wifi internet to router to distribute possible?

[rikkert1978]

As I am planning to dump my cd player, and having my digital from a squeezebox, I need to think ahead and make a home network.

The problem is that I dont have any wired internet in my house. Only wifi internet from the neighbours (yeah it legal ;-) )

As I want the squeezebox and my media player on internet (and all connected to my Nas) I need a network that has both internet, and router connection.

Like this:
_________________________xbox 360
_____________________________|
Wifi internet from neighbours > router > squeezebox
____________________________ | > computer
___________________________ nas > mediacenter

(ignore the ____ line, but else the layout was messed up.)


As you can see, the xbox 360 and the Nas are hardwired to my router.

All this is fictive, as I don`t want to buy a wrong router, and there are like a gazillion ones. I narrowed the choice down to a D-link or a linksys because those are dualband which is needed (I was told)

Linksys WRT320N or a dualband D-link

So my real question: can I buy the WRT320N connect all my stuff to it, and have the router re-route the internet that comes in wirelessly in my home?

Thanks for watching.

[Theo404]

Wireless Distribution System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Almost all wireless routers do it.... you will of course need access to the config of your neighbours router....

But if you can get wireless signal from your neighbour to all devices, why do you need to add an extra router?

[TheSeekerr]

I'd try and avoid using WDS if at all possible, because it's not compatible with WPA/WPA2 security, only the older, broken, WEP.

Some wireless switches have the ability to connect to another by pretending to be an ordinary client (ie. a computer) and then reshare the connection that way. I'd suggest trying to find one of those.

[TheSeekerr]

Alternatively, if your computer has good wireless reception and is always on, you could use it as a network bridge. Then you would simply buy any wireless switch, connect your computer using a normal ethernet cable, and you'd have the setup you're after - the computer "unifies" its own wireless connection with its own wired connection, so everything on the two networks can communicate as though they were one.

[Theo404]

Originally Posted by TheSeekerr

I'd try and avoid using WDS if at all possible, because it's not compatible with WPA/WPA2 security, only the older, broken, WEP.

Some wireless switches have the ability to connect to another by pretending to be an ordinary client (ie. a computer) and then reshare the connection that way. I'd suggest trying to find one of those.

If you had read the wiki article I linked you would know that only dynamic WPA/WPA2 is unsupported by WDS... static WPA encryption is just as impenetrable as dynamic if you choose a decent pre shared key (8 characters or more even with all the same case letters and no numbers is practically impossible to bruteforce... mix in different case and numerical values and it becomes statistically impossible with current hardware)...

That aside, I fail to understand the original question if I'm honest....

Your internet connection comes from next door via wireless but you want a network of your own? Get your own internet connection?!

But ok, so with a wireless internet connection you want some of your devices connected with a real wire? Fair enough, buy any modern router and set up WDS with it and your neighbours, although all you will be doing is providing more access to your neighbours network... his/her router will still be the one providing ips via dhcp.

TheSeekerr, what software on what OS would you suggest to turn one of his devices into a network bridge exactly?

[TheSeekerr]

Windows XP (Pro, to be specific - I have no computers running Home) and its sucessors can all be used to form a network bridge between wired and wireless adaptors without additional software.

I've done it myself to allow a neighbour access to my NAS, before I had a wireless switch. I simply purchased a cheap wireless card and used it to connect to his wireless switch, then bridged the wireless card to my wired network, thereby allowing him access.

As to WDS: whilst WPA is -supposed- to be supported, it isn't on my Billion 7300GRA, nor on many other devices. I'm not sure why this is.

[Theo404]

Originally Posted by TheSeekerr

Windows XP (Pro, to be specific - I have no computers running Home) and its sucessors can all be used to form a network bridge between wired and wireless adaptors without additional software.

I've done it myself to allow a neighbour access to my NAS, before I had a wireless switch. I simply purchased a cheap wireless card and used it to connect to his wireless switch, then bridged the wireless card to my wired network, thereby allowing him access.

As to WDS: whilst WPA is -supposed- to be supported, it isn't on my Billion 7300GRA, nor on many other devices. I'm not sure why this is.

Fair enough... I doubted windows boxes to be able to do this reliably, having not tried it myself. If they are as capable as you say then this would seem to be the OPs best option.

Having only played with WDS on the hardware I've had around I should retract my statement that the OP should 'buy any modern router' and it will work... it seems it can be problematic if you have had issues...

[Rembrant]

Works perfectly. I remember having to set this up once in a hotel room because the roommate was too cheap to buy an XBOX wireless adapter. As far as I know, network bridging has been in windows since 98se.

[TheSeekerr]

Network bridging is exactly as stable as your network drivers. Off brand cards with dodgy drivers can give some issues.

I know 98se had a form of it, because it could gang multiple dial up connections together to form something slightly less rubbish. Of course, that required all sorts of madness...

[rikkert1978]

Thanks allot all for the replies. I am still trying to fix my bridge to my squeezebox, but at least I know what to look for. (and that its possible)

In januari I will get my own iternet, to relieve my neighbour from the blueray downloads.