Adding a wireless component to home network... very little networking knowledge

Falceron

Junior Member
Mar 18, 2001
5
0
0
Recently, I decided I wanted to make my laptop completely portable through the addition of wireless networking. I don't really know much about networking, but I didn't expect it to be very difficult heh. I decided to purchase an Orinoco kit with a RG-1100 gateway and a gold PC card. I'll explain my current network setup.. I've got a a single server running Win2k Server and using NAT to share a DSL connection. The server provides DHCP and DNS. It has one NIC connected to the DSL router and the other connected to a hub. There is one PC in that room on the hub and then a long run of CAT5 links the hub to a D-Link switch. This switch has another PC and the on it. I'd like to place the gateway in this room with the switch, if possible, since it's in the center of the house. How would I set up the gateway? Can I plug it right into the switch? I experimented with that a little, and got the laptop to link to the gateway, but I have no idea how to connect the wireless/wired networks properly. Thanks very much!

Edit: I forgot to mention that the PCs and laptop are running Windows XP Pro
 
 

Fallen Kell

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,167
516
126
Well, I believe that you should be able to configure the router just like you would any other computer on the network. Treat it just like it was a computer that you were adding to get it to connect properly to your system, i.e. either statically assign it an IP address just like you did all your other computers, or have it use DHCP. I am not certain if it supports DHCP, but I know the Linksys AP that I just did does support it. The difficult part is getting the wireless systems to connect properly to the wireless adapter. Once you can do that, the rest is easy.

If you are having connection problems, use the ORiNOCO client manager tool to see what your client system is seeing (i.e. the correct network name, and the channel that you setup on the access point). Also that you have the proper encryption keys on the clients if you are using encryption (which I highly recomment, if you are not using encryption, whatever you do, do NOT EVER sent personal information such as credit card, etc., over the wireless network. Even if you use WEP40 I do not recommend sending that data, WEP40 can be cracked in 5-60 seconds on a powerful enough computer, and I am not joking, its been documented. Only feel safe if you are use the 128 bit encryption, and even then change it every month or so).
 

Tallgeese

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2001
5,775
1
0
I have a similar setup, using an RG-1100.

I prefer to configure RGs using the AP manager software available from Orinoco's website, which is head and shoulders better than the Java setup wizard.

You may want to configure your RG to operate in transparent bridge mode.
This will allow your wireless machine(s) to receive DHCP addressing info directly from your existing DHCP server with the least fuss.

HTH