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Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: wireless, faq, setup, and, configuration
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• How do I add a printer to a wireless network?
Just get yourself a wireless print server. These products allow you to place your printer anywhere within the wireless network's range. Make sure you get one with the port type (parallel or USB) that matches the type on your printer.
If you can keep your printer right next to your router, then use either a wireless router with built-in print server (although built-in print servers seem to be not included in the latest crop of wireless routers), or router with built-in print server, plus wireless Access Point.
• How many wireless clients can be supported by a single access point?
It depends on the design of the Access Point. Some APs support 16 clients, others 32, and still others will allow an entire subnet of clients (about 253) to connect.
Can 802.11g APs Handle the Load? describes load testing done on six 802.11g APs.
• I want to set up a wireless network. Do I need both an Access Point and a router, or is a wireless router OK?
Either setup will work. What you choose depends on your preferences and where you're starting from. If you don't already have a router, then choosing a wireless router may save you some money and clutter on your desktop. (See this page of the TomsNetworking Wireless NTK for a setup diagram.)
If you already have a router, then it may be most cost-effective to just add an Access Point. (See this page of the TomsNetworking Wireless NTK for another setup diagram.)
• Can I set up a wireless network without an Access Point or wireless router?
Yes. Just add a wireless client adapter to each computer that you want to network, set all adapters to Ad Hoc mode, the same SSID (also called ESSID), same channel number, and you should be in business.
NOTE, however, that this will just connect your computers into a LAN. If you want to have that wireless LAN also connect into a shared wired Internet connection, see the TomsNetworking How To: LAN access for Wireless Clients without an Access Point.
• Can I share my Internet via wireless LAN by just adding a wireless adapter to the computer connected to the cable modem?
No. Adding an second adapter won't by itself share the connection. See the FAQ just above.
• If I get a better router, can I use my existing wireless router as Access Point?
Great question! Yes, you can. But there are two things you need to do:
- First, turn off the DHCP server in the old wireless router. Your new router will also have a DHCP server, which will probably be enabled by default and you don't want the two to conflict.
-Then change the address of the old wireless router so that it's in the same subnet as the new router and doesn't conflict with the new router's base IP address or DHCP server range. This will ensure that you can reach the admin server of the old router from any LAN machine.
Example:
- New router base address is 192.168.1.1 with DHCP server range of 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.150
- Set old router (the one you're using as an Access Point) base address to any IP address between 192.168.1.151 to 192.168.1.254
Once you take care of the items above just connect the uplink port on one box and a normal port on the other. It doesn't matter which you use on which box, but don't use the Uplink ports on both boxes!. If neither product has an uplink port, just use a crossover cable to connect any LAN port on one box to any LAN port on the other.
Note that since you're no longer using the routing part of the wireless router, none of the WAN (or Internet) setup parameters matter. You can just leave them as they are... they won't affect anything.
• If a PC has only an Ethernet port, is there a way to connect it to a wireless LAN without swapping network cards?
Yes. You would use one of the newer class of wireless LAN products called a Wireless Bridge. Examples are the Linksys WET11 and Hawking WB320. For more info see this part of the TomsNetworking Wireless Bridging NTK.
• Can I use a wireless router even if I don't have a broadband connection?
A wireless router can be a handy way to set up a mixed wired and wireless network, even without a broadband connection to share. The router's built-in switch and integrated wireless Access Point will make it easy to connect both wired and wireless clients into a single network. The router's built-in DHCP server will ensure that all clients get the proper IP address information they need to successfully reach each other for File and Printer sharing.
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