Wireless networking question
 

We've just moved and my cable modem is not in my home office, though my desktop, NAS and network printer are. Instead, the cable modem is in the master BR and I have attached a wireless router to that.

How do I go about attaching the balance of the network (wirelessly) to the cable modem? Here is a crude schematic:

Internet (cable modem)
Wireless router

. lappy 1
. lappy 2
.
.

Desktop (Mac G5) attached via gig-e router to
NAS
Network printer

I assume that I will have to use another wireless router in the office and link that to the gig-e router, then somehow get the office wireless router to talk to the bedroom wireless router? Any tips on how to do this?

TIA.

Mike

Adding:

I just want to be able to get online from the desktop, and remotely access the NAS from wherever I happen to be, and to print to the network printer from the lappys.

You need a wireless bridge and a switch. Do you mean you have a gig-e switch?

cable-modem - wireless router in the bedroom.

~~ wireless signal ~~

wireless bridge - switch - wired devices in the office.

Instead of buying a wireless bridge and separate switch, look into DD-WRT and see if you can do this with a Linksys WRT54GL wireless router in the office instead. That will be cheaper than buying a wireless bridge. If 4 ports aren't enough, switches are cheap. I'm pretty sure you can do it with DD-WRT and any of the wireless routers that it runs on.

The other way to do it would be to add two powerline adpaters

switch - powerline adaptor - power outlet in the office

power outlet - powerline adaptor - router - cable modem in the bedroom

Powerline is supposed to be much faster than wireless G, probably better than N.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...X0T0GCVQNTJD65


The other thing to do would be to have the cable company install a cable outlet in the office and just move the router into the office, which is probably where you want the best throughput anyway.

-David

lappy?

Can you physicially run a wire between the two rooms easily? That would be the easiest way and most reliable way if it's an easy run.

I can't really run a wire. I have to do this wirelessly, or as suggested above with a powerline connection.

To answer the question a couple of posts up, I have a gig-e switch.

OK, so the gig-E router is really a switch. I assume that in your former location, the switch plugged into the router, as did the Mac, the NAS, and the network printer - only the two laptops connected wirelessly. Your problem comes about because none of the 3 (Mac, NAS, printer) are wirelessly equipped. An obvious answer is to get a wireless card for the Mac, & wireless print server for the printer. This would work fine if you leave the NAS in the bedroom, connected to the router.

You might take a look at something like this, designed to extend the wireless network. This might work very well. Otherwise, you might need to look at dual-band access points such as this. These will definitely work, but you need two ($250-$300 for both).

Leave the switch in the office connected to the things in the office.

Then add a pair of powerline adapters, one connected to the switch, one connected to the router, or you add one wireless bridge connected to the switch.

I think your best bet is the pair of powerline adapters (see my previous reply for the link.)

-David

Powerline adapters ordered. Thanks, David.

Mike

Laptop.

FWIW, probably too late, but here is a nice high speed powerline kit for just $40 (comes with 2 adapters)

http://www.directron.com/blpa100kta.html

By the time I saw this was OOS. Thanks, though.

I am interested in knowing how this works out. I have heard the powerline adapters were a bit unreliable. Please let us know how it goes.

Reviews on AMZN are mixed but on average positive. I'll post my experience here once I get the network set up (this weekend, I hope). My use shouldn't be all that demanding; most big file transfers will be wired from the NAS to the desktop. I will stream iTunes over the network so that may be a bit of a test.

The current generation Powerline equipment isn't too bad. Good speeds, and little interference. Still rather pricey though...