Learning the lingo. Help clarify a theoretical problem re: DHCP over wireless. Bad idea?

[Eug]

OK. Help me understand this stuff please.

My router comes tomorrow and I may borrow a wireless setup for testing with it. I thought I'd ask some questions in advance before I spend days ripping my hair out trying to understand this stuff.

The Linksys switch/router I purchased will work with PPPoE, and apparently can also act as a DHCP server. I will set up my PC with it using DHCP, which seems fine.

If I can hook up a wireless access point with the router I imagine I can just set it to be a DHCP client, but stay away from the DHCP server side of it. Ie. just manually set the address for the wireless client(s).

Now if I borrow a laptop (I'll buy one later) with a wireless card that means it will have two NICs. Can I set the wired ethernet port for DHCP to plug into the router (when I'm beside it), and the wireless card to a specific address for use with the wireless access point? Somehow, it seems this ISN'T going to work. Ie. If I want to use the laptop on both the wireless access point and the router (depending on where I'm physically located), I have to have the entire system either DHCP or specifically addressed, but not both at the same time. Is this correct?

My understanding though would be that DHCP over wireless would be bad, since anyone with a wireless card can steal my bandwidth.

However, I want to be able to use DHCP with the laptop. If my work network is DHCP, I'm told that if I buy a simple hub for my office I should be fine for net access for the laptop. I don't want to spend the extra cash for another router.

Am I confused?

This DHCP business seems rather odd to me. As I understand it, with most networks using DHCP, anyone with a laptop could simply walk into a building, plug in his/her laptop, and have instant access to the net (as long as s/he knew where the proxies were). Seems too "loose" a standard to me. This is particularly bad in a wireless setup. Am I missing something.

Please note that I'm a newbie so keep the explanations simple.

P.S. If I went for cable net access, could I simply attach an ethernet to phone bridge to my router to convert my entire phone system to a simple HomePNA network?

 

[lowtech1]

You can authenticate clients using both DHCP & Static IP address at the sampe time, but you have to save some address in network for Static assignment from your DHCP IP pool.

 

[R0b0tN1k]

Nobody is going to "steal your bandwidth". Once you get outside the house the signal is practically useless anyway. If a large network was to use manually assigned IP's for all the clients, the admins would go insane quicker than normal. As for the phone line question, that would work fine.

 

[xyyz]

why do you want to complicate things so much?

who makes the access point? access points usually need ip addresses... and they can get one off of the DHCP...

 

[xyyz]

803.11b or 802.11b... I think it's the first one... allows 11mb/sec of bandwidth... isn't that enough for what you'll be doing?

 

[Eug]

Thanks, I think I understand it now.

As for the stealing bandwidth. I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen. I'm going to be in a townhouse complex, and wouldn't be surprised if good connections could be made with 4 of my neighbours. I'm not so much concerned about the bandwidth, as the file sharing.

Yes, 802.11b will be enough. (Theoretically 11 but usually less than 6, and decreasing the further you're away from the access point.)

P.S. Anyone seen any reviews on the Linksys wireless stuff? The D-Link stuff is cheap but everyone hates it.