engineerguy
join:2003-01-18
Springfield, IL
| Adding 2nd Wireless Router
I share a wireless link and have one desktop PC connected in the traditional manner. I wish to also add a new laptop (802.11g) to the network so I can get to my ISP. The most direct method is likely to network the laptop to the desktop, but this requires the desktop to always be ON. I'm sure this arrangement would also cause an operational burden on the desktop as well, since all communications would be going thru it.
My question:
Can I easily add a new Wi-Fi router in my appartment which will up-link both wireless computers to the existing Wi-Fi network? How would such an arrangement have the Encription configured? Any simple application notes or articles on the subject? I've searched around the site a bit, but I can't find an exact response to my situation. |
|
jimbopalmer
join:2008-06-02
Greenwood, MS | »Wireless Networking Forum FAQ »Using a Wireless Router as an Access Point |
|
engineerguy
join:2003-01-18
Springfield, IL
| The problem is that I don't own the principal wireless router. It is owned by my landlord. Therefore, I can't do squat directly to it. Can I do what is needed by configuring a Linksys WRT54GS router (to talk to my individual computers), then add an Ethernet Bridge (such as Linksys WET54G) to uplink my Router WLAN port data to the landlord's router. Will this still appear as a "single" wireless node on my landlords router? He wants an extra $15 per month to allow a second computer, and I really hate to give him the extra $$$. He has told me if I can figure out a way to do it on my end, it's OK. Just so he doesn't need to change anything on his end. |
|
broccoli
join:2007-11-29
Portland, OR
| Sounds like you'll need to have 2 access points, one to talk to your apartment's AP and another one to relay the connection to your computers. Essentially an AP configured as a wireless station plugged into the WAN port of a router. Most wireless routers with stock firmware (that I have seen) cannot be configured to work as a wireless client, although some third-party firmware like DD-WRT and some dedicated APs do support wireless station mode.
(WDS would have been an option if you have control over both APs.) |
|
Helper72308
@comcast.net
| reply to engineerguy
If you already have a wireless connection to his router, and he is willing to let you do something wirelessly to connect a device wirelessly to allow you to wirelessly connect your two computers to his network, why does he charge $15?, why can't you just connect your second computer up wirelessly like your first computer?
You mentioned the desktop is connected in the traditional manner, does that mean cabled to his router?
If so, you could setup and use a WRT54GS to extend his supplied wired connection in your apartment as a wired switch and wireless AP. |
|
engineerguy
join:2003-01-18
Springfield, IL
| In trying to simplify my original question, I think I made the description of my problem more complicated than it needs to be.
Specifically, when I moved in, my landlord's craker-jack "IT" guy (probably his brother in law for all I know) had to be allowed manually enter their super-secret security key into my desktop when I moved in. Therefore, I don't actually know what it is since it will only display a string of dots under "Properties". Copy and paste won't work on passwords, and I would be trying to "paste" to another computer anyway. On my desktop, I can get the network name easily enough, but how can I duplicate the security key on the laptop?
If I can't easily get my laptop to directly communicate with the landlords router, can I "bridge" between my desktop PC and my laptop by installing another 802.11 card in the desktop? The 2nd card would then network only to my laptop. Would such an arrangement permit the laptop to get thru to my ISP (since the actual up-link to my landlord's router would not be changed).
Alternately, could I alternately install a Cat-5 Ethernet cross-over cable between my two computers? I understand the basics of this, but are there any step-by-step applications notes available to help with the configuration of such a 2nd network? |
|
broccoli
join:2007-11-29
Portland, OR | There are utilities to recover WiFi keys stored in Windows. A google search should return something. |
|
