RV Wireless Solution

Installing 3rd party firmware doesn't sound so good for a drop-in-someone-else's house solution.

That would be true, and the USB gets unwieldly if the PC isn't close enough to the window.

Real recommendations are always good. I would like a router with a factory client mode. The Hawking is one. I think there is a Linksys now that also has a factory client mode.

Well, if you have a computer with windows that can connect to the distant point, then run a proxy server (windows IWS can probably do this) on that computer to allow the other computers to have access to the remote point via the computer running the proxy server.

have you considered just using the cantenna as input to a wap/router? (ie replace one of the rubber ducky antennas with the cantenna, and turn the other off! (they are usually labeled main and aux, just use the main connection and turn the aux off)

Thanks, but the cantenna portion really isn't the issue. I cannot (& don't need to) alter the existing DSL>WRT54G setup; it's my neighbor's system.

My question is: what device(s) to use & how to configure those devices to get broadband internet wirelessly to multiple computers in my shop & house. Only one window of the shop has line of site to the WRT54G; I must either 'repeat' or use some other technique to get wifi to the rest of my future personal network.

I continue to read all I can find, & it looks like I need either a wireless-to-wired 'bridge' or a wireless 'client' to get internet from the WRT54G to my own private network. Does that sound right?

It's really a network device configuration question. Perhaps I need to ask the question on purely network oriented list?

Thanks,

Charlie

I do it. One of our LAN clients already had a linksys wrt54g v4 and I put DD-WRT on it and turned it into an ethernet client adapter. They don't know the difference or care.

I marked "DD-WRT" with the reset-default IP and passwords as well as current IP and passwords so anyone could use it before or after reset, but don't anticipate that happening.

The only disadvantage I can see is:

1) if the "someone-else's" have to install the firmware themselves and are not up to it 2) The router might possibly be returned under warranty

Advantages for somebody like you are too numerous to mention, but the newest one I'm liking is Rflow (netflow) for monitoring. Try to get that with factory firmware on SOHO routers ! And the features keep growing. I also really like the idea of having one firmware that works on various boxes. Simplifies setup, monitoring and management.

Steve

YES that's right. I thought I answered this yesterday, but it didn't show up.

Again:

Your Motorola MAY take replacement firmware. Go to the DD-WRT wiki here:

If not, you can get a DD-WRT compatible router and set it up with DD- WRT as mentioned in my above posts in client mode.

OR

For the simplest solution, just buy a dedicated ethernet bridge like the Buffalo:

Whatever you use for that end, you can certainly use one of your existing wireless routers as an AP/router for the rest of your house by connecting it with a cable to the ethernet bridge.

This is a good solution. You can do it for free if your Motorola WR850G is v2 or v3 and you are up to fiddling with firmware flashing. If you decide to buy, then the Buffalo HP ethernet adapter is a good choice for about $60.

The setup for both the client adapter and your local wireless router should be typical and straightforward in your application.

Steve

Even easier then.... Worry about getting your network working the way you want, but use a different subnet (third number in the octet address range) so your computers will be totally isolated from your neighbors, any programs using the internet will try and use subnet 1, which tthe internet will be on, but not your network computers, and then just have the input for internet go into the router part of the wap/router... For the cantenna part, they make Ethernet "dongles" (like USB ones, but way more expensive, usually $120), consider an ethernet dongle inside the cantenna, and then just plug that ethernet into your router...

Ahhh...I can finally see daylight! The back-to-back bridge/access point is what I was hoping for, so I can get the wifi to the wired desktop in the shop and also get wifi to the computers in the house.

I'll play with DD-WRT on the Motorola & if I don't have quick success, I'll spring for the Buffalo. $60 is a very reasonable figure to reach my goal.

Thanks to all for their help; I'll post my results when I get everything up & running.

BTW, just to satisfy my curiosity, does the back-to-back bridge/access point setup avoid the problem of halving throughput when using a plain wireless repeater like the Linksys WRE54G?

Charlie

Charlie hath wroth:

There are a few more Motorola devices listed for OpenWRT. See:

I skimmed over that section on flashing the Motorola (check the version number out first!) and suggest that you use the 3rd method,

*tftp flashing*. It works easily on the Buffalos and is not as hard as it looks. They recommend it as safest too.

Couple of things:

Make sure you get the right file sorted out, I believe you have to start with a MICRO version initially but can web- flash up from there, if you need to. Micro will do client mode. . Save the right file for the router on your C drive and just command line it over to the router at the specified moment. If it fails, it just doesn't take. I'm not a command line person much, but it was easy enough.

If the motorola is like the others, the main thing you have to be careful about is waiting a long time after it confirms the transfer for it to fully take before doing a reboot. As was said, get a cup of coffee.

I understand it that way. Your local router/AP is not doing store and forward. Neither is the client bridge.

I suppose there's still interference and I would seperate the channels as much as possible.

Steve