Adding wireless capability to an existing network?

How would I do that? Would I have to buy a wireless router or is their something like an antenna that I can just plug into my existing network to add the capability?

 

I believe you have to buy a wireless router. I know I had a wired up network but then changed out the router with a linksys wireless one. Their not too expensive, if you wait for a sale/rebate you can get them for around $40.

I wish you could stick an attena on it though. Now I have a regular router just sitting in the closet.

:asus:

 

I know I've seen something for the linksys routers regarind buying an antenna, but I think they were already wireless routers and the antenna was an upgrade for larger range. I don't think they converted regular routers into wireless ones. Before my mom bought her Toshiba Satelite witht his package from CompUSA that includes a NETGEAR router, we had a linksys BEFSR41 non-wireless one. This one has nothing for a wireless antenna but that could be dependent on the model itself whereas another linksys might. I would try and find those antenna's to make sure if they were for upgrading an original one or converting a non-WLAN to a WLAN.

We have the WGR614 from NETGEAR it has worked great. Just recently though in the past two days the power has gone out 3 TIMES in our neighborhood. Probably from the increased heat in southern California and people running the AC's. The first two nothing happened but the power was out for about an 1 1/2 and 3 hours. But yesterday when it went out for 5 hours, the settings were lost on the router. I just had to re-configure it which could have been avoided if you take the option of saving your settings on your hardrive for back-up.

 

The only way to make your current network wireless is to add a wireless router. Antennas that you've seen are upgrade "high-gain" antennas that are ment to replace the standard antennas the come with the wireles router. It improves single strength and coverage area.

You can either replace your current router/switch with a wireless one or keep your current setup and add on the wireless router (known as stacking).

 

Exactly. Simply put, there is no way to make a non-wireless router into a wireless one. Its a simple fact of hardware. Its like trying to "add an antenna" to that old corded phone of yours and make it into a cellphone, unless you add new hardware (to the extent sometimes its not worth it), then its not gonna happen. Just buy a nice new wifi router

 

I think what he's asking is if you can hook up a wireless access point to one of the network ports on the wired router.

If you're talking about a home network, then it would be better just to upgrade to a wirelss router.

However, if you're talking about a network that's already setup and hardwired to your home or office, then I think you can add an access point. I'm not entirely sure about this, but I imagine that it's possible.

Anyone have any insights? I'd like very much to do this very thing at the school I'll be working at in September, but I don't want to have to spend over 100$ for it.

 

Even if you assume the network cable is already setup and installed through out the house inside the walls. For most homes, it's still better to replace the current router with a wireless one. The wireless router should have at least 3-4 ethernet ports (same as most wired routers) so you won't lose any functionality.

If you had more desktop computers then you have ethernet ports on the router, that's when you would buy a basic switch (4, 5, 8, or 16 port) or a wireless access point (or the old router could be used as an access point). You only need that if you have a lot of computers and the area is already network ready. For example a school would usually have one router or if going wireless then a hot spot server (like a wireless router but with more advanced features and allows more connections); then they would place & share a (8 or 16 port) switch between as many computers & classrooms as they could. If each classroom had around 6 computers, then they would usually just put in an 8 port switch in every room.

 

any websites that would be helpful in understanding how to set this setup up. As i have a router and a wireless router right now. SMC VBR14 , and i'm trying to set it up as a wireless access point for my laptop so i can roam around my house with it.

If i am able to setup my SMC wireless router as an access point will there still be encryption on the wireless portion of my network or will it just serve as a physical connection with no features to protect my laptop and wireless network from being taken advanteage of?

 

Gab, setting up a security key, called WEP, is up to you. Every router offers this option.

 

The router will act as a firewall but you should still have at least a firewall running on the laptop as well as an antivirus program. And of course enable WEP encryption when you setup the wireless router, unless you want to give your neighbours free broadband access.

 

If you don't want to change your current router setup, then all you need to do is add a wireless access point. Generally the same thing as a router, but less options to setup (like DHCP) so it won't interfere with your existing network.

-Vb-

 

But you'll probably find that a standalone access point costs more than a wireless router...

 

True ... especially when you can get the 'b' version of the Linksys wireless router for free after rebates, like I did a couple of weeks ago. Remember, you don't need anything faster than the 'b' for internet use.

 

That's true, but it depends on what type of network it's being installed on. If it's the company network, the access point is the ideal choice. But in a home setup, yes, it probably would be more expensive.

-Vb-

 

And the second router can act as a firewall, too. I'm using a dLink wireless router to feed a Barricade 7004ABR wired router. Not because of the extra security, but because the Barricade has a parallel printer port on it. As a bonus, that setup allows me to run the wireless in DMZ mode and not have to worry about being hacked.