Routing between two wireless networks

Any of the modular Cisco routers with 2 wireless cards? Not cheap though. I am almost sure that one of the 1800 range would do but I would guess that the wireless cards HWIC..... would be 500US each (new). Any maybe more for the chassis and software.

Change the setup from the antenna on your house to connect directly to a router, via ethernet. See if your ISP offers such an option. That's your solution of least hassle, long-term.

Otherwise you could setup your PC to act as a router. Add an ethernet card to it. Then connect that ethernet card to an access point. Configure the access point and use it to connect through the PC to the internet. The downside being that PC will have to be on all the time. That and routing software setup on the PC is somewhat "less than trivial" if you want it to be secure.

Check with your ISP about how to use multiple wired PCs in your house. If they can do that then you're in business.

a little more info on what is on the roof or a link to your WISP would be helpful. Also - is the wireless card in your PC something standard, or is the WISP using something "different" ?

Since you already have a WiFi signal broadcasting from your roof to your PC - then it might cover the rest of the house, if you can have other WiFi computers connecting to the roof ?

WISP is very local and website is only in my native language (Polish). The card in my PC is regular WiFi card linked to an anntena on the roof. The signal is too faint indors to be of any use. Morover only the card provided by WISP cann connect (MAC) - they say I can clon the MAC to a router if I like.

Can we have your WISP website URL - even if in Polish.

Is your computer actually connected to the roof via wireless ? seems then that the roof has back to back wireless access points. or an Ethernet cable running from your computer to the roof ? How does the roof equipment get power ?

I would think something like a Linksys WAP54G acting as a "repeater mode" might be a choice ?

What does the WISP suggest ?

The website is

My computer is connected to the antena on the roof. There is no access point or router on the roof. Ther is just antenna connected to wireless card in my PC via antena port hence there is no power source required.

Repeater might not work because (as far as I understand - and I may be wrong) it just propagates the same network extending its coverage. This will not work for me as I have just one IP addrress assigned that is paired with MAC on the wireless card. The only imporvement I could get through a repeater would be that (if I assigned the same MAC to all computers) I could have any computer connected to the network but only one at a time.

WISP suggested: access point with clonned MAC (I could not find this founctionality on access point I am familiar with - only routers) connected to the roof antena and then access point connected to wireles router (LAN/WiFi router would be needed then - not a very standard piece of equipment either - but possible to find in contrast to WiFi/WiFi router which I am looking for. So far only modular Cisco router suggested by Bill Kearney seem to have such capability but the price is prohibitive).

thanks - that is VERY DIFFERENT that what we all probably thought. We thought you had a "wireless" connection to the roof, not an antenna cable running from your desktop wireless card to the roof just like a TV set....

On Apr 18, 10:55 am, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: .

What your WISP suggests is a good solution. This is also what Bill Kearney was suggesting as your better choice in the long run.

The cheaper, but perhaps more troublesome solution is to use Window''s - Internet Connection Sharing - feature to bridge the WISP card in your pc to an ethernet card. An ethernet cable would go out from there to a wireless router. This router would route and act as AP for the rest of the pcs, I believe. I don't know much about this, but your pc must be on all the time, and I've heard that there are problems with ICS.

Best is to get two wireless routers, at least one of which accepts DD- WRT or Tomato replacement firmwares. These firmwares are free and give your router various modes and settings and should do what you need. For one of them, you will set it to Client mode and use MAC cloning to copy the MAC of the WISP card. That one will used as a Wireless Ethernet Client, connecting to the antenna. It will act as a radio to them and bridge for you over ethernet cable. This cable can then connect to the second router which you will use as a Router and Wireless AP to your various home computers.

In Europe, the Buffalo line of routers should be availible and the WHR- G54 is a good inexpensive router for DD-WRT. Also the Linksys WRT54GL (L is important) or the ASUS routers work well. Check DD-WRT list of compatible routers to be sure. If you don't want to go with the special firmware, then buy one device that is called a Client Bridge/AP (make sure it has Client mode and MAC cloning) and one common wireless router. The wireless routers are the common devices sold, but Client/APs are also availible for reasonable prices (in the US).

However, I think that most would recommend a DD-WRT capable router (or two) to be sure you will have all the features and support. If you don't want to get involved with flashing the firmware, the DD-WRT store has offered routers pre-flashed for sale at times. They are in Germany, I believe.

Don't forget about connecting the antenna cable now coming into your computer. You need to know what kind of connector it has and make sure your Client device matches. Most wireless devices use RP-sma, but Linksys uses RP-TNC. Ask your WISP if not sure.

Steve

Re-reading, not so sure what Bill meant !

Don't know what stores/products you have in your neck of the woods, but we had something similar in northern Idaho (metal snow roof, outside thing was just a directional antenna on the chimney and a long cable that came inside to a card in the pc... If it's similar, had an antenna jack on the cable, just picked up a wap/router at walmart (don't know if you have em there), replaced on of the antennas on the box with the cable/connector (in essence just replacing one of the antennas with the one on the cable, a little strange, since diversity antennas are supposed to be in pairs), in the setup prog, told it to clone the mac address i gave it, and all was ok (mostly, cept for the prob with one antenna instead of two)....

And what is the name of the router?