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My local telephone exchange has been upgraded to support ADSL, however
I apparently live too far from the exchange to get it.

A local group are proposing a community WLAN solution. They have
indicated that all I need is a wireless card to access the Internet
using the community WLAN network.

I have two PC's and have been considering a home wireless network for
a while. My question is what kit do I need to have both a home
wireless network and connectivity for all machines to access the
Internet using the community WLAN?

I presume that both machines will need wireless cards whatever the
solution. Can I network these using a single wireless router (or is it
an access point - I'm confused!) which can handle the home network
traffic, and also allow access (using NAT?) to the community WLAN?

I think there are benefits to having a separate home and WLAN network:

* I can allow file and printer sharing between PC's on the home
wireless network
* Both PC's can access the Internet simultaneously
* To the community WLAN my PC's will appear as one connection,
therefore only one subscription charge

However, if the solution requires two access points / routers then
it's perhaps not economic, and I might be better off simply connecting
each PC to the community WLAN directly and using some shared Internet
server space to move files from one PC to the other.

Any advice gratefully received.

Doug

"Doug" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> My local telephone exchange has been upgraded to support ADSL, however
> I apparently live too far from the exchange to get it.
>
> A local group are proposing a community WLAN solution. They have
> indicated that all I need is a wireless card to access the Internet
> using the community WLAN network.

A lot of ISPs get cranky about reselling this DSL. Make sure you're
"sharing" not "reselling". You may have to update the DSL account to
business DSL.

>
> I have two PC's and have been considering a home wireless network for
> a while. My question is what kit do I need to have both a home
> wireless network and connectivity for all machines to access the
> Internet using the community WLAN?

You could have a wifi card in each machine that connects directly to the
community WLAN. However, read on....

>
> I presume that both machines will need wireless cards whatever the
> solution. Can I network these using a single wireless router (or is it
> an access point - I'm confused!) which can handle the home network
> traffic, and also allow access (using NAT?) to the community WLAN?

You can network them without a router at all. You could add a wifi card to
one of your desktop systems and then use Internet connection sharing to
share it with your other system via wifi. This solution only requires 2
wifi cards and no router.

>
> I think there are benefits to having a separate home and WLAN network:
>
> * I can allow file and printer sharing between PC's on the home
> wireless network
> * Both PC's can access the Internet simultaneously
> * To the community WLAN my PC's will appear as one connection,
> therefore only one subscription charge
>

Another few pluses for a separate router:
1) you can run a dedicated firewall to protect you 2 laptops
2) you can put the router on the side of your house closest to the community
WLAN to repeat the signal into your home.


> However, if the solution requires two access points / routers then
> it's perhaps not economic, and I might be better off simply connecting
> each PC to the community WLAN directly and using some shared Internet
> server space to move files from one PC to the other.
>
> Any advice gratefully received.
>
> Doug

Good luck!

--Mitchua

Sounds to good to be true!!!!!!!!! Ahhh.... where have i heard
that before...?

> * To the community WLAN my PC's will appear as one connection,
> therefore only one subscription charge

I think you have a great Idea here. (I could be wrong though?) The "MAC"
addresses of all your networked connected devices would be in the Table of
MAC addresses at the WLAN community Provider, you may find that if you were
to go for subscription, the WLAN community administrator would ask you for
the "MAC" address of your wifi computer you will use for this service, to
allow your wifi device access on the community WLAN. You may find that other
network devices you aquire (on-the-side) will be denied as they will not be
listed in the "Allowable" list the Administrator created, and keeps upto
date..

Otherwise any Tom, Dick or Jennifer could hijack it.

And , Oh yes... he WILL know if someone tries it on too!

