[lug] Dumb Wireless Networking Questions

[Ryan Kirkpatrick]

On 23 Apr 2003, The Matt wrote:

> I am giving serious thought to buying a Tungsten C, so I'd like a WAP at
> home for internet access.  I assume for this to work, I just need to buy
> a WAP (Linksys or whoever) and connect it to my Actiontec gateway (modem
> cum router)?  Or am I missing a piece of hardware?

	Yea, that is all you need, just a WAP and plug it into your home
network.

> Are there any recommendations as to which WAP is best?  And, since
> someday I'll probably be giving Qwest their gateway back, is a wireless
> router a better purchase?  Or is it unadvisable to run a router off a
> gateway (which seems like it could be)?

	I would recommend the LinkSys Router/WAP combo (~$120) as the best
deal. I have one of these, and while I do not use the router capablities,
the WAP portion works great. Even with setup there are several advantages
to the router over a stand alone WAP:

 *) Web based configuration for the router, USB/SNMP (with Windows-only
    software) based configuration for the stand alone.

 *) The router has a built in DHCP server, while the stand alone does not
    (relying on a network DHCP server). 

 *) The router's wireless interface is more reliable than the stand alone
    one.

To expand on the last point, I purchased orignally a stand alone WAP
(already have a 486 running Linux for the firewall/router). Yet about
every NIC I tried (LinkSys, Lucent, Cisco) seemed to only get 8-18 kB/sec
throughput to it. I would up-rev the WAP, and even power cycle it, and
occasionally, when the Earth's magentic's field was in the right
alignment, I could get a couple of hundred kB/sec out of it. Otherwise I
was stuck with a speed slower than my Internet connection (and its only an
IDSL!).

I got fed up with it, and purchased the LinkSys router after I had tested
one at work without a problem. It works great! I am able to get over 500
kB/sec through it, even when a hundred or so feet away. 

Hence my recommendation for the router WAP, it is more flexible, and
sounds like the best for you needs long term (i.e. returning Qwest's
router). Good luck, and have fun being wireless! :)

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|   "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."                    |
|                                            --- Philippians 1:21 (KJV)   |
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|   Ryan Kirkpatrick  |  Boulder, Colorado  |  http://www.rkirkpat.net/   |
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