Network Design Question?

[zsarver]

I am moving to a place where there is already a wireless network present for internet access. I would like to have my own router set up for my person use with my equipment.

What would be the best way to achieve this?

[Ghost_Hacker]

Are you trying to set it up so your wireless client only uses your Internet connection and not the shared one provied by your landlord and at the same time keep others from connecting to it?

Or are you trying to connect your wireless router to this other WLAN and then have only your computer access this WLAN via your wireless router?

[zsarver]

The second one! LOL. I'm trying to connect my personal network to the network already there. I wasn't clear to begin with.

[Ghost_Hacker]

You would need the help of your landlord to setup their access point (AP) for WDS bridging to your access point. Both access points would need configuration changes and you both need to know each other's AP MAC addresses. WDS may not work if you are not both using APs from the same vendor.

Also WDS bridging has two problems depending on what mode you choose.

1. Access points, when bridged togethere, do not allow client access from any other wireless device except the other access point. In order to do so you normally, depending on the AP's vendor, have to reduce the security of the access point from WPA2 to WEP (though some vendors can use WPA-PSK). This allows other wireless clients to use the access point but the speed of the wireless connection can drop depending on the network configuration and, in any case,the connection is less secure when using WEP.

2. In "true" bridged mode the access points that are bridges do not allow access form any other wireless client except the other bridged access point. You can see where this would cause problems for your landlords other Wireless clients. This mode is best for wirelessly connecting two wired networks.



Your router's documentation should tell you if its supports WDS or "AP bridging".

Good luck :)

[Variable]

A wireless router connects to another wireless device via a radio. One radio, one link; so you could connect to a wireless router or connect from a wireless client but, not both UNLESS you have two radios in the router. You could connect to the wireless router and plug a computer into the device and it would work fine.

[Ghost_Hacker]

A wireless router connects to another wireless device via a radio. One radio, one link; so you could connect to a wireless router or connect from a wireless client but, not both UNLESS you have two radios in the router. You could connect to the wireless router and plug a computer into the device and it would work fine.


Sorry, but that is incorrect please check into the WDS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Distribution_System) option supplied with some routers. There is the option to connect to a wireless bridge and still talk with wireless clients. WDS settings can vary depending on the vendor and one vendor's WDS might not work with another.

One radio does not equal one link unless you purposly design or setup a point to point connection otherwise you would only be allowed one wireless session per router. (though that might make it easier to digest for the layman :) )Throughput not number of radios is the determing factor with regards to wireless performance. That throughput can be taxed by the number of clients, environment and any overhead associated with the protocols used. Please note that the setting up of wireless "bridging" effects not just the poster but all the wireless clients in his building or range.

A snipit from the wiki: WDS may also be referred to as repeater mode because it appears to bridge and accept wireless clients at the same time (unlike traditional bridging). It should be noted, however, that throughput in this method is inversely proportional to two raised to the power of the number of "hops",[2] as all traffic uses the same channel.

Hope this helps :)

[Ghost_Hacker]

Another option if you have a router that supports it is DD-WRT (http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page)

DD-WRT only need be setup on the "repeating" router and it also allows for assigning clients to a different subnet. Be warned that DD-WRT is not for the failnt of heart as it is a freeware download and install it yourself project. But it does offer better security as clients connected to the DD-WRT router can not see or be seen by clients connected to the the host AP. (With WDS you would use a diffrent SSID in order to help control access to your router).

Good Luck:)