Network hardware help please

[Zig]

Hi all,

I know there are some knowledgable networking people on the forum so I'd be obliged if I could tap into that font of knowledge.

My daughter has just gone to university and she connects her laptop to the uni network (and internet) in her halls of residence room by ethernet cable (rj45) and entering a username and password.

Code: Select all

             ethernet cable
Laptop ----------------------------> uni network
            username and password

This unfortunately doesn't allow her to utilise her laptop wifi and move around the dorm to other peoples' rooms and the common area.

I was wondering if there was a bit of kit available (that I don't know the name of) that I could put between the laptop and room ethernet to allow her to have a bit of mobility.

Code: Select all

                 wifi                                         ethernet cable
Laptop ---------------------------> [PIECE OF KIT] -----------------------------> uni network
          username and password                          username and password

The requirement seems to be rather simple but all the adapters I've looked at seem to be for attaching a piece of equipment to a wireless network as opposed to simply converting wifi to ethernet.

I have a spare Netgear DG834G router and a Belkin Wireless G Ethernet Bridge (that I used to connect an XBox to the home wireless network).

Any advice on what I can use to achieve this greatly received. I suppose for security reasons the wifi should allow for WPA.

Many thanks in advance.

Pete

[ceejay13]

Hi Zig,

Remember this sort of thing from our kids!!

Would a straight Wireless Access Point do? Just a WiFi connection to the ethernet.

I pretty sure that if you operate it in a 'Bridge' type mode it becomes transparent to the network. I used a similar set-up (not wireless though) to connect my Dual WAN Router through my BeBox to the internet. The bridge Mode just passes the parameters and data along to and from the ethernet connection.

[Zig]

Hi Colin,

Thanks for coming back on this.

I suspected an Access Point would be the tool to do the job but being of simple stock and not experienced in network thingys I'm confused between an Access Point and a Wireless Bridge.

Working on the assumption that an Access Point is what I want, this morning I've been trying to convert my spare DG834G router as an Access Point by disabling the DHCP server within it (read it somewhere on t'internet) but I've not succeeded - my BeBox doesn't find it on my home lan.

I've not yet tried checking to see if the Belkin (F5D7330) Games Adapter can be used as an Access Point or maybe I'm just barking (up the wrong tree).

On the assumption that I need to purchase a dedicated Access Point can you tell me if it will need any configuring to cater for the university lan settings or should things be automatic with the only settings needed held on the laptop. Sorry if this is a bit of a noob question.

Cheers

Pete

[ceejay13]

I'll have a look later today, but my gut feeling is that if the WAP is in 'Bridge Mode' you shouldn't be able to see it from the network side - it is transparent to the network, however, the computer you connect wirelessly to the WAP will have it's settings/configuration/requests passed straight thru to the network as though it was connected directly to the network itself.

With the BeBox set up in Bridge Mode, it was only accessible by a direct wired connection to the BeBox.

[Zig]

Thanks Colin.

[ceejay13]

Zig,

Can you give us the Model Number of the Belkin? (and series if it is an F5D7330)

[ceejay13]

Looking at the Netgear WG602v3 Manual and see this

Wireless Repeater. In this mode, the WG602v3 operates as both a wireless access point and a wireless bridge.

and then on page 4-8 there is a nice little diagram.

Not sure but if you made the Laptop the 'Remote Point' it might work.

[Zig]

Colin,

The Belkin is a model F5D7330 with a version number of 1001uk and a serial number of 8249R028906

I'll have a read of the WG602 details. Thanks for the info.

Cheers

Pete