Need Advice With New ADSL Setup (1 Viewer)

[Darren Lewis]

I'm moving house soon and need some advice about my new broadband setup.

Current Setup:-
NTL Cable Broadband.
NTL Cable modem connected via ethernet cable to
Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless access point router with 4-port switch.
Two PCs with standard 10/100 NIC
Laptop with Linksys Wireless PCMCIA Card.

New Setup:-
BT Line with ADSL
New ADSL Internet (?provider, probably PIPEX).

The new house doesn't have a phone line in the second bedroom, so the ADSL will come into the lounge.

My question is how to get the internet to my second bedroom without adding another phone point in the second bedroom (it's a rental apartment so I can't do too much to the structure of the building)?

Options:-
1. Get a wireless ADSL modem (eg BT Voyager 2000) or a wireless modem/router - can that "talk" to my current Linksys BEFW11S4?
2. Get a wireless ADSL modem/router and go completely wireless with a wireless NIC in my two PCs. Sell off the Linksys BEFW11S4.
3. Get an ethernet ADSL modem, and put the Linksys BEFW11S4 in the lounge - I would still need to get a wireless card for the pc in the second bedroom.
4. Use one of the PCs as the router with a USB modem and a wireless access card to transfer the wireless signal to the pc in bedroom 2 (which would also need a wireless access card).

Any ideas?

I don't think option 4 is that good.
Option 1 is probably the cheapest?

 

[Tony Whalen]

Whoops... just re-read your message... deleting my previous response.

NEW response....

I'd go with option 3. Hardwire the BEFW11S4, and put a wireless card in the PC in the second bedroom.

 

[Darren Lewis]

Tony, I think that would be the cheapest option for me.

It's how to get the ADSL into the BEFW11S4 when it's in a different room. I need a wireless solution for the WAN part.

I think I'll need a wireless ADSL modem/router such as the Netgear DG824M and then turn off the routing/WAN part of my linksys BEFW11S4.

In other words, use the BEFW11S4 as a wireless point to bridge between the wireless and wired LAN.

Would that work?

Quick Edit: Tony, that's probably the easiest option Just need an ethernet ADSL modem (a lot of the ones bundled by the ISP are USB modems).

 

[Darren Lewis]

Any other ideas from anyone?

 

[Darren Lewis]

OK, I think I've sorted this. Apparantly wireless access points can't talk to each other, I would need a wireless bridge

I'd need to get an ADSL ethernet modem and wire that into my existing router/firewall and put them in the lounge. Or, buy an integrated modem/firewall/router/WAP and sell my existing one.

Then get a Wireless Bridge to connect the lounge setup to my wired LAN in bedroom 2.

I'm thinking of the LinkSys WET11 or the WAP11 (in client mode).

Any recommendations for a good ADSL ethernet modem? Netgear?

Would that work?

Darren.

 

[Cees Alons]

Darren,

(1) Some wireless accesspoints can talk to each other. They have a bridge-mode (and some even an access list option).

(2) My personal preference is this (I have it at my home): two NIC's in my 'gateway' computer. The ethernet ADSL-modem on one of them, the wireless accesspoint on the other. That computer runs XP, I have set Internet Sharing and the ADSL-NIC firewalled (the XP firewall is one of the best, although it does have a few disadvantages as well).

On my notebooks, I use wireless cards, on my other PC's (like the one in your bedroom) USB wireless adapters. My son (heavily net-gaming) has those USB-adapters on his PC's too.

Since 2 months, I have a more complicated setup (with a switch, a central server and now two wireless accesspoints - the new one is an 802.11g), but that's irrelevant here.

I think this is closest to your solution 4. But if you don't want to use one of the PCs as a "gate", it's simple to change this concept to your 3.

Cees

 

[Darren Lewis]

Thanks Cees.

I'll way up the costs of buying wireless adaptors/cards vs the cost of a wireless bridge and switch.

I've found some very good info on Tom's Hardware and also on the LinkSys site. This page shows the setup I think I will need, so I'll probably get a wireless bridge and add it to a switch.

I think it's best to stick with the same manufacturer for wireless to try to reduce conflicts/problems.