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Wireless Router vs Wireless access point

L

LIVAN

Golden Member
So say I have a Wired Router,

I want to add wireless capability to my network, I should get an access point?

Can I use a Wireless router and use it as a access point?

My wired router will assign IPs to each device on the network and I don't really want to disturb any of that but if I use a router, I will need to assign it a fix IP right?( 192.168.xxx etc from the wired router) But how would the wireless computer be able to join the actual network. Anyone know what I am saying here?
 
Countdown to posting of link to FAQ.... 🙂

An ap usually offers more features, but you can use a wireless router as just a plain access point. You can assign it an unused ip address and disable its dhcp server and plug one of its lan ports into your other router.
 
Thanks for the reply,


So if I want to use the router as an access point and have some wireless computer join my wired network

I would attach a Cat 5 from one of the lan ports of my existing router to the Wan port of my wireless router?

Or does it just goto a regular lan port of the wireless router?
 
So how many computers can I conncet to it?

Because each computer has been assgned an IP by my wired router via DHCP..(192.168.1 ,2, 3, 4, etc) So if I assign the wireless router a static IP like you say, will the computers connceted to it have the same IP as that wireless router or will they get assigned their own like other computers on the network?
 
no connect lan port to lan port.......
you will have 2 less wired ports than the total # of ports on your (2) routers....

i have a linksys befrs41 and a d-link di-614+ as my acces point....i have 6 usable lan ports out of 8......
 
Thanks for help.

HOwever, on my wireless router the DHCP range is set to 192.168.8.xxx to 192.68.8.xxx while my Main Ruter is 192.168.1.xxx

I don't think I can change the eight on that wireless router, am I stuck?
 
Once again, you cannot run 2 dhcp servers on the network, you need to disable the one on one of the devices. One dhcp server will assign ips to all devices connected to the lan. Plug a lan port of your wireless router into a lan port of your wired router after disabling the dhcp server on the wireless router and changing its IP address to an unused one not in the range of addresses the other assigns. Try it out and you'll see 🙂
 
Thanks,

No not running 2 DHCPs, but just trying to confirm that the suggestions made by that link above was not correct. It says to set the Wireless IP range to match the Gateway router I am connecting to. NOt correct right?
 
I don't know what you mean my wireless ip range, the only time a range should come into play on the router is the pool of ip addresses a dhcp server would assign on the network. Just set the wireless router to a unique ip address matching the scheme of your existing network.

ie: your wired router is 192.168.0.1, your computers are assigned ip addresses via dhcp in the ranage of 192.168.0.100-192.168.0.200, then assign the wireless router an ip of 192.1.0.2 or 192.168.0.254, etc

The link is completely correct.
 
Yes it is, I misread it the first time. I think I know what I need to do now.

Thanks a bunch for the help!
 
NAT is a WAN (Intrenet fubction).

DHCP is a LAN fubction.

I.e. One does not effect the other.
 
I don't mean to crap in this thread (sorry LIVAN) but I don't want to start a new thread to basically ask the same sort of question:

I'm getting DSL in about a week. I have a computer in the dining area and one in my room. The modem is going to hook up to the computer in the dining area. I want to be able to share net access to the one in my room. (I just want to share net access, to be honest I will transfer files between the two maybe once in a while but primarily want to share the DSL) What would be the best bet - Wireless Router or Access Point? I read those FAQs but didn't get a concisive answer. I didn't get what:

So why they are selling Wireless Cable/DSL Routers?

If you want to use the Wireless source as a Gateway only, and you are not concern about distance, Cable/DSL Router will be cheaper and more comfortable to configure.
Click to expand...

means. I mean what it means for a wireless source to act as a gateway only. Thanks! (Sorry again LIVAN)
 
I am kinda confused too. The link basically says "AP does everything a router does, only does it better." I tought router can do things AP can't. Also routers are ofter more expensive than APs. Am I missing something?
 
Originally posted by: canoner
I am kinda confused too. The link basically says "AP does everything a router does, only does it better." I tought router can do things AP can't. Also routers are ofter more expensive than APs. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

That is not an accurate summary. A wireless router is actually 3 devices rolled into 1: a router, a switch, and a wireless access point. A standalone WAP doesn't offer the router and switch features. But, as an AP, a standalone WAP is generally superior to a WAP that is comboed with a router and a switch. The standalone WAP can be configured in more modes (e.g. as AP, CLIENT, Point to point bridge, point to multipoint bridge, repeater). A standalone WAP may be easier to place in an optimal position (because you don't have as many other devices connected to it).

So, a wireless router obviously handles routing and switch functions better than a standalone WAP, which lacks those functions, but the WAP component of the wireless router isn't as good as a standalone WAP. A wireless router may be perfectly adequate for most purposes, but a router + separate WAPs will be superior and perhaps essential for other purposes.
 
I am getting a wireless router and a usb wireless adapter to use on my two desktops. I think that would be enough to build a network between these two machines and share the internet connection, right? Also, I want to be able to make ad-hoc peer-to-peer connection with neighbors, will I be able to do it from both of my PC? or do I have to add a standalone AP?
 
Originally posted by: r0guenj
no connect lan port to lan port.......
you will have 2 less wired ports than the total # of ports on your (2) routers....

i have a linksys befrs41 and a d-link di-614+ as my acces point....i have 6 usable lan ports out of 8......
Click to expand...

remember, a crossover cable is required to link two routers together
 
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