Wireless: Does this product exist?

[karichelle]

In our new apartment, we will be getting cable internet service and using my cable modem and wireless router. However, the only two cable connections are in the living room and master bedroom -- not the second bedroom where the computers will actually be "living." My fiance's two computers are not wireless capable -- one because it is running Linux and he says wireless is flaky with Linux at best, and one because it is a Mac Mini and a royal PITA to get apart. So, it appears the best solution for us would be to find some sort of a "receiver" for wireless that will pick up the wireless connection being broadcast from the living room and then translate that connection into at least two ethernet connections for his two computers. Does such a thing actually exist?

It seems what we're basically asking for is a router that works in reverse...but I am not sure if such a thing actually exists or what one might be able to screw around with in settings for a router to make it do this. Any ideas?

Thanks :)

[psychofreak]

I don't know about the hardware, but Linux seems better from my experience than XP with wireless...

[shipdestroyer]

I believe you can set up a wireless router as a repeater, then use the ethernet ports on it.

edit: yes, the system is called WDS (Wireless Distribution System) and can be iffy to set up with two different wireless routers.

[psycoswimmer]

I tried one of those with my old Windows PC and it refused to work.

It was something like this (http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=566), by the way.

[amd4me]

Just get a USB wireless card.

[karichelle]

He's tried the USB wireless before and it wouldn't work on either computer, so that's out.

I'm not even sure what to call what I'm looking for...I *think* it might be an access point or a bridge, but once again, I'm not sure. So that's making it kind of hard to find. :confused:

[mkrishnan]

I'm not even sure what to call what I'm looking for...I *think* it might be an access point or a bridge, but once again, I'm not sure. So that's making it kind of hard to find. :confused:

Yes, what you want is a Bridge. Access points let wireless users join the wired network. Bridges let the wired devices access the wireless network. Examples include the Linksys WET54G and the Netgear WGE101.... but, I think the problem with these devices is that they only serve one wired device, unless you also buy a wired router / switch to sit underneath them. Some routers though can also act in bridge mode, I think.

[karichelle]

I'm fairly sure he already has a switch he was using to share out his old dialup connection way back in the day, and I know he has a wired router he was using with his DSL in bridge mode. It appears Netgear has discontinued the WGE101 and WGE111, but that perhaps their (more expensive, of course) wireless print server may also offer the same functionality I'm looking for. I found a couple of WGE101's on eBay though, so hopefully that might work out. There are also other ethernet bridges I found...it appears the Linksys one isn't too reliable but maybe the Buffalo Wireless-G MIMO Performance Ethernet Converter might work for us.

[elfin buddy]

Just get a USB wireless card.

Eww, bad idea. They are a scourge on the Earth and should be eliminated.

(I've only ever had trouble with them ;) )

[mkrishnan]

Getting back to the idea of making a router do it... this might be of interest:

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=36&threadid=1513386&frmKeyword=&STARTPAGE=1&FTVAR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear

[amd4me]

Eww, bad idea. They are a scourge on the Earth and should be eliminated.

(I've only ever had trouble with them ;) )

I have had many and not had a single issue.

[waterskier2007]

In our new apartment, we will be getting cable internet service and using my cable modem and wireless router. However, the only two cable connections are in the living room and master bedroom -- not the second bedroom where the computers will actually be "living." My fiance's two computers are not wireless capable -- one because it is running Linux and he says wireless is flaky with Linux at best, and one because it is a Mac Mini and a royal PITA to get apart. So, it appears the best solution for us would be to find some sort of a "receiver" for wireless that will pick up the wireless connection being broadcast from the living room and then translate that connection into at least two ethernet connections for his two computers. Does such a thing actually exist?

It seems what we're basically asking for is a router that works in reverse...but I am not sure if such a thing actually exists or what one might be able to screw around with in settings for a router to make it do this. Any ideas?

Thanks :)

actually you can use an airport express, i use one at my house for my imac g4 which is not wireless capable and i just have the airport express pick up the signal and use the ethernet port to connect to the imac

[zioxide]

actually you can use an airport express, i use one at my house for my imac g4 which is not wireless capable and i just have the airport express pick up the signal and use the ethernet port to connect to the imac

except that only has one ethernet port and the op needs two.

Why can't you just run a cat5 cable from the wireless router to where the computers are and just use a 4-port switch there?

[waterskier2007]

except that only has one ethernet port and the op needs two.

Why can't you just run a cat5 cable from the wireless router to where the computers are and just use a 4-port switch there?

well yeah i was figuring u can get 2 refurbed airport expresses for about the price of one new one which would justify purchasing 2 of them

[karichelle]

except that only has one ethernet port and the op needs two.

Why can't you just run a cat5 cable from the wireless router to where the computers are and just use a 4-port switch there?

Because no matter which room the router ends up in (living room or bedroom), that's going to be a lot of cable that's going to have to go across doorways and walking spaces, and we'd like to avoid having that. So that's why we would like to go wireless. I think the 4-port Netgear Print Server or the Buffalo converter will work for us...hopefully.

[amd4me]

You guys are all making this more complex then it needs to be.
Get a USB wireless card.
End of story.

[Stratification]

After looking around for a long time (was checking this out for someone else a while back), most network hardware providers seem to have something like this. Typically they seem to be sold as accessories for games systems, i.e. "Connect your console to wireless!". Basically they just go from wireless to ethernet, though you might need a cheap switch also to handle more than one computer. Anyway, hope that helps you find what you're looking for.