linksys wap54g vs. wrt54g

I noticed that the 54g AP and router cost about the same. Why would
anyone want to buy the AP when you could get all the wireless
functionality, plus a lot more, from the router?

Are there wireless performance differences between the AP and the router?

The AP if for people who only need APs. And the AP is easier to use.

Kind of like if you were going to buy a DVD player, would you want one with a VCR built-in if it were the same price? Some yes, some no.

"Tornado" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:bj00uc$f7o$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> I noticed that the 54g AP and router cost about the same. Why would
> anyone want to buy the AP when you could get all the wireless
> functionality, plus a lot more, from the router?
>
> Are there wireless performance differences between the AP and the router?
>

"John Eckart" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<lsM4b.5187$(E-Mail Removed) link.net>...
> The AP if for people who only need APs. And the AP is easier to use.
>
> Kind of like if you were going to buy a DVD player, would you want one
> with a VCR built-in if it were the same price? Some yes, some no.
>
> "Tornado" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:bj00uc$f7o$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> > I noticed that the 54g AP and router cost about the same. Why would
> > anyone want to buy the AP when you could get all the wireless
> > functionality, plus a lot more, from the router?
> >
> > Are there wireless performance differences between the AP and the
> router?
> >

Because of the price similarities, I bought 2 WRT54g's and am trying
to configure them such that one is connected to the cable modem and
supports a downstairs wired and wireless LAN, while the second is
upstairs supporting a wired and wireless LAN but gets access to the
internet via the downstairs cable modem.. So far I've been unable to
figure out how to configure the upstairs WRT54g to do this. Is it
even possible? Or should I have spent the extra $$ and gotten one WAP
box and one WRT54g? Any help would be appreciated.

"Marv" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> "John Eckart" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<lsM4b.5187$(E-Mail Removed) link.net>...
> > The AP if for people who only need APs. And the AP is easier to use.
> >
> > Kind of like if you were going to buy a DVD player, would you want one
> > with a VCR built-in if it were the same price? Some yes, some no.
> >
> > "Tornado" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:bj00uc$f7o$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > >
> > > I noticed that the 54g AP and router cost about the same. Why would
> > > anyone want to buy the AP when you could get all the wireless
> > > functionality, plus a lot more, from the router?
> > >
> > > Are there wireless performance differences between the AP and the
> > router?
> > >
>
> Because of the price similarities, I bought 2 WRT54g's and am trying
> to configure them such that one is connected to the cable modem and
> supports a downstairs wired and wireless LAN, while the second is
> upstairs supporting a wired and wireless LAN but gets access to the
> internet via the downstairs cable modem.. So far I've been unable to
> figure out how to configure the upstairs WRT54g to do this. Is it
> even possible? Or should I have spent the extra $$ and gotten one WAP
> box and one WRT54g? Any help would be appreciated.

It is possible, but you're going to have to get, yet another, WRT54G or a WAP54G or equivalent to do it.

Tornado wrote:

>
> I noticed that the 54g AP and router cost about the same. Why would
> anyone want to buy the AP when you could get all the wireless
> functionality, plus a lot more, from the router?
>
> Are there wireless performance differences between the AP and the router?
>

I took a cursory look at the user guides for these boxes and found some
differences in the wireless functions: The AP can operate in bridging
mode which allows two AP's to communicate with each other. It also has
some wirelss fine-tuning parameters.

I'll go with the router since it has router functions and I won't need
any of the extra wireless features offered by the WAP. For those who
are considering the options, it is trivial to configure the router to
use it as an access point: simply turn off the DHCP server on the
router, and connect any of the LAN ports on the WRT54G to your main LAN
switch/router. Voila, you have just added 3 more ports to your LAN!

I've also been doing a little homework, and actually think I now
understand the differences between a router, wireless access point
(WAP), and bridge. In addition to the configuration/operating modes of
each. Now the trick as I see it, is to carefully read the
documentation of each 'multi-capable'device. There are combination
routers/wap/gateways, wap/bridge, etc. and just because something is
supposedly multi-capable doesn't mean that it operates in exactly the
same way, or can be configured in the same way as the individual mode
device. Therein lies the trick. And the moral of this whole story is
to draw out and design your network first, then configure it with the
easiest, most basic type of devices and determine what their operating
mode needs to be, THEN you can look at multi-capable devices to see IF
they can be used in place of the indivdual capable ones.

Tornado <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<bj3e9s$joq$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Tornado wrote:
>
> >
> > I noticed that the 54g AP and router cost about the same. Why would
> > anyone want to buy the AP when you could get all the wireless
> > functionality, plus a lot more, from the router?
> >
> > Are there wireless performance differences between the AP and the router?
> >
>
> I took a cursory look at the user guides for these boxes and found some
> differences in the wireless functions: The AP can operate in bridging
> mode which allows two AP's to communicate with each other. It also has
> some wirelss fine-tuning parameters.
>
> I'll go with the router since it has router functions and I won't need
> any of the extra wireless features offered by the WAP. For those who
> are considering the options, it is trivial to configure the router to
> use it as an access point: simply turn off the DHCP server on the
> router, and connect any of the LAN ports on the WRT54G to your main LAN
> switch/router. Voila, you have just added 3 more ports to your LAN!