wireless router = wireless hub

[音楽は死んだ]

For some reason I cant find the answer to this question.

Can a wireless router be used as a wireless hub to a wired network if it isnt connected directly to the cable modem supplying the connection? I want to add a wireless bridge to my network and dont want to mess with my setup much, so I was hoping I could swap out my hub with a "wireless hub". I cant find any wirelss hubs at the places I normaly shop, and was wondering if I just disable some of the features of the router and use it as a hub.

[NightWish]

Pretty much yes. You might also want to try searching for the term "Wireless Base Station" or "wireless access point"; you might find one that amounts to a "switch" in the wireless world... though the cost is probably not very different from a full blown router.

Edit: Having given it some thought I can't actually think of a make/model of base station that functions only as a switch... I'm sure there are some though.

[音楽は死んだ]

Originally Posted by NightWish

Pretty much yes. You might also want to try searching for the term "Wireless Base Station" or "wireless access point"; you might find one that amounts to a "switch" in the wireless world... though the cost is probably not very different from a full blown router.

Edit: Having given it some thought I can't actually think of a make/model of base station that functions only as a switch... I'm sure there are some though.

Heh, well it might end up being used as a router after awhile. My ISP is annoyingly hard to get ahold of when it comes to coming in and messing with the MAC adresses so I figured I would just swap one hub with another.

[Keitaro]

Originally Posted by 音楽は死んだ

For some reason I cant find the answer to this question.

Can a wireless router be used as a wireless hub to a wired network if it isnt connected directly to the cable modem supplying the connection? I want to add a wireless bridge to my network and dont want to mess with my setup much, so I was hoping I could swap out my hub with a "wireless hub". I cant find any wirelss hubs at the places I normaly shop, and was wondering if I just disable some of the features of the router and use it as a hub.

Not sure what brand your wireless router is but I assume its the same. The BEFSR41 and WRT54G are both Linksys routers, one is wired the other is wireless.

Use this as a example:

1. Connect Uplink port on BEFSR41 to wired port (1,2,3,or4) on WRT54G

2. Connect a computer to one of BEFSR41s four wired ports

3. Log on to the BEFSR41

4. Setup
a. Change Device IP Address to not conflict with wireless router
Ex. WRT54G: 192.168.1.1 and BEFSR41: 192.168.1.2
b. Select Apply

5. DHCP
a. Set DHCP Server to Disable
b. Select Apply

6. Select Advanced

7. Select Dynamic Routing
a. Set Working Mode to Router
b. Set Dynamic Routing TX: RIP1
c. Set Dynamic Routing RX: RIP1
d. Select Apply

[音楽は死んだ]

umm, I dont have any yet, I was asking in general before I buy. All I have now is a hub that has all my computer plugged into it via rj-45, and a computer that runs all my servers and related software.

[Keitaro]

Originally Posted by 音楽は死んだ

umm, I dont have any yet, I was asking in general before I buy. All I have now is a hub that has all my computer plugged into it via rj-45, and a computer that runs all my servers and related software.

I know. I was saying how it could be setup if you did buy a wireless router. A better solution for this is just to get a wireless router and uplink it to your hub with little or no change to your current setup. It's basically plug-in play.

[音楽は死んだ]

Originally Posted by Keitaro

I know. I was saying how it could be setup if you did buy a wireless router. A better solution for this is just to get a wireless router and uplink it to your hub with little or no change to your current setup. It's basically plug-in play.

What do you mean by uplink?

[Keitaro]

Originally Posted by 音楽は死んだ

What do you mean by uplink?

On most wireless routers there's a extra ethernet port (uplink port) specifically
used for connecting to a hub or switch if you want to extend your network. So what I suggested you to do is connect a wireless router to your cable modem then connect your router to your hub via the uplink port. Now with a router in place you can have more then 1 computer access the internet at the same time.

[音楽は死んだ]

Originally Posted by Keitaro

On most wireless routers there's a extra ethernet port (uplink port) specifically
used for connecting to a hub or switch if you want to extend your network. So what I suggested you to do is connect a wireless router to your cable modem then connect your router to your hub via the uplink port. Now with a router in place you can have more then 1 computer access the internet at the same time.

oh nah, I wont be doing that, I dont want to mess with my server computer. Thats why I want to use it as a hub. Besides, most routers have 4 or 5 ports.

[AnimeOni]

Originally Posted by 音楽は死んだ

For some reason I cant find the answer to this question.

Can a wireless router be used as a wireless hub to a wired network if it isnt connected directly to the cable modem supplying the connection? I want to add a wireless bridge to my network and dont want to mess with my setup much, so I was hoping I could swap out my hub with a "wireless hub". I cant find any wirelss hubs at the places I normaly shop, and was wondering if I just disable some of the features of the router and use it as a hub.

