Airport express and Linksys WRT54G

Hello,

I just moved close to a neighbor who uses an airport express router
for wireless internet and itunes on his apple computer. I myself have
a Linksys WRT54G and a desktop PC. With authorization from my
neighbor, I have been using his wireless link for low MB activities
(emails, Google earth, browsing, etc.). The problem is that I can't
connect to internet from my office because the reception is too poor
or inexistant. The only solution for now is using my girlfriend's
laptop from the kitchen (best reception where i live)!!! Obviously, i
can do this for ever.

My question is whether i can use the Linksys to act as a bridge AND-OR
an amplifier of the signal? Take note that i don't know much about
computers, but if someone was to send me some detailed information,
that would be perfect. If i can't use my linksys, what are the best-
cheapest options instead of suscribing to my ISP?

thanks for all your helful advice.



joseph.watchi@gmail.com

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I just moved close to a neighbor who uses an airport express router
> for wireless internet and itunes on his apple computer. I myself have
> a Linksys WRT54G and a desktop PC. With authorization from my
> neighbor, I have been using his wireless link for low MB activities
> (emails, Google earth, browsing, etc.). The problem is that I can't
> connect to internet from my office because the reception is too poor
> or inexistant. The only solution for now is using my girlfriend's
> laptop from the kitchen (best reception where i live)!!! Obviously, i
> can do this for ever.
>
> My question is whether i can use the Linksys to act as a bridge AND-OR
> an amplifier of the signal? Take note that i don't know much about
> computers, but if someone was to send me some detailed information,
> that would be perfect. If i can't use my linksys, what are the best-
> cheapest options instead of suscribing to my ISP?
>
> thanks for all your helful advice.

A possible solution is WDS (Wireless Distribution System). Unfortunately
the specifications for this are not yet fully ratified, and there is no
guarantee that products from one manufacturer will work with those from
another. Even products from the same manufacturer (3Com) do not work
correctly together in my experience. Some products do not support WDS at
all - others will tell you whether this is true for the Airport Express and
the Linksys.

The only reliable system is to run an Ethernet cable from your neighbour's
property to yours.

Is there any reason why you don't set up an account with an ISP for
yourself? I have heard of cases where BT will not provide a phone line
because of "lack of line plant" - is this your circumstance?

--
Graham J

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I just moved close to a neighbor who uses an airport express router
> for wireless internet and itunes on his apple computer. I myself have
> a Linksys WRT54G and a desktop PC. With authorization from my
> neighbor, I have been using his wireless link for low MB activities
> (emails, Google earth, browsing, etc.). The problem is that I can't
> connect to internet from my office because the reception is too poor
> or inexistant. The only solution for now is using my girlfriend's
> laptop from the kitchen (best reception where i live)!!! Obviously, i
> can do this for ever.
>
> My question is whether i can use the Linksys to act as a bridge AND-OR
> an amplifier of the signal? Take note that i don't know much about
> computers, but if someone was to send me some detailed information,
> that would be perfect. If i can't use my linksys, what are the best-
> cheapest options instead of suscribing to my ISP?



Best option (apart from own ISP access) would be an ethernet cable from the
neighbour, though you need to watch the earthing/grounding of the cable at
each end.

An alternative is for the neighbour to put a wireless transmitter in an
optimum position in their house for your reception. For that, they need a
wireless access point in the "right" place for your house, connected back to
their Airport. You can do that with a Linksys if you can get an ethernet
cable from their Airport to the Linksys(below, look up "Linksys WRT54G as
access point").


One way to extend the ethernet cable around the neighbour's house (assuming
they don't want a load of ethernet trailing around) might be with ethernet
over mains, terminating in a wireless transmitter plug (see solwise.co.uk
for one solution, but costing around £100 for one ethernet plug and one WiFi
plug, or £60 for a pair of ethernet plugs and re-use your Linksys as an
access point).



A different option may be to look at the quality of the WiFi signal at your
PC, and whether a better WiFi card/aerial would be able to pickup the signal
from the neighbour.



The Linksys is a hackable device, so you can make it into a bridge or a
wireless extender. But, in many cases you are into opensource changes to the
firmware, not simple configuration options. Someone will have been there
before you - put "Linksys WRT54G as bridge" into Google for a few clues.





