Cheap and Easy Wireless Access Point

[GullyFoyle]

My daughter lives in a dorm. All students have their own wired network port.

She wants me to help her set up wireless access. I want it to be as simple to set up as possible. She is an art student, and not technically inclined at all.

Isn't a wireless access point designed for this?
Recommend any brands and models?

Thanks.

 

[cmetz]

Cisco/Linksys Valet is marketed as this, but I haven't used them. You pay a bit more for the privilege. I've generally been unhappy with Linksys post-acquisition, and that business unit's future is very hazy right now.

D-Link's wireless routers have a wizard-like setup that's very straightforward and easy. The D-Link wireless routers I've used in the past have just worked.

 

[ImDonly1]

Bum wi-fi off the roommates. Surely someone on the floor will get an AP.

Otherwise, get a cheap but reliable brand. I like linksys, buffalo, asus.
D-link is good, but only for their higher end devices (DIR 655, gaming router series).

Not too familiar with APs, mostly routers. If anything I would probably buy a wireless router and run it as an AP. That way, if I ever needed to, I can use it as a router. Something high power wireless from buffalo.

 

[ultimatebob]

I'd check with the school first... Odds are that they already have campus WiFi somewhere, and/or they might have rules against setting up your own access point.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Thanks for the replies so far. There is wifi at various places on the campus, but the connection in her residence hall suite, where she wants it at, is not of acceptable qualty and speed.

I checked the school web site for policies against setting up an access point, and don't see any prohibitions.

I don't need the best, just reliable (she can reset it once and a while if needed) and cheap. I will set it up for her the first time, if necessary.

Any comments on these cheapies?

 

[mammador]

Some mobile telephone operators have 4G hotspots, which can connect to any wi-fi capable device. Of course, 4G is telephony and not computer networking as such, but 4G can still transmit Internet data at reasonable speeds. For a set fee, one can get wireless internet virtually anywhere with a strong mobile signal.

Aside from the campus wi-fi that appears weak, that is the only solution I can think of. Other than that, can the wired port suffice? Is there a specific reason your daughter wants wireless?

 

[JackMDS]

There is No Easy since the systems between schools are different and a knowledge of how it works is needed in order to set a Wireless connection (IP scheme Routing etc.).

Otherwise the least expensive decent Wireless Router that can be used as an Access Point is.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320026

 

[Emulex]

buffalo airstations are simple with the buffalo firmware you set the switch to AP and boom done. It can be set to auto where it detects a dhcp server and switches from routing to AP automagically too. Not sure if the DD-WRT that comes preloaded works the same way but the buffalo firmware is dead simple (fugly) and the auto-AP is pretty hard to mess up.

 

[GullyFoyle]

There is No Easy since the systems between schools are different and a knowledge of how it works is needed in order to set a Wireless connection (IP scheme Routing etc.).

Otherwise the least expensive decent Wireless Router that can be used as an Access Point is.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833320026

I do agree that the router that you pointed out is the cheapest I have seen. (by $6, with the rebate)
I see that is some kind of enhanced 802.11g model. Would there be a noticable difference in performance between this and an N model such as this, which also supports Access Point mode?
My daughter uses an Asus eePC netbook, that supports wireless N.

 

[bobdole369]

buffalo airstations are simple with the buffalo firmware you set the switch to AP and boom done. It can be set to auto where it detects a dhcp server and switches from routing to AP automagically too. Not sure if the DD-WRT that comes preloaded works the same way but the buffalo firmware is dead simple (fugly) and the auto-AP is pretty hard to mess up.

Seconded. WHR-G54-HP used to be the standard turn-to in my industry. We needed stuff that just worked. Even Apple Airports drop 20+% packets.

 

[mammador]

could a powerline wifi adapter work? Simply place it in the mains socket, and the wifi NIC on your daughter's laptop should pick it up.

 

[kevnich2]

I would actually ask the school's IT department about installing your wireless access point. That to me would be along the same lines as your own wireless router and most school's frown on that and it's actually an offense that can lead to the physical network port being turned off long term

If they say it's fine then any off the shelf access point should work just fine, although wireless router's are cheaper than dedicated AP's. You could simply use a wireless router and disable DHCP and the firewall and plug the dorm's ethernet jack into the WAN port on the router. Or use the buffalo linked to above and set it to AP mode with the switch (very easy).

 

[mammador]

a separate network for just one dorm room? seems a bit excessive.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Daughter has procured several cat5 cables and decided wired is fine. I am off the hook for now.

Good, because she threw out that popular sentiment on the campus was that those people that install their own non-public wireless access were to be shunned and persecuted, and IMHO, who wants share a single wireless/ethernet connection with a whole dorm full of squatters.

Thanks to all that offered advice.