Regards
Alan


"Mitchua" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:AcHBb.5482$(E-Mail Removed) .rogers.com...
> "Doug" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > My local telephone exchange has been upgraded to support ADSL, however
> > I apparently live too far from the exchange to get it.
> >
> > A local group are proposing a community WLAN solution. They have
> > indicated that all I need is a wireless card to access the Internet
> > using the community WLAN network.
>
> A lot of ISPs get cranky about reselling this DSL. Make sure you're
> "sharing" not "reselling". You may have to update the DSL account to
> business DSL.
>
> >
> > I have two PC's and have been considering a home wireless network for
> > a while. My question is what kit do I need to have both a home
> > wireless network and connectivity for all machines to access the
> > Internet using the community WLAN?
>
> You could have a wifi card in each machine that connects directly to the
> community WLAN. However, read on....
>
> >
> > I presume that both machines will need wireless cards whatever the
> > solution. Can I network these using a single wireless router (or is it
> > an access point - I'm confused!) which can handle the home network
> > traffic, and also allow access (using NAT?) to the community WLAN?
>
> You can network them without a router at all. You could add a wifi card
to
> one of your desktop systems and then use Internet connection sharing to
> share it with your other system via wifi. This solution only requires 2
> wifi cards and no router.
>
> >
> > I think there are benefits to having a separate home and WLAN network:
> >
> > * I can allow file and printer sharing between PC's on the home
> > wireless network
> > * Both PC's can access the Internet simultaneously
> > * To the community WLAN my PC's will appear as one connection,
> > therefore only one subscription charge
> >
>
> Another few pluses for a separate router:
> 1) you can run a dedicated firewall to protect you 2 laptops
> 2) you can put the router on the side of your house closest to the
community
> WLAN to repeat the signal into your home.
>
>
> > However, if the solution requires two access points / routers then
> > it's perhaps not economic, and I might be better off simply connecting
> > each PC to the community WLAN directly and using some shared Internet
> > server space to move files from one PC to the other.
> >
> > Any advice gratefully received.
> >
> > Doug
>
> Good luck!
>
> --Mitchua
>
>

Here's the way I would approach this (being a network hardware bigot,
of course.)

I'd get what we call a "workgroup" bridge to handle the connectivity
to the community access point. A WGB acts like a wireless client
to the WLAN and associates to the AP; it has a LAN interface so that
wired clients can get to the network via the wireless link.

I would then take the LAN interface from the WGB and cable it to
a regular "wireless router" - access point that can route between
its "outside" LAN interface and its "inside" LAN hub / WLAN.

From the Linksys product line, here's what I might use:

WET-11 - http://www.linksys.com/Products/prod...id=22&prid=432
802.11b wireless bridge to connect to the community AP
- you may need to replace the supplied antenna with a directional
antenna.

BEFW11S4 (802.11b) - http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=544
or
WRT54G (802.11g) - http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=577
802.11b/g routers to provide network access to wired or
wireless clients on your home LAN.

Cheers,

Aaron

---

~ My local telephone exchange has been upgraded to support ADSL, however
~ I apparently live too far from the exchange to get it.
~
~ A local group are proposing a community WLAN solution. They have
~ indicated that all I need is a wireless card to access the Internet
~ using the community WLAN network.
~
~ I have two PC's and have been considering a home wireless network for
~ a while. My question is what kit do I need to have both a home
~ wireless network and connectivity for all machines to access the
~ Internet using the community WLAN?
~
~ I presume that both machines will need wireless cards whatever the
~ solution. Can I network these using a single wireless router (or is it
~ an access point - I'm confused!) which can handle the home network
~ traffic, and also allow access (using NAT?) to the community WLAN?
~
~ I think there are benefits to having a separate home and WLAN network:
~
~ * I can allow file and printer sharing between PC's on the home
~ wireless network
~ * Both PC's can access the Internet simultaneously
~ * To the community WLAN my PC's will appear as one connection,
~ therefore only one subscription charge
~
~ However, if the solution requires two access points / routers then
~ it's perhaps not economic, and I might be better off simply connecting
~ each PC to the community WLAN directly and using some shared Internet
~ server space to move files from one PC to the other.
~
~ Any advice gratefully received.
~
~ Doug