Wireless Access On Wired Network
 

Hello.

I've been browsing this forum, among others, in hopes of finding an answer to this, but I've come up virtually empty. I'm looking at changing our home network, and would like to know what problems I might encounter.

Current configuration: My wife's WinXP box as gateway (to Surfboard SB4100 cable modem) with my Slackware v10.0 (2.4.26) box and D-Link DWL-G700AP Wireless Access Point connected to it via a Link-Max LM-208 switch.

Proposed configuration: New Xandros v2.0 (2.4.24-x1) box as gateway (same cable modem) with both of the boxes and the WAP mentioned above connected to it via the aforementioned switch.

Everything I find about wireless seems to either be talking about running a wireless card on a given machine or running an entirely wireless network. In our case the WAP is only to allow my wife's WinXP laptop access to the network/internet -- laptop downstairs, rest of network upstairs. I even tried looking it up in the HCL, but the closest I got was the DWL-G650+. I realize that there is often little difference from one model to the next, but sometimes it's the little differences that make things not work.

Any and all help is much appreciated!

Thanx,
Terje

Hi there,

The problem here as I can see it is that you have the xandros computer acting as your gateway which will therefore dole out IP addresses via DHCP (am I right?) as the AP you have is only an AP and not a router capable of DHCP. Therefore where will the laptop get its IP address from? If you set it statically thats no problem but then you'll need to have the AP attached to the gateway with both on permanently. I think your network will be over-complicated. My advice would be to lose the AP and switch and get a router which is silent, uses less power and can stay on 24/7. Most wireless routers come with wired ports in the back so you can connect the xandros box into that. Or am i on completely the wrong track?
Regards
Chris