wifi with non-wifi router

[Tedster]

How would one set up a home wifi network with a non-wifi router? I have a router for my voip phone but it is not wireless. Do I just add a wireless card to my main PC?

I do not want to remove my current router. None of the wifi routers I have looked at have VOIP ports on the back.

Will adding a wifi PCI card do the trick? Most of the wifi cards show them in use with a wifi router.

 

[N3051M]

what about a wifi access point that plugs into an ethernet port on your existing router?

you can use a wifi card to do the same, but its a bit fiddly..

by the way, is it just to network pc's only?

 

[Nodsu]

As N3051M said, the proper way is to hook up a wireless access point.

You can either bridge the wired and wireless adapters in one of your computers or set up Windows ICS, but indeed, it will be fiddly and unreliable.

 

[Tedster]

I have a laptop with wifi that I use occasionally for school, but it is not connected to the internet unless I mooch off the neighbors or drag it over to my desktop which is cable connected.

Basically I want to create an internal network with the equipment I have.

What do I need for a wifi access point?

 

[tdeg]

The easiest and cheapest way is to buy a wifi router.

Most come with a 4 port switch built in.

To make work with what you have I would buy a DLink router simply because they do auto crossover for cabling and then that's one less thing you have to worry about.

Here is the steps to make it work.
1) Buy a wireless router (DLink would be easiest).
2) Find the IP address of your desktop PC. (Start->Run->"cmd"->"ipconfig") It is probably 192.168.1.xxx.
3) Set up your new router and hook your laptop into one of the lan ports. Log into the router by going to the router address. It is most likely 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. Follow the documentation that came with the router and change its address to 192.168.x.2. The x will be the corresponding x in your ip address on your desktop.
4)Hook your new router into your existing router by connecting from a lan port on your old router to a lan port on your new router. The lan port if very important. Do not connect to your WAN port. If your router is not a DLink, you will probably need to get a cross-over cable for this.
5)log onto your new router at 192.168.x.2 and set a WKA-PSK or WEP encryption key so your neighbours can't steal some internet back.
6)enjoy your wireless network.

I have this same setup at both home and work. It works great. Plus its the cheapest way. Wireless routers are usually cheaper than a wireless access point and you get the benefit of an extra few switch ports.

 

[Tedster]

can't do that. Don't want to lose VOIP ports

I need a solution that doesn't change my existing router.

If a wifi card will work - how do I set it up to create a local network?

 

[Tedster]

ok, nodsu. I figured out what you meant by a access point. I bought one and it works fine unencrypted mode with a password. I want to go WEP, but when I do that my laptop can't connect.

 

[Nodsu]

tdeg: why get a router and add complxity to the system when a simple AP will work without all that fuss?

Tedster: did you set up the laptop to use WEP too?

If you are using the Windows builtin wireless support, then it should just ask you for the passphrase when you try to connect to the encrypted network. If it is some third-party wireless application, then you may have to play around with some configuration settings.

WEP should be pretty compatible as long as you tell both the AP and the computer to use the same kind of encryption (number of bits, authentication type). Might need to upate the wireless drivers and AP firmware..

WPA is much more secure than WEP and you should really try to get that working instead.

 

[N3051M]

i'd agree.. WPA is much better (and secure) and especialy easier to set up if you use the PreShared-Key mode.. i hear WPA2 is in the works?

i've done that whole internet>pc>ics/network>wifi>laptop thing, and it gave me a headache.. at one point i got it working, but then the laptop was taken out of the network the network collapsed, even my cable network connections.. very fiddley.. due to me stuck on dailup (good ol' aussie outdated telco technology... ) and worse being one pc winxp, the laptop winME and the print server/guest pc win98

tedster, out of curiosity, what AP did you get?

 

[Tedster]

Well, so far, I have a partial solution. I added a linksys wireless G access point to my router (which I keep for VOIP calling), however, at the moment I am unble to set up the network for security. It works in unsecured mode.
I am using the linksys software, but it isn't easy.
I have a feeling I am going to have to play with it over the next few days to get it right.

I'd like to get the hang of this. If I can get a broadband connection while in baghdad, I want to let the troops have free wifi in my barracks. But only the troops in my barracks would have access. (to avoid overload and evesdropping)