What kind of home network should I create?

[mithrandir2001]

I want to:

Share broadband connection between PC and PS2. PC and PS2 will be on different floors and the PS2 must be connected wirelessly. The distance between the PC and the PS2 will be around 12' (through ceiling/floor).

Have the ability to connect more devices via wireless in the future.

I have:

1 PC connected directly to cable modem via Ethernet. ISP uses DHCP and service is 1500/128.
Standalone PS2 with network adapter (don't have yet but will be getting).

What kind of networking equipment should I buy?

Should I get a router and an wireless access point or a wireless router? The PS2 obviously doesn't have a PCI slot...what do you use to "connect" a device with a built-in ethernet jack like the PS2 to a WAP/wireless router?

 

[scorpioLP]

Get the Linksys BEFW11S4 - wireless access point / router / 4-port switch. Set it up next to your desktop and plug in directly.

Then get this to connect the PS2 : Linksys wireless bridge


I use Linksys wireless stuff and I haven't had any problems. But, I'm not pushing the technology too much, since my wireless stuff all has line of sight and only about 30 feet away from the access point.

I don't have the bridge yet, but when I get my PS2 adaptor, I'm going to connect that way.

 

[rw120555]

Get a Linksys Wet11 for your ps2. For everything else, it may not matter that much, though I personally prefer a separate WAP to a combo WAP/Router.

 

[mithrandir2001]

OK, so it's called a wireless bridge.

The WET11 instructions say: "2. Connect the WET11 to your PC with the provided network cable. Make sure the switch on the WET11 (labeled X - ||) is in the X position."

Does that mean you have to temporarily disconnect your cable modem to connect the WET11 to the PC's ethernet card for configuration?

 

[scorpioLP]

Does that mean you have to temporarily disconnect your cable modem to connect the WET11 to the PC's ethernet card for configuration?

Probably. I haven't set one up though, so I can't say for sure.

 

[mithrandir2001]

The Linksys site is pretty helpful.

The BEFW11S4 is their one-box solution. The alternative is the BEFSR41/WAP11 combo, which costs about $50 more. The advantage is that the WAP11 has a greater range than the circuit built into the BERW11S4.

The WET11 bridge is kinda expensive: just over $100. So any network is going to cost more than the PS2 and network adapter combined. The price of convenience and flexibility.

 

[rw120555]

The Wet11 can be connected to a switch, and the switch can also be connected to multiple devices such as the ps2, other desktop PCs, a printer. So, depending on how your expansion goes, the wet11 could wind up not being quite so expensive after all -- it could save you the cost of additional wireless NICs. If, on the other hand, you only use it for the PS2, yes, that is a bit expensive. If the ps2 could instead be placed close to the router and hence cable connected, you could save some money.