Connect Wirelessly to Wired Network?

sdavis44,

 

The easiest and cheapest solution is to replace the wired router with a wireless one.  You could get a wireless access point.  Think of it as the wireless equivalent of a standard ethernet switch (or hub.)  But access points usually cost more than wireless routers, so just replace the wired router with a wired one.

 

Wireless routers, such as the Linksys WRT54G, come with 4 wired ports.  So your existing wired equipment can connect as usual and the wireless devices will connect wirelessly.  All devices, wired or wired, will participate in the same local network and get IP addresses from the same DHCP server.

 

If you connect a wireless router to your existing wired network as you suggest,  you effectively create a second network for the devices connecting to the second router.  Internet sharing will work fine, but file and printer sharing will not.  To avoid those problems, you can configure the wireless router for access point mode and turn off its DHCP server.

Just the sort of information that I was looking for. Thanks! :smileyhappy:

 

Now let me ask you a specific...

 

After I read your response, I researched a bit and, for various reasons, I THINK I might want to go with the access point. The Linksys WAP54 is affordable. It sounds like I could plug it into one of my switches and accomplish what I want. What do you think?

Just some user reviews on places like C/NET.

 

Your comments are encouraging. I'm probably going to give it a shot...with the router that is. I'm just hoping that taking out the wired router and plugging in the wireless one is relatively painless.

You've been so helpful, I couldn't resist one more post...

 

Now I'm waffling. I'm considering replacing the router as you suggested. Believe it or not, I wasn't aware the wireless router could also handle my wired PC's...duh...heheh.  But therein lies the potential problem. I'm reading that, when you use the router for both, performance drops off significantly. I also read that it might be improved with future firmware upgrades, but right now it looks like the performce dropoff is very significant.

 

I don't want my cable modem speeds to be diminished.

 

Any thoughts?

 

sdavis44,

 

I would say that whatever you read is a load of hogwash.  I've installed more than 100 wireless routers, of various makes, and none have experienced any kind of performance hit.  This includes LANs of varying size, from 2 clients to more than a dozen.  Mostly residential, some small commercial.

 

To be sure, it is possible to overload a router.  But not in my experience.

 

Where did you read that?

sdavis44,

 

Make sure you power cycle the entire network.  Turn everything off.  Remove the old router and install the new.  Then power up the modem, wait a minute or two, then power up the router, wait another minute.  Finally power up the switches/hubs and finally the PCs.

 

Since you are currently using a Linksys wired router, it should be assigning IP addresses in the 192.168.1.100 range, unless you have modified it.  A new Linksys router has the same default.  If you have DSL, you will probably have to configure the router with the logon ID and password.  Make sure your wired network is fully functional before tackling wireless.

 

The new router will come with an installation CD.  Don't install it.  Just log into the router at 192.168.1.1 and make the configuration changes.