- Nigel


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

(E-Mail Removed) brought next idea :
> Hello,
>
> I just moved close to a neighbor who uses an airport express router
> for wireless internet and itunes on his apple computer. I myself have
> a Linksys WRT54G and a desktop PC. With authorization from my
> neighbor, I have been using his wireless link for low MB activities
> (emails, Google earth, browsing, etc.). The problem is that I can't
> connect to internet from my office because the reception is too poor
> or inexistant. The only solution for now is using my girlfriend's
> laptop from the kitchen (best reception where i live)!!! Obviously, i
> can do this for ever.
>
> My question is whether i can use the Linksys to act as a bridge AND-OR
> an amplifier of the signal? Take note that i don't know much about
> computers, but if someone was to send me some detailed information,
> that would be perfect. If i can't use my linksys, what are the best-
> cheapest options instead of suscribing to my ISP?
>
> thanks for all your helful advice.

Here are some of the options you have, if you modify your router with
the DD-WRT firmware:

Wireless Mode
The wireless part of your router can run in different modes:

AP mode – This is the default mode, also called Infrastructure mode.
Your router acts as an central connection point, which wireless clients
can connect to.

Client mode – The radio interface is used to connect the
internet-facing side of the router (i.e., the WAN) as a client to a
remote accesspoint. NAT or routing are performed between WAN and LAN,
like in "normal" gateway or router mode. Use this mode, e.g., if your
internet connection is provided by a remote accesspoint, and you want
to connect a subnet of your own to it.

Client Bridged mode – The radio interface is used to connect the LAN
side of the router to a remote accesspoint. The LAN and the remote AP
will be in the same subnet (This is called a "bridge" between two
network segments). The WAN side of the router is unused and can be
disabled. Use this mode, e.g., to make the router act as a "WLAN
adapter" for a device connected to one of its LAN ethernet ports.

Ad-Hoc mode – This is for peer to peer wireless connections. Clients
running in Ad-Hoc mode can connect to each other as required without
involving central access points.

"Nigel Cliffe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:fg7s01$1qj$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> (E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I just moved close to a neighbor who uses an airport express router
>> for wireless internet and itunes on his apple computer. I myself have
>> a Linksys WRT54G and a desktop PC. With authorization from my
>> neighbor, I have been using his wireless link for low MB activities
>> (emails, Google earth, browsing, etc.). The problem is that I can't
>> connect to internet from my office because the reception is too poor
>> or inexistant. The only solution for now is using my girlfriend's
>> laptop from the kitchen (best reception where i live)!!! Obviously, i
>> can do this for ever.
>>
>> My question is whether i can use the Linksys to act as a bridge AND-OR
>> an amplifier of the signal? Take note that i don't know much about
>> computers, but if someone was to send me some detailed information,
>> that would be perfect. If i can't use my linksys, what are the best-
>> cheapest options instead of suscribing to my ISP?
>
>
>
> Best option (apart from own ISP access) would be an ethernet cable from
> the neighbour, though you need to watch the earthing/grounding of the
> cable at each end.

Surely Ethernet is transformer-coupled onto the interface card, so this
should not be a problem. OK if the cable gets struck by lightning all bets
are off - so lay it in an underground duct ...

--
Graham J

Graham J wrote:
> "Nigel Cliffe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:fg7s01$1qj$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> (E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I just moved close to a neighbor who uses an airport express
>>> router for wireless internet and itunes on his apple computer. I
>>> myself have a Linksys WRT54G and a desktop PC. With authorization
>>> from my neighbor, I have been using his wireless link for low MB
>>> activities (emails, Google earth, browsing, etc.). The problem is
>>> that I can't connect to internet from my office because the
>>> reception is too poor or inexistant. The only solution for now is
>>> using my girlfriend's laptop from the kitchen (best reception
>>> where i live)!!! Obviously, i can do this for ever.
>>>
>>> My question is whether i can use the Linksys to act as a bridge
>>> AND-OR an amplifier of the signal? Take note that i don't know
>>> much about computers, but if someone was to send me some detailed
>>> information, that would be perfect. If i can't use my linksys,
>>> what are the best- cheapest options instead of suscribing to my
>>> ISP?
>>
>>
>>
>> Best option (apart from own ISP access) would be an ethernet cable
>> from the neighbour, though you need to watch the
>> earthing/grounding of the cable at each end.
>
> Surely Ethernet is transformer-coupled onto the interface card, so
> this should not be a problem. OK if the cable gets struck by
> lightning all bets are off - so lay it in an underground duct ...

Earth potential could still be a big problem, but if it works don't
knock it..