bridge into the kitchen phone socket (where there is no PC),
and the AP into that?

Best regards and TRICK OR TREAT!
Avi

"Avi Jacobson" <avi-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> "Tom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:<gIknb.3483$(E-Mail Removed). net>...
> > Avi,
> >
> > Another thought would be just to buy an HPNA to Ethernet bridge to
> > connect your AP. This would let you place the AP anywhere in the
> > house that you currently have a phone line. I'm using a Netgear PE102
> > for something very similar -- but there are other manufacturers offering
> > bridges that should work just as well.
> >
> > Good luck,
> > Tom
>
> Thanks for the advice, Tom!
>
> Forgive the ignorance, but if I were to use the configuration you
> suggest, could I really place the AP "anywhere in the house" -- even
> where there is no PC? Assuming the ICS host computer is bridged to the
> HPNA network (which of course it is), could I just plug the HPNA to
> Ethernet bridge into the kitchen phone socket (where there is no PC),
> and the AP into that?
>
> Best regards and TRICK OR TREAT!
> Avi

Avi,

Yup -- just plug it in. You should be able to run the AP's web
interface from any PC on your local network. Just think of your
phone wiring as sort of a spread out hub. Of course you'll need
to use an AP with an ethernet connection (not USB). I'm using
almost this configuration, except that -- for some really convoluted
reasons -- the ethernet side of my bridge is connected to the
WAN port of a wireless router, instead of a simple AP.

It's about 10 degrees F here and falling. Don't think I'll get many
TRICK OR TREATers. Oh well, just have to eat all that candy
my own self!

Good luck,
Tom