I'm not sure if I understand your question but let me give you a few options and let you decide which is correct.

Option 1. You need to bridge the two connections so you need to purchase 2 bridges.
Physical Network1 -> Wireless Bridge -> Wireless network -> Wireless Bridge -> Physical Network2

Option 2. You have a physical network and you want to add it as an Access point (add wireless)
Option A: Purchase an Access point (~$75 USD) -> expensive
Option B: Purchase a $20-50 802.11b/g Wireless Router -> inexpensive
-> Configure the router and disable Local DHCP server
-> Assign the router an IP address (nice to have but not needed)
-> Configure the Wireless network
-> Connect the router's uplink port to your hub or vis-a-vis (if no uplink cable, buy a x-over cable)

HUB -> Wireless Router -> Computer

Option 3: Your ISP basically provided you with a hub and you cannot switch it out.
1. Buy a Linksys or Dlink Wireless router.
2. The hub the ISP provided as a MAC address. (see the label on the hub)
3. Copy the MAC address into the "WAN" MAC address field and spoof the hub.

Wireless (emulating Hub) -> Computer

I hope this answers your question. I setup Wireless networks every week so I know many tricks to get around ISP issues.

[音楽は死んだ]

Simply, I have a cable modem, its hooked up to one computer, my server, though one network card. There is a second network card that goes to my hub. From the hub it goes to several other computers and provided access to the net to all of them.

What I wana do is take the hub out, and in its place put a wireless hub in. I'm wondering if I could use a wireless wouter for a wireless hub. After I have the wireless hub what is wired will stay wired, but I will have one wireless computer for now.

[Keitaro]

Originally Posted by 音楽は死んだ

Simply, I have a cable modem, its hooked up to one computer, my server, though one network card. There is a second network card that goes to my hub. From the hub it goes to several other computers and provided access to the net to all of them.

What I wana do is take the hub out, and in its place put a wireless hub in. I'm wondering if I could use a wireless wouter for a wireless hub. After I have the wireless hub what is wired will stay wired, but I will have one wireless computer for now.

Eh....now your confusing me. So now you want to replace the hub entirely. If that's case all you would need is a wireless router with 4 port switch. What apps are you running on your server? The way you have your network setup makes it more complicated then it really has to be.

[音楽は死んだ]

I feel like I am repeating myself 0_o

"I was hoping I could swap out my hub with a "wireless hub". I cant find any wirelss hubs at the places I normaly shop, and was wondering if I just disable some of the features of the router and use it as a hub."

"so I figured I would just swap one hub with another."

"oh nah, I wont be doing that, I dont want to mess with my server computer. Thats why I want to use it as a hub. Besides, most routers have 4 or 5 ports."

"What I wana do is take the hub out, and in its place put a wireless hub in. I'm wondering if I could use a wireless wouter for a wireless hub. After I have the wireless hub what is wired will stay wired, but I will have one wireless computer for now."

I'll see if I can simplify;
I want to replace my hub with a "wireless hub", I cant find anything that is actulay labled as a "wirless hub" per say, so I want to know if I can use a wireless router as a "wireless hub". I do not want to change my current network setup and run everything through a router, I want to simply replace the hub.

[Keitaro]

Originally Posted by 音楽は死んだ

I feel like I am repeating myself 0_o



I'll see if I can simplify;
I want to replace my hub with a "wireless hub", I cant find anything that is actulay labled as a "wirless hub" per say, so I want to know if I can use a wireless router as a "wireless hub". I do not want to change my current network setup and run everything through a router, I want to simply replace the hub.

Heh...you need to make things clear in the begining otherwise no one can really help you. Yes as I stated in my previous post here its possible to make a wireless router funtion only as a wireless hub/switch. You'll have to do a few things in its firmware but its possible.

[velocd]

A wireless router cannot become a hub or switch in any measure, they're very different hardware devices.

Router is a firewall that keeps track of routing tables (traffic control) and has many intricate port mechanisms. Hubs and switches just split traffic. At the very least, you can disable firewall and porting mechanisms through the router's configuration (http://your gateway IP), this of course varies on the manufactuer and device.

You can hook up your hub to a wireless access point and gain the "wireless hub" effect:
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...124-105&DEPA=5

But if you say in the future you'll want to use it as a router, then grab something like:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...124-002&depa=5

[AnimeOni]

Keitaro:

If I understand your setup. It's your basic devices swap out.

Internet -> Server NIC1
Server NIC 2 -> Hub

I am assuming that your server is a router or working as a gateway/proxy/firewall for your internet connection.

HUB
-> Computer 1
-> Computer 2
-> Computer X

If you want to add the wireless setup to the hub side, then your wireless ports are...

