1. Home
  2. Wireless Networking
  3. Connect to two networks at once?

Connect to two networks at once?

I don't want to sound stupid or anything, but is it possible to connect to a peer-to-peer wireless network and to a wireless router network through one wireless adapter? I have a router downstairs, and a desktop pc upstairs along with a laptop, both with one wireless adapter each. Downstairs there are two other desktops that connect via wireless adapter to the router. My laptop always gets crummy service, so I want to create a peer-to-peer network with the upstairs computers. The desktop would serve as a sort of 'router', connecting to the downstairs wireless router and the peer-to-peer at the same time. I would then share the connection to downstairs with the laptop via ICS over the ptp network. Both upstairs computers are running Win XP. Please help. Any suggestions are welcome.

Reply to
pcpedersen1
Loading thread data ...

That's absolute trouble for you with wireless cards in AD-Hoc mode, ICS, and the XP O/S. You'll be spending a whole lot of time trying to figure out why things have stopped working, why did it all of sudden go on the blink, and I can't get it back, now what.

You'll be bald headed quickly, as you pull your hair out.

Reply to
Mr. Arnold

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com hath wroth:

Sorta, maybe, kinda. It's not normally possible, but Microsoft has a VirtualWiFi (formerly MultiNet) project which might make it possible. See:

The problem is that I guess(tm) that it only applies to an all ad-hoc or multiple infrastructure networks. I don't think you can mix the two modes on a single client. However, I might be wrong.

Yech. Forget it. Way too complicated plus ICS is in my never humble opinion a generally bad idea. There are better ways.

  1. Get a better or more directional antenna on our access point.
    formatting link
    Install a 2nd access point upstairs with a CAT5 cable as a backhaul to the main router.
  2. WDS repeater. This requires that both the main wireless router and whatever you add will support WDS mode.
  3. Run some CAT5 cable upstairs.
  4. Power line networks (HomePlug), phone line networking (HomePNA), or CATV cable sharing.
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.