Software Router

I am new to wireless lans... My home setup consists of Sygate Network
software and HomePhonline nics (no hub or hardware router). This gives
my network conectivity and Internet sharing... without having to have
a hardware router/switch/hub

My question is:


Can I use Sygate Network software (or some other Nat software for that
matter) with wireless nics WITHOUT having to use a hardware wireless
router/hub/access point?

The netork in question is a very small office, with 3 or 4 pc's (XP)..
with the requirements being:

.. internal network connectivity (file/printer sharing)
.. Internet sharing (probably through dialup initially)

TIA

Jon,

Maybe. You can certainly set up wireless NICs in "ad hoc" mode, so that
they talk directly with each other without need for an access point. The
problem would be in how Sygate (or something else) handles NAT. I
assume you have it set up currently so that one of your PCs acts as the
internet gateway and provides NAT to the others through an HPNA NIC.
You could put a wireless NIC in that PC, but I don't know whether Sygate
would be able to serve NAT over two connections and treat them as if they
were all on one subnet. Microsoft ICS won't do this.

A simpler solution would be to buy a regular access point plus an HPNA to
ethernet bridge. Together these would let you hang the access point
wherever you like on your existing HPNA network -- i.e. anywhere you can
find a phone line. For around $100 you'd get better radio coverage,
better
performance and a lot less headaches. I'm using a Netgear PE102 bridge
for something very similar. It works fine, but other manufacturers make
them
as well -- just shop around a bit.

Good luck,
Tom

"Jon Hume" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> I am new to wireless lans... My home setup consists of Sygate Network
> software and HomePhonline nics (no hub or hardware router). This gives
> my network conectivity and Internet sharing... without having to have
> a hardware router/switch/hub
>
> My question is:
>
>
> Can I use Sygate Network software (or some other Nat software for that
> matter) with wireless nics WITHOUT having to use a hardware wireless
> router/hub/access point?
>
> The netork in question is a very small office, with 3 or 4 pc's (XP)..
> with the requirements being:
>
> . internal network connectivity (file/printer sharing)
> . Internet sharing (probably through dialup initially)
>
> TIA

thanks Tom

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 10:56:11 -0700, "Tom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Jon,
>
>Maybe. You can certainly set up wireless NICs in "ad hoc" mode, so that
>they talk directly with each other without need for an access point. The
>problem would be in how Sygate (or something else) handles NAT. I
>assume you have it set up currently so that one of your PCs acts as the
>internet gateway and provides NAT to the others through an HPNA NIC.
>You could put a wireless NIC in that PC, but I don't know whether Sygate
>would be able to serve NAT over two connections and treat them as if they
>were all on one subnet. Microsoft ICS won't do this.
>
>A simpler solution would be to buy a regular access point plus an HPNA to
>ethernet bridge. Together these would let you hang the access point
>wherever you like on your existing HPNA network -- i.e. anywhere you can
>find a phone line. For around $100 you'd get better radio coverage,
>better
>performance and a lot less headaches. I'm using a Netgear PE102 bridge
>for something very similar. It works fine, but other manufacturers make
>them
>as well -- just shop around a bit.
>
>Good luck,
>Tom
>
>"Jon Hume" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>>
>> I am new to wireless lans... My home setup consists of Sygate Network
>> software and HomePhonline nics (no hub or hardware router). This gives
>> my network conectivity and Internet sharing... without having to have
>> a hardware router/switch/hub
>>
>> My question is:
>>
>>
>> Can I use Sygate Network software (or some other Nat software for that
>> matter) with wireless nics WITHOUT having to use a hardware wireless
>> router/hub/access point?
>>
>> The netork in question is a very small office, with 3 or 4 pc's (XP)..
>> with the requirements being:
>>
>> . internal network connectivity (file/printer sharing)
>> . Internet sharing (probably through dialup initially)
>>
>> TIA
>

Jon Hume <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
> I am new to wireless lans... My home setup consists of Sygate Network
> software and HomePhonline nics (no hub or hardware router). This gives
> my network conectivity and Internet sharing... without having to have
> a hardware router/switch/hub
>
> My question is:
>
>
> Can I use Sygate Network software (or some other Nat software for that
> matter) with wireless nics WITHOUT having to use a hardware wireless
> router/hub/access point?
>
> The netork in question is a very small office, with 3 or 4 pc's (XP)..
> with the requirements being:
>
> . internal network connectivity (file/printer sharing)
> . Internet sharing (probably through dialup initially)
>

Yes.

Mind you, you can run into problems with link distances inside buildings.

-m-
> TIA

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 10:56:11 -0700, in alt.internet.wireless , "Tom"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>You could put a wireless NIC in that PC, but I don't know whether Sygate
>would be able to serve NAT over two connections and treat them as if they
>were all on one subnet.

I used to use a competitor to sygate and it handled this type of thing
just fine.

> Microsoft ICS won't do this.

yes but then.... :-)

>A simpler solution would be to buy a regular access point plus an HPNA to
>ethernet bridge.

Yes indeed.
Mark McIntyre