Neophyte wireless question Wired and Wireless bridging

I have a small SOHO wired network with a Linksys router (BEFSR41), uplinked
to a Netgear Switch (GS108), and on ot the wired computers. I have recently
aquired a portable computer that is 802.11b compliant, and my daughter has a
portable too that has wireless capability. I would like to keep my old
wired network, and build up a new wireless one. I have been looking into
wirelessAccess Points, such as Linksys WAP54G. I was planning to just hook
it into a spare Ethernet plug.

-Question 1 - Will this WAP serve more than one wireless computer?

-Question 2 - The Router and the Hub are in the basement, not an ideal
location for a wireless device, it seems from reading here on the net. Any
recommendations on a topology for this layout?

-Question 3 - My portable (IBM Thinkpad T42) is only 802.11b compliant, but
I do plan on adding more wireless computers and devices to the network,
which may be 802.11g compliant in the next 6 or 7 months. Are the 802.11g
NAP devices' downward compatibility to 802.11b good enough to go directly
with a 802.11g device? (I plan on experimenting a bit with wireless
devices.)

Any recommendations in general on equipment?

TIA,

Paolo

In news:Vshkf.162$(E-Mail Removed),
Paolo <(E-Mail Removed)> typed:
> I have a small SOHO wired network with a Linksys router (BEFSR41),
> uplinked to a Netgear Switch (GS108), and on ot the wired computers. I
> have recently aquired a portable computer that is 802.11b
> compliant, and my daughter has a portable too that has wireless
> capability. I would like to keep my old wired network, and build up
> a new wireless one. I have been looking into wirelessAccess Points,
> such as Linksys WAP54G. I was planning to just hook it into a spare
> Ethernet plug.
> -Question 1 - Will this WAP serve more than one wireless computer?

Yes.

>
> -Question 2 - The Router and the Hub are in the basement, not an
> ideal location for a wireless device, it seems from reading here on
> the net. Any recommendations on a topology for this layout?

If you have Ethernet cabling upstairs, you can connect the WAP there, rather
than plugging it directly into the router.
>
> -Question 3 - My portable (IBM Thinkpad T42) is only 802.11b
> compliant, but I do plan on adding more wireless computers and
> devices to the network, which may be 802.11g compliant in the next 6
> or 7 months. Are the 802.11g NAP devices' downward compatibility to
> 802.11b good enough to go directly with a 802.11g device? (I plan
> on experimenting a bit with wireless devices.)

Yes, but as far as I know, if you have a G-capable WAP and even one of the
clients connects as B, everyone else will slow down to 11Mbps max.
>
> Any recommendations in general on equipment?

Make sure it's got some capacity for encryption - WEP is barely better than
nothing, but is still better than nothing. WPA is better. But your cards
have to support whatever you choose.

>
> TIA,
>
> Paolo