Extending a network (newbie question)

I have 3 networked machines using a 4 port hub. The hub then connects to
an ethernet ADSL router/modem.

I want to add a laptop to the network, via a wireless link. Obviously I
need a wireless PCMCIA card in the laptop, but what about the other end?

I don't really want to replace the router (I'm happy with it). I would
guess that I need a wireless access point/ switch/ hub or whatever it is
called and either plug that into my current hub or vice versa. I can lose
one of the ports on the current hub if necessary.

Obviously, I don't know much about networks and would appreciate any
advice/ guidance/ help.

Thanks

Tony


Tony Burrows

On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 15:59:12 +0100, Tony Burrows <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have 3 networked machines using a 4 port hub. The hub then connects to
>an ethernet ADSL router/modem.
>
>I want to add a laptop to the network, via a wireless link. Obviously I
>need a wireless PCMCIA card in the laptop, but what about the other end?
>
>I don't really want to replace the router (I'm happy with it). I would
>guess that I need a wireless access point/ switch/ hub or whatever it is
>called and either plug that into my current hub or vice versa. I can lose
>one of the ports on the current hub if necessary.
>
>Obviously, I don't know much about networks and would appreciate any
>advice/ guidance/ help.

You have at least two choices, and maybe three:

- obtain a wireless access point (aka WAP) and plug it into your hub or
switch. Easily done, though this does remove one wired connection to the
hub/switch, of course.

- replace your existing router (and the hub, for that matter) with a wireless
router (the better ones have four or more *switched* full duplex LAN ports). A
little harder than the first option, much easier than the third.

- add a wireless network adapter to one of your existing hard-wired machines,
run Windows ICS on that system to allow the laptop to communicate through it
to get to the rest of the LAN and the internet. Can be tricky to configure
correctly.

If you price out name-brand wireless routers you'll find they are generally
cheaper to purchase than the same companies' wireless access points. And the
extra wireless adapter you'd need for the third option may cost more than the
wireless router (!)

Replacing your existing router (and hub) with a wireless router is likely the
best bang for the buck...

/daytripper

daytripper <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
> On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 15:59:12 +0100, Tony Burrows <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >I have 3 networked machines using a 4 port hub. The hub then connects to
> >an ethernet ADSL router/modem.
> >
> >I want to add a laptop to the network, via a wireless link. Obviously I
> >need a wireless PCMCIA card in the laptop, but what about the other end?
> >
> >I don't really want to replace the router (I'm happy with it). I would
> >guess that I need a wireless access point/ switch/ hub or whatever it is
> >called and either plug that into my current hub or vice versa. I can lose
> >one of the ports on the current hub if necessary.
> >
> >Obviously, I don't know much about networks and would appreciate any
> >advice/ guidance/ help.
>

<snip>

>
> Replacing your existing router (and hub) with a wireless router is likely the
> best bang for the buck...
>
> /daytripper

I am in a similair situation to the first poster - I want to add a
wireless connection to my existing LAN, but do not want to replace my
existing router. (It irritates me to no end that a stand-alone WAP
costs more than a WAP/router!) To complicate things further, my router
has a print server, so I really don't want to replace it.

So, can I add a wireless router to my existing router to serve as a
WAP? Would this require special cabling? Or is there a reasonably
priced 802.11g WAP that I am not aware of? Or perhaps someone could
tell me how to hack off the router portion of a WAP/router?

Another question - most wireless NICs I see are either IDE cards or
USB devices. However the system I want to add a wireless link to has a
NIC on the motherboard. Is there a wireless connection that simply
plugs into an existing NIC? I'll go USB if I have to, I'm just
concerned that having multiple NICs on the same PC will freak out
Windows beyond my ability to tame it.

On 1 Jul 2004 15:30:24 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) (Daniel A. Mazurowski)
wrote:

>daytripper <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
>> On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 15:59:12 +0100, Tony Burrows <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>> >I have 3 networked machines using a 4 port hub. The hub then connects to
>> >an ethernet ADSL router/modem.
>> >
>> >I want to add a laptop to the network, via a wireless link. Obviously I
>> >need a wireless PCMCIA card in the laptop, but what about the other end?
>> >
>> >I don't really want to replace the router (I'm happy with it). I would
>> >guess that I need a wireless access point/ switch/ hub or whatever it is
>> >called and either plug that into my current hub or vice versa. I can lose
>> >one of the ports on the current hub if necessary.
>> >
>> >Obviously, I don't know much about networks and would appreciate any
>> >advice/ guidance/ help.
>>
>
><snip>
>
>>
>> Replacing your existing router (and hub) with a wireless router is likely the
>> best bang for the buck...
>>
>> /daytripper
>
>I am in a similair situation to the first poster - I want to add a
>wireless connection to my existing LAN, but do not want to replace my
>existing router. (It irritates me to no end that a stand-alone WAP
>costs more than a WAP/router!) To complicate things further, my router
>has a print server, so I really don't want to replace it.
>
>So, can I add a wireless router to my existing router to serve as a
>WAP? Would this require special cabling? Or is there a reasonably
>priced 802.11g WAP that I am not aware of? Or perhaps someone could
>tell me how to hack off the router portion of a WAP/router?

You most likely *can* connect the second router to the first, by connecting
the WAN port on the second router to a lan port on the first (saves a port on
the second router). You'd have to rationalize lan addresses and dhcp services
(both routers will likely default to actively serving dhcp requests) but it
can be made to work.

>Another question - most wireless NICs I see are either IDE cards or
>USB devices. However the system I want to add a wireless link to has a
>NIC on the motherboard. Is there a wireless connection that simply
>plugs into an existing NIC? I'll go USB if I have to, I'm just
>concerned that having multiple NICs on the same PC will freak out
>Windows beyond my ability to tame it.

There is a device that connects to the RJ45 on a 10/100 host adapter and
coughs out a WiFi link. I can't remember where I've seen such beasts but I
know they exist...Try pricewatch...

/daytripper