LAN Port 1 ->Server NIC2
LAN Port 2 ->Computer 1
LAN Port 3 ->Computer 2
LAN Port 4 ->Computer X

If you have maximized the ports then, on Lan Port 4 (some models have this as a toggleable uplink) -> connect it to your hub and connent the rest of your computers.

There's no need to reconfigure any devices/comptuers on the wireless hub except for the systems on wireless. You will need to give it the SSID info and that's it.

[Keitaro]

Originally Posted by AnimeOni

Keitaro:

If I understand your setup. It's your basic devices swap out.

Internet -> Server NIC1
Server NIC 2 -> Hub

I am assuming that your server is a router or working as a gateway/proxy/firewall for your internet connection.

HUB
-> Computer 1
-> Computer 2
-> Computer X

If you want to add the wireless setup to the hub side, then your wireless ports are...

LAN Port 1 ->Server NIC2
LAN Port 2 ->Computer 1
LAN Port 3 ->Computer 2
LAN Port 4 ->Computer X

If you have maximized the ports then, on Lan Port 4 (some models have this as a toggleable uplink) -> connect it to your hub and connent the rest of your computers.

There's no need to reconfigure any devices/comptuers on the wireless hub except for the systems on wireless. You will need to give it the SSID info and that's it.

A wireless router would be the right way to go for his kind of setup. Most routers are a cinch to setup nowadays.

[音楽は死んだ]

Originally Posted by Keitaro

A wireless router would be the right way to go for his kind of setup. Most routers are a cinch to setup nowadays.

The problem isnt the setup, its my ISP. My modem is locked to the mac adress of my server computer, its been locked in on that computer since I set up the network in the early 90s. My isp would take weeks if I wanted them to come to my place and relock the modem on a wireless router. Swaping the hub for a wirless hub means no fuss, no muss, no relocking.

Oh yea, and the hub dosent appear to have any sort of uplink port. Its just a normal 6 port hub.

[Keitaro]

Originally Posted by 音楽は死んだ

The problem isnt the setup, its my ISP. My modem is locked to the mac adress of my server computer, its been locked in on that computer since I set up the network in the early 90s. My isp would take weeks if I wanted them to come to my place and relock the modem on a wireless router. Swaping the hub for a wirless hub means no fuss, no muss, no relocking.

Oh yea, and the hub dosent appear to have any sort of uplink port. Its just a normal 6 port hub.

I heard of those kinds of modems but never actually work on one before. Is your modem by any chance perhaps a Iburst modem?

The hub doesn't really need a uplink port. You can use any of the 6 ports on the hub to link up to the wireless access point with a standard crossover cable which can be bought at your local computer store. Just follow AnimeOni's advice below and you should be all set.

Originally Posted by AnimeOni

If I understand your setup. It's your basic devices swap out.

Internet -> Server NIC1
Server NIC 2 -> Hub

I am assuming that your server is a router or working as a gateway/proxy/firewall for your internet connection.

HUB
-> Computer 1
-> Computer 2
-> Computer X

If you want to add the wireless setup to the hub side, then your wireless ports are...

LAN Port 1 ->Server NIC2
LAN Port 2 ->Computer 1
LAN Port 3 ->Computer 2
LAN Port 4 ->Computer X

If you have maximized the ports then, on Lan Port 4 (some models have this as a toggleable uplink) -> connect it to your hub and connent the rest of your computers.

There's no need to reconfigure any devices/comptuers on the wireless hub except for the systems on wireless. You will need to give it the SSID info and that's it.

[Ximmer]

Your setup:

                      ISP
                       |
                     Modem
                       |
                    Server
                       |
                      Hub
                       |
    +-----------+-----------+-----------+
    |           |           |           |
Workstation Workstation Workstation Workstation

My Setup:

                      ISP     Wireless Devices
                       |            o
                     Modem          |
                       |            |
                Wireless Router ----+
                       |
    +-----------+-----------+-----------+---------+
    |           |           |           |         |
Workstation     |       Workstation Workstation Server
               Hub
                |
    +-----------+-----------+
    |           |           |
Workstation Workstation Workstation

Now... your saying you can't swap out your server because you need the modem to be linked to a specific mac address.

Well the LinkSys WRT54G has a feature called "Mac Address Cloning" Where you can type in the Mac Address of the device you normally use to access your modem and then plug the LinkSys into the modem and the modem won't know that the device it's talking to isn't the same as the device that used to be plugged into it.

So you could theoretically replace the hub with a Wireless Router, Clone the Mac Address of your Server's Wide Area Network interface, Then Forward all the ports your server needs to the server itself and let the router's firewall protect you from unwanted things.

Questions?
-Xim