Help a wireless noob

[MulLa]

Hi all,

I'll get straight to the point! Here's the current setup:

Internet - ADSL Modem / Router - 8 Port Switch - 8 Wired Clients

The user wanted to shift 4 clients to another location which is roughly 20m away.

The preference would be to physically keep the current ADSL Modem / Router and 8 Port Switch in the current location due to difficulty in physically moving these (must have extra phone jack installed if moved).

Would the following work?

Internet - ADSL Modem / Router - 8 Port Switch - 4 Wired Clients
...............................................................|
................................................................- Wireless AP

20m Away (Wirelessly connected)

................................................................- Wireless Router / Switch - 4 Wired Clients (+Wirless Clients)


Sorry for the bad diagrams!

The reason why I wanted to have a wireless Router at the new location is because of the bundled 4 port switch that they come with. That's way I can get away with purchasing wireless NICs for those PCs which is a tremendous saving.

Is what I proposed workable? Or would I need an AP at the 20m location plus uplink to a switch. I've searched through a few posts about making a wireless router become an AP and I think I'm fairly comfortable with that idea.

I've read about being in bridge mode but that would not work because there'd wireless clients soon in the future.

What are some of the settings that I'd need to make the 2 wireless AP / Router talk to each other.

Sorry I haven't dealt with wireless equipment before

 

[0roo0roo]

all i know is that it is possible. with a wireless bridge. supposedly some ap's can do bridge mode, but thats iffy, i remember reading about one that could do it, but would lose wireless for client ability in that mode.

 

[MulLa]

Thanks for the reply Orro Orro. Yes I did read about bridge mode in the online manual of some Linksys products that I was researching about. What I wanted to know is if there's any settings I need to do especially to get 2 APs to talk to each other plus clients in Infrastructure mode. I'm pretty sure that's possiable as that's how people boost signal strength isn't it?

 

[MulLa]

Hi all,

Well, seemed like I've solved my own problem to a certain extent. I believe I need an AP that can support repeater mode which allows it to talk to other APs as well as wireless clients.

Still one question that need to be answered tho. Anyone got any general pointers on how to setup multiple APs in a network to extend signal range?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JackMDS]

Take into consideration that you can use only one Repeater, and that pass the Repeater the Bandwidth is cut into half.

Link to: Extending the Distance of Entry Level Wireless Network.

:sun:

 

[MulLa]

Thanks JackMDS for the link. Actually I've already read that article during my research I think it was from one of your earlier post. So I had to thank you anyway I'm not too concerned about the bandwidth being cut in half. That person is only going to access the web anyway if they have to cross the wireless links. Otherwise the lan is pretty much wired so PC to PC file transfers will be alright.

Let me ask this question how would a large company install wireless networks over a large area if all the APs still have to be connected by CAT5?

Is it possiable to have a purely wireless network consisting only of APs and wireless clients without any CAT5s in between?

Thanks again in advance for any pointers.

 

[JackMDS]

Most do use a combination of Cables and APs.

The hardware used (Cisco, Proxim lines, etc.) have more power and more professional options, which might be combined with better precise Antennae. However it comes with a very large increase in price. One good Antenna of many that would be used might cost more then a whole Home Wireless system).

And there is no Wife/Girlfriend, Mom, etc. that would complain about Units attached in center location to the walls, and holes in the structure.

 

[MulLa]

JackMDS once again thanks for your very helpful replies. So you're saying that for enterprise level equipment it would have a different mode of operation that would allow APs to talk to multiple other APs plus wireless clients at the same time? Whereas SOHO equipment in repeater mode only allows it to talk to one other AP plus wireless clients.

I think for this job that I'm doing that person would only need 2 APs max anyway so I reckon that should be fine.

And there is no Wife/Girlfriend, Mom, etc. that would complain about Units attached in center location to the walls, and holes in the structure.

Yes very true, I'm sure each and every Anandtech member would have gone through similar experiences.

 

[jgreg]

i do not trust going wireless. If I were you I would try and wire the access point to the location you want. I personally prefer going wired if they are not laptops.

 

[MulLa]

Well it's not for work really. It's just for my boss's home so I suppose security is not the most important. I plan to get something with WPA support so it should be able to hold off the casual hacker.

I'll go and let my boss know what he needs. Hope he'll understand AP / Bridge / Repeater modes