Good wireless bridge?

I want a wireless bridge (is that redundant?) to act as an ethernet converter, connecting to different brand APs (one at a time, of course). Would like to buy only 1 bridge and have it work with other brands of APs. An external antenna connector would be a plus.

I hear good things about D-Link's DWL-900AP+, rev C.

Do you have a favorite? If so, what do you like about it?

Thanks,

In article , DaveC wrote: :I want a wireless bridge (is that redundant?)

No, most WiFi equipment these days does not have a briding mode [at least not in the shipped versions.] Some of the more stable and reliable bridges that have been on the market for years are quite restricted as to which systems they will connect to -- sometimes only to the exact same model, sometimes only to devices by the same manufacturer.

Wireless bridges that follow a standard and so should interoperate [in theory] use 'WDS', "Wireless Distribution Standard". If a device you are examining does not advertise WDS, then it isn't the right one for you [short of replacing the firmware]; if the devices you want to connect to are not WDS, then you might not be able to connect to them from anything other than a device made by the same manufacturer.

:to act as an ethernet :converter, connecting to different brand APs (one at a time, of course). :Would like to buy only 1 bridge and have it work with other brands of APs. An :external antenna connector would be a plus.

:I hear good things about D-Link's DWL-900AP+, rev C.

I have no particular models to suggest at the moment, just general comments:

1) Read the reviews in places like pcmag and tomsnetworking and amazon . When I was last looking around a few weeks ago, it was quite discouraging: the top-rated consumer-level 802.11g devices were at 6 out of 10 or less in customer satisfaction. Mass sales is no guarantee of quality.

2) Read the reviews again, and read the informal reports in places like alt.internet.wireless and dslreports.com, this time with a view to what customers are saying about their support experiences with the companies. -My- quick summary, looking at those reports, would be

"If one of the devices works for you in -your- circumstances, then Great! -- but that doesn't mean it will work for everyone. If you are having a problem with it, and it is from any of the well-known commodity WiFi manufacturers, chances are that you will be disenchanted by the support organization, with a significant chance that you will end up swearingly up and down that you will never EVER buy from that manufacturer again."

Or to put things another way: If it works for you, then it works for you; if it doesn't work for you, then be prepared to throw it out (or sell it on eBay). You seldom get serious support attention from a WiFi manufacturer unless you have paid several times the going commodity-device price.

A WiFi access point is simply an ethernet to WiFi bridge, so I assume what the OP wants is just a recommendation for a WiFi AP?

Since WiFi AP's these days tend to be more expensive than WiFi routers, and because (according to Jeff Liebermann) most WiFi routers have an undocumented "AP" mode which can be used simply by plugging an ethernet cable into the LAN side and leaving the WAN side unconnected, you may want to consider that direction if price is an issue.

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 17:17:14 -0700, Philip J. Koenig wrote (in article ):

Terminology (correct me if I'm wrong): AP is "point-to-multipoint" device; connects wireless clients to a wired network (a WAN, for example).

Client is "multi-point-to-point" device, connecting wired network (or single computer) to the AP, via wireless signal.

I want to connect a wired subnet to a remote AP (this device already exists and cannot be changed or replaced). As I understand it, I can use an AP device used in Client mode (talks to APs) or a Bridge (also talks to APs).

So a router can be used in Client mode? It can talk to APs?

Thanks,

Only if it supports AP Client Mode otherwise a wireless router AP wont talk to another wireless router AP. The other issue is how many MACs will an AP client pass.. 1 for sure, note the word client and not clients. AP client mode is really acting as a wireless adapter converting a non-wireless device to wireless. Allot of devices such as myWAP54G use WDS and has AP, Bridge, Repeater and Client mode. Repeater mode and Client mode will talk to an AP, Bridge mode talks to another bridge.

What I did, was connect a Wifi router to a 3rd NIC on my Linux firewall. This way, Wifi is outside my firewall and the only way in, is via ssh or VPN. I also have WEP enabled.

FWIW, there are some Linksys models than run on Linux and can be configured to do things far beyond what the designers intended. There is even one package available, that's essentially a "hot spot in a box", for use in a coffee shop etc.

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 05:25:03 -0700, Airhead wrote (in article ):

Thanks for that. Now that I've got the terminology down, I'm looking for a device (regardless of what it's called) that can operate in client mode. Since I the existing remote AP cannot be changed, bridge mode it out of the question.

I like a lot of the D-Link devices, many of which operate in client mode.

Thanks again,

Most routers do NOT support client mode, however, which is needed for the far end of a bridge, at least not without doing custom linux firmware hacking or whatever.