wireless networking guestion (Edit: Need NIC advice)

[CU]

The apartments I live in have wireless internet access. I would like to allow two computer to access the internet. Would installing a wireless NIC in one computer and running a crossover cable from another NIC in the same computer to another computer allow this. The computer with two NIC's would be running Win XP Home and the other will have Win 98ME on it. Will the internet sharing in XP work for this setup? I think all this will work fine, just want to check. Also here is a list of the supported wireless NIC's from the people who control the network: Cisco Aironet 350, Xircom 1130 NA, Orinoco Wireless USB adapter - Gold, AirPort Card, and AirPort Adapter. Which one would be the best and where is the best place to get it. I am also open to other brands/models. I think I can support it myself. The standard being used is 802.11b. The cost is $33. That is for a T1 line for 6 buildings with 12 apts/per building. They are designed to house 4 people each. This is an off campus college apartment, hince the design. The said they would add more bandwidth as needed, and that they guarantee a 5Mb connection anywhere inside the building. Does this sound like a good option for internet. Other option is DSL for 49.99.

P.S. English is my second language so ignore any spelling/grammer errors. C/C++ is my first.

 

[rw120555]

The apartments I live in have wireless internet access. I would like to allow two computer to access the internet. Would installing a wireless NIC in one computer and running a crossover cable from another NIC in the same computer to another computer allow this.

This should work; see ANandtech networking faqs, esp. the ones on internet connection sharing and wireless networking.

ANother option, albeit slightly more expensive, is to buy a WAP that can be configured as a client card. Connect it and your PCs to a switch. This way, either machine can be turned off but the other will still have internet access.

Assuming you can cancel, the $33 a month sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[ktwebb]

I'd try the wired NIC's and ICS first. There's a chance you won't be able to NAT that connection and you can get NIC's for 15 bucks a piece. Understand that they are saying 5 Mb connection anywhere in the building but that is a shared connection everywhere. AP's offer shared bandwidth so if you and your next door neighbor are associated to the same AP and downloading MP's from a blazing FTP server somewhere at exactly the same moment, you would then effectively have a 2.5 Mb/s pipe. And so on and so forth as users connect to that AP. It really depends on how they setup the wireless infrastructure as to how many users would normally associate to a single AP per area. Because of the limitation of 3 overlapping channels and interference concerns there is a finite limit they will reach quickly with 802.11b hardware. When they say they will add more bandwidth as needed they will probably have to upgrade to 802.11a or more likely, just wait until 802.11g so your Wi-Fi NICS will still be of use to you.

 

[CU]

I didn't know any WAP could be configured as clients. Anyway I will probably stick with one wireless NIC and ICS. I already have the 2 non-wireless NIC's and the computer hooked up with the crossover cable.

There's a chance you won't be able to NAT that connection and you can get NIC's for 15 bucks a piece.

Does this mean there is a chance ICS will not work or that WAP configured as a client will not work. Also those aren't wireless NIC for 15 bucks are they? If so where. I would still like opinions on the wireless NIC's they support and others. I would like to get one soon and try it out. It should be blazing fast now because they just finished setting up the network a few days ago, so most people wont have it yet. Its all mine. Do you think a T1 is enough for this many people? It's only 1.5Mbits right? By the way there is no contract so if I try it and it don't like it I can cancel with any problems.

 

[JackMDS]

WAP that can be configured as a Client will work very well. ICS on the other end is a plain Vanilla NAT, many time people try to use it in ways that Microsoft never dreamed of, some time it works (in a setting that is more the plain Vanilla), many time it does not.

 

[rw120555]

I may be wrong, but I'm thinking ICS may not be appropriate in this case, i.e. the network is already doing all the dhcp and maybe the nat, etc. So, running ics would be like trying to connect a router to a router, which you generally don't want to do.

Instead, you may want to try bridging network connections. Lets say your winxp machine has both your wireless nic and the ethernet NIC. Open network connections, and select both the ethernet and the wireless. Then, right click, and choose bridge connections. This will make your wireless and your ethernet networks work as one seemless network.

As you already know, this requires that the bridge machine be on at all times, otherwise the other machine connected to it via crossover cable loses its internet connection.

Anyway, just keep this in mind as an option which may or may not be necessary.

 

[ktwebb]

A Workgroup bridge, or AP in client mode, might be the best solution as Jack says. This would associate to the AP infrastructure and allow wired connectivity within your room or wherever the WGB is. To recreate wireless connetivity you'd have to add an additional AP, which might not work though since you could possibly create interference issues with the existing infrastructure. If you don't mind being wired to the desktop(s) then a client mode AP or straight Workgroup bridge might be the answer.

 

[CU]

Thanks for the networking advice. I will try ICS then WGB and finally a client AP. I don't see why ICS wouldn't work though. I use it now with the internet provided by my modem. Looks like I could change the input to the wireless network card. Anyway, I still need to pick up a wireless NIC. The Orinoco wireless USB - GOLD looks good, and it appears to just use the PC Card stuck into a USB adapter. Right now both computer are desktops and run 24/7, but if I ever need to it looks like I could take the PC Card out and stick it into a laptop. I know that would kill the warrenty, but it looks like an additional bonus. Cheapest price on pricewatch is $111. Should I get this one or are there better price to performance ones?

 

[CU]

Just a bump for NIC advice.