"Zomoniac" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi, decided to switch to wireless, and a few things I'm unclear of:
>
> A wireless access point. Is this to plug into the ethernet port of a
device
> with no slot to add a wireless card to allow it on the network, or to plug
> into the router to allow more devices to access the network, more like a
> switch/hub. Product descriptions seem to express the latter, if this is
the
> case, what do I need to get a device with no PCI/PCMCIA slot (iMac/Games
> consoles) on a wireless network.
A wireless Access Point connects wireless clients to a wired Ethernet. When
the AP stands alone, it is usually plugged into an Ethernet switch. APs can
be built into routers, which makes it a wireless router. You could possibly
use an AP to connect a single device to a wireless LAN, but the APs would
have to support wireless bridging. There are devices designed to do exactly
what you want, like the Linksys WET11.
> Also, how many users do access points allow to connect the network (if
they
> are a switch)? It seems to be just the one, which would make them seem
very
> costly. Can you buy a four-access wireless switch or similar? Can't find
one
> anywhere.
I can't tell if you're asking how many wired clients or wireless clients.
APs usually have a single Ethernet jack, but that doesn't mean you're
limited to one client; plug an Ethernet switch (never a hub) into the AP,
and then you can have several wired clients.
If you're talking about performance, the rule of thumb for an 802.11b AP is
20 clients. I would imagiue that a larger number would be appropriate for
802.11g.
Ron Bandes, CCNP, CTT+, etc.
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