Ethernet Bridge

What exactly is a Wireless Ethernet bridge.

I'm looking at the specs and can't really see any difference to my
Wireless Access Point which plugs in to my ethernet switch and
connects me to my wired network.

Geoff Lane

"Geoff Lane" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> What exactly is a Wireless Ethernet bridge.
>
> I'm looking at the specs and can't really see any difference to my
> Wireless Access Point which plugs in to my ethernet switch and
> connects me to my wired network.

You access points connect your wireless laptop,etc to the local LAN. this
allows ad hoc mode.

A bridge connects two Lan's. This is Infrastructure mode.

You cant use a cheap access point to connect two Lan's.

Probably the bridge also allows itself to be used as access point.

Geoff Lane <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

>What exactly is a Wireless Ethernet bridge.

>I'm looking at the specs and can't really see any difference to my
>Wireless Access Point which plugs in to my ethernet switch and
>connects me to my wired network.

AP mode is a "server" that allows end-user client machines
to connect to a wired LAN.

A bridge is most often used to weld two separate LANS.
Like my house and my friends house can bridge and appear
to be on same LAN. 2 Bridge units may connect many
PC's on each side, the bridge is like a switch or router.

A wireless unit set for bridge mode cannot also act
as an AP able to serve conventional laptops. With most
equipment it's either it's an AP or a bridge, not both
at the same time. You want to do both things, you have
to buy separate units.

--
Vincent Fox
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!pri sm!vf5
Internet: (E-Mail Removed)

(E-Mail Removed) (Vincent Fox) wrote in news:bmd2an$oqa$1@news-
int.gatech.edu:

> Geoff Lane <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>
>>What exactly is a Wireless Ethernet bridge.
>
>>I'm looking at the specs and can't really see any difference to my
>>Wireless Access Point which plugs in to my ethernet switch and
>>connects me to my wired network.
>
> AP mode is a "server" that allows end-user client machines
> to connect to a wired LAN.
>
> A bridge is most often used to weld two separate LANS.
> Like my house and my friends house can bridge and appear
> to be on same LAN. 2 Bridge units may connect many
> PC's on each side, the bridge is like a switch or router.
>
> A wireless unit set for bridge mode cannot also act
> as an AP able to serve conventional laptops. With most
> equipment it's either it's an AP or a bridge, not both
> at the same time. You want to do both things, you have
> to buy separate units.
>

I object.

Using prism2 wireless cards, HostAP driver and the other tools
required, the wireless device can be turned into a Wireless Bridge
with ability to act as AP.
Also using HostAP drivers the device can be turned into a Wireless
Bridge/AP using only one antenne. Even more, using HostAP drivers
and turning the device as Wireless Bridge/AP can create redundant
802.11b links because two or more HostAP Wireless Bridges/APs
can communicate with each other using the same ESSID.


P.Krumins

Peteris Krumins <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

>> A wireless unit set for bridge mode cannot also act
>> as an AP able to serve conventional laptops. With most
>> equipment it's either it's an AP or a bridge, not both
>> at the same time. You want to do both things, you have
>> to buy separate units.

>I object.

See that "With most equipment..." ?

Your average COTS AP will not do this because the makers
proprietary software will not let you do it.

>Using prism2 wireless cards, HostAP driver and the other tools
>required, the wireless device can be turned into a Wireless Bridge
>with ability to act as AP.
>Also using HostAP drivers the device can be turned into a Wireless
>Bridge/AP using only one antenne. Even more, using HostAP drivers
>and turning the device as Wireless Bridge/AP can create redundant
>802.11b links because two or more HostAP Wireless Bridges/APs
>can communicate with each other using the same ESSID.

Yes I know about this. You think John Q. Public is going to
attempt this? Didn't seem important to mention considering
the audience.


--
Vincent Fox
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!pri sm!vf5
Internet: (E-Mail Removed)

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 18:10:31 +0000 (UTC), (E-Mail Removed)
(Vincent Fox) wrote:

>>Using prism2 wireless cards, HostAP driver and the other tools
>>required, the wireless device can be turned into a Wireless Bridge
>>with ability to act as AP.
>>Also using HostAP drivers the device can be turned into a Wireless
>>Bridge/AP using only one antenne. Even more, using HostAP drivers
>>and turning the device as Wireless Bridge/AP can create redundant
>>802.11b links because two or more HostAP Wireless Bridges/APs
>>can communicate with each other using the same ESSID.
>
>Yes I know about this. You think John Q. Public is going to
>attempt this? Didn't seem important to mention considering
>the audience.

It's nice to have the option to do it though, at the moment, being new
to WiFi networking I'm struggling to get to grips with the theory but
I do like to fiddle :-))))

Geoff Lane

(E-Mail Removed) (Vincent Fox) wrote in news:bmepqn$56k$1@news-
int2.gatech.edu:

> Peteris Krumins <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>
>>> A wireless unit set for bridge mode cannot also act
>>> as an AP able to serve conventional laptops. With most
>>> equipment it's either it's an AP or a bridge, not both
>>> at the same time. You want to do both things, you have
>>> to buy separate units.
>
>>I object.
>
> See that "With most equipment..." ?

Oh, did not notice.

> Your average COTS AP will not do this because the makers
> proprietary software will not let you do it.

Yes, i dont know any (little) wireless device which would act
the same as prism2 and HostAP. Do you?

>>Using prism2 wireless cards, HostAP driver and the other tools
>>required, the wireless device can be turned into a Wireless Bridge
>>with ability to act as AP.
>>Also using HostAP drivers the device can be turned into a Wireless
>>Bridge/AP using only one antenne. Even more, using HostAP drivers
>>and turning the device as Wireless Bridge/AP can create redundant
>>802.11b links because two or more HostAP Wireless Bridges/APs
>>can communicate with each other using the same ESSID.
>
> Yes I know about this. You think John Q. Public is going to
> attempt this? Didn't seem important to mention considering
> the audience.

John Q. Public? I dont know such expression, does it mean 'not
experienced public'? If so, then most probably noone is going
to attempt it.


P.Krumins