What hardware do I need for this setup?

[mdm144]

I am currently sharing my cable modem via a D-Link 713P wireless router. My desktop is hardwired to it, and I have to floating laptops that use Orinoco Gold wireless cards. Everything's peachy.

Now, I also have a few pieces of equipment I want to hookup to the broadband connection in a different room. They, however, are not conventional computers, but devices such as an XBox, networked MP3 server, personal video recorder, etc. So I need some device to act as a wireless client that I can then hook-up these devices via standard ethernet cable. Whether this is built- in or done via an external router or switch doesn't really matter to me.

So would a regular wireless AP do this for me? Or do would I need something else?

[Greenstead]

Well this sounds quite *****ious. I'm in theory land here.

The Access Point (AP) is a way of extending the wireless network. You hardwire it back to the router, thereby extending the network wireless range. So this doesn't help you. (Although I think I have more recently heard of a new AP which can work in Infrastructure mode and Bridge mode at the same time - not sure).

I can think of two (theory) possibilities.

1. Your laptops are wireless clients. If you have one with XP you could connect the laptop ethernet NIC to a switch and plug your devices into the switch. With XP you can bridge network connections so could bridge the orinoco connection to the ethernet NIC. Not a good use for a laptop though.

2. A wireless bridge back to the router. You need two wireless bridge devices (e.g. Linksys WET11). One plugs into the router and the other you place in the remote 'different room'. Then plug a switch into the remote bridge.

The PVR might have additional problems. Delivering smooth good resolution video over a 802.11b wireless link doesn't work for me.

The above are just ideas - you need more advice.

[tfrank25]

Moderator,

Your response may be somewhat incorrect. If the user currently has a wireless router, he/she would not need two bridging devices. It sounds like the user has all the devices within a few feet of each other. Simply adding one bridge and a switch will take care of his problem.

I use the Linksys WET11 as a bridging device to my XBOX, directly, which communicates to a Belkin WAP that is hardwired to a router (Had the router before I had wireless).

Everything works fine with my setup, and should save the user from have to buy a second bridge ($140.00 US).

Thanks.