Thinking of adding Wireless to my existing network
 

I was thinking of adding a wirless access point of some kind to my home network I have now. I want to keep the wired network for my PS2 and things like that but would like wirless for my laptop. What is the cheapest way to do this? Should I just get a wirless router or can I just add some sort of cheaper access point? Thanks.

If you have a pre-existing router or switch, you can just plug an access point into an extra plug in there. Just be sure to run a secure access point--read the recent wardriving thread for why.

Just add the wireless router to a plug in the wired router. Make sure you have a firewall running, you do not want any neighbors stealing off you. I have heard from people I know they have been the stealers and the stealees.

You mean like this? I haven't actually used it myself, but looking over the AP, it looks like it should do what you want.

Note: This is different from the "Wireless AP Router", this is apparently just an AP. You'll still need a router on your network somewhere. I'm not sure if this hands out DHCP addresses or not, you'd have to check around.

Either way, to answer your question: Yes, it's possible to add an AP to your existing network without tossing a wireless router in.

If you dont have a router, you will need one. Whether it includes an AP builtin is up to you. If you do, just get an AP and plug it in.

Thanks guys thats what I thought but didn't want to waste money on something that would end up not working eventually. Just out of curiosity how far does a wireless network go. I don't plan on going to far away but I am just curious.

30m indoors is a sweeping generalization, but it's a good estimate. That's for 802.11b and 802.11g networks.

If you only want to use your home wireless network for convenience and internet surfing, an 802.11b access point is sufficient. 802.11b provides 11Mb/s bandwidth, which translates into approximately 6Mb/s throughput. If you only have a 1.5Mb DSL link, there's no real need for any more... :) This will save you a lot of money. Check out the Linksys BEFW11S4, a combined AP and router. http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=544

Of course, if you already have a router, all you need is the AP (WAP11): http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=563 You should be able to get these at around US$60.

Of course, if you want to seutp a home WLAN, with several computers using the same cell, then you should choose 802.11g. It provides 54Mb/s bandwidth (real throughput of around 22Mb/s). Again, you can buy combined AP/routers or just an AP. Check out the two links below:

802.11g AP: http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=575
802.11g AP/router: http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=35&prid=577

Finally, Linksys also make a funky little wireless gaming adaptor for PS/2 and X-box. It allows you to setup game wirelessly and is plug 'n' play. Check out: http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=38&prid=550 You can use this to connect to your AP without a cable, or even buy two to setup a "game console network" (if you know what I mean) to play the two consoles against each other.

Configuring your wireless LAN correctly is important. Following some simple steps will mitigate 99.9% of all attacks. Don't let people unduly worry you. BUT, if you don't follow those steps, you are only inviting hackers.

1) Change default SSID, admin password
2) Disable SSID broadcast
3) Enable WPA (WiFi Protected Access)
4) Setup MAC address filtering


I can provide a lot more detail and explanations if you want. Just ask...


Mr Mephisto

Yeah, so your explanation just totally spanked all of ours :D

Piece of cake to do it. Three years ago wired our house with CAT 5e, then added wireless 802.11b last year. When in my office (at home) I normally use the wired connection. However, wireless allows me to take my laptop anywhere in the house. Nice to watch TV and surf TFP at the same time :) The AP/router sits in the basement and I have no problems getting a decent signal anywhere on the second story. Haven't wandered around the yard with my laptop, though. You might want to try the different channels on your AP to see which one works best. We do have some interference whenever we have two microwaves in operation. Usually with just one, there is no noticeable degradation.

Good luck,

As cheap as they are, I would get a wireless router in case I wanted to use it to it's fullest at a later date. I've had good experiences with the Netgear 814 router. You can pick them up for less than $40.



block

I have a Linksys router now and have had no problems with it at all. I noticed netgear and how much cheaper there stuff is. Do you get what you pay for or does it actually work well?

I hate to sound obvious, but you get what you pay for.

Linksys are pretty good, but I'm biased.

Mr Mephisto

I've had good experiences with both Linksys and Netgear hardware. I have two Netgear hubs and a Linksys router/switch. They all work great! My girlfriend has a Linksys wireless router/access point and it works great as well.

-Lasereth