WiFi to ethernet, I'm confused

[CodeBulldog]

I live in the boonies, right now I get my "high" speed internet via a 802.11b solution. I have a large antenna on the roof that picks up 2.4ghz signal from a tower 10 miles away. They have a converter that converts the wireless into ethernet which I can in turn plug into my router to distribute amongst the computers in the house.
Now our township is rolling out a new service see www.ils.net which is WiFi. If you are close enough to the tower your wireless G card can pick up the signal. OK so they built a tower at the end of my street, service not available yet but will be soon. Problem is the do not yet have a wireless to ethernet solution and they have provided limited info. So I'm trying to figure out if there is an off the shelf solution but I can't find anything at the consumer level. So any input would be helpful.
So if I cannot get an wifi to ethernet that I can plug into the router, I'm not sure what my alternatives are. I can use ICS to share amongst the one computer that has the antenna attached to it but then how do I provide in home wireless access to the laptops the family has? So the nut of the problem is taken an single WiFi connection and splitting amongst both wired and wireless in house computers. Thanks for any and all input CB

 

[CrashX]

You could get an access point that can be in client mode. Meaning the access point itself would be a wireless client instead of an access point.
http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=292

You just configure it with the wireless settings needed to get on the network, plug the ethernet into your LAN and if the ISP runs DHCP you are good to go.

 

[JackMDS]

You can extarpolate the principle from this page, Wirelessly Bridging Home / Network.

:sun:

 

[ktwebb]

Workgroup bridge. In the budget sector it's typically called "client mode" or Ethernet bridge or similar. This would act as the client piece, associating to the AP on the pole/tower down the street. Feed a switch via the single ethernet port on the bridge. Might be multiport but usually they are single port if they are dedicated workgroup bridges. Conversely you can use a Router/AP combo IF it bridges. Most do not. Pre V5 WRT54G's via third party firrmware and a few others (Buffalo Tech) will do it out of the box. This would allow you to not have to buy additional switches as they have integrated switches. Usually 4 or 5 port.

 

[CodeBulldog]

Thanks everyone that makes things clearer. I would never have figured out that terminology just searching. Makes sense, I'll likely go with the D-Link solution as I think the ISP is flogging Dlink. Thanks again, CB