Wireless Networks (help)

Depends on what you have.

Do you already have a network configured? Do you have a broadband connection (dsl or cable modem)?

If you already have router (linksys,d-link etc), you can just get a wireless Access Point (linksys,d-link etc). Otherwise, you need to get a Wireless Access Point Router (same).

If you already have a network set up, you just add the wireless to the same network.

You will need a Wireless Network Card. You will need to access via a hard link to configure the WAP.

No special software needed (just the drivers for the NICs.

How you handle it, depends on what you want to do and what you already have.

Tom.

I allready have a network:4 hosts conneted to a switch.I want to connect the switch to a wireless Router (802.11b),after that I want to connect a Host in range of 220 meters to the router through a wireless NIC (802.11b).It's possible?

Could someone tell me how to use a wireless
router to configure a x host network?
Do I need a wireless network card and what software I need?
And what about using a Access Point Wireless,please tell me how to handle all of that !!!!

Thank you very much for your replies!!!

It's possible.

But you are talking about 600+ feet. At 300 feet, you are only going to get about 1Mbps (this is without obstructions - walls, metal pipes etc).

You can extend this using other Access points as extenders or Wireless Bridges.

If this is outside (and I assume it is) you would also have questions of security.

Tom.

Where you put the AP depends on what is in the way. For example, if you have walls full of pipes or covered with granite, this will cause the distance to drop.

For example, I have a Linksys AP that goes about 30 feet, including a regular wall, and get full 11Mbps speed. If I move the computer a little to the right and it goes through another wall, it has a little drop, but not a lot.

In another location, the AP goes about the same distance and I get about 2 Mbps. But there is a wall covered in granite in between as well as a bathroom that obviously has many water pipes. I find that putting the WAP up high gets better reception, in this location. In another location, with nothing in the way I get about 11Mbps with about 110 feet. If I move just 10 feet back, I can't connect at all.

If you have problems (and you are using a Linksys AP), there is a booster that Linksys has that boosts the signal. You just put the Booster on top of the Linksys AP, connect the 2 devices and move the antennas from the AP to the Booster. How well it works, I don't know. As I said, you can also get a Wireless bridge that may do the job. You just won't know without trying it out. I believe that some companies will allow you to put an AP halfway between you and another AP acting as a relay station (I am not sure whether Linksys works this way or not).

The way I would do it is to get a Firewall Router that connects to the DSL or Cable modem. If you get a Wireless router, that is going to limit your distance. You can get both for about $150.

Without knowing your layout, I am going to assume that you can lay cable a certain distance. Also, you don't need to use my IP numbers as these are just sample numbers. The main thing to see is that they are all on the same subnet and that they are private.

I would have a Firewall router connected to my cable modem with an address of 192.168.120.1 on the Lan side (the Wan side would be whatever your ISP assigns you). I would use a Cat 5 cable that is as long as possible, up to 300 feet, between the Cable modem and the firewall. I would then connect your Switch to the Lan side of the firewall (again Cat 5 as far as possible up to 300 feet - may have to use a crossover cable). You need to keep in mind that you have 3 or 4 other computers connecting to the switch which may limit where the switch can feasibly go. I would then string another Cat 5 cable from one of the ports on the switch to the Wireless Access Point (again as far as possible in the direction of your workstation which has a wireless NIC card, and making sure that it is under 300 feet). All the computers (including the WAP) would have IP numbers like 192.168.120.5, 192.168.120.6, 192.168.120.7, etc.

The important thing is to get the WAP as close as possible to the machine with the Wireless NIC.

Tom.

Where should I put the Acces Point?And what about the distance through walls?