[clue-tech] My Wireless non-Ephiphany

[Jed S. Baer]

Howdy Folks.

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to add a wireless router to my
home network. It didn't go well, and after trying a few different things,
I gave up. I admit that I have a lot of other things on my mind, and I
wasn't (and I'm still not) really up for a big learning curve to get it
working. I expected it to be easier than it was, and it might very well
be easy, once you known the one specific thing you have to do. And I
suspect I might have a clue about that.

Thing is, I have a good reason to want to change my home network config.
I want to repurpose my existing hub to run a 2-machine network for
testing Postfix / Spamassassin configurations, unconnected to the
internet. And a friend gave me an older, but usable laptop, so having
wireless would be cool. My thought was to get a wireless router with a
few wired ports to replace my hub on my main network (such as it is, with
typically only 1 machine connected, but it sounds cooler to say I have
a home network). Then I use the old hub to run a test network.

Anyways, I still want to try the wireless thing out again sometime, but
before I do, I want to make sure I understand how it's supposed to work.

The wireless router I had (netgear, but I assume they're all pretty
similar) seemed to want to do all the connection validation and PPPoE
stuff with Qwest by itself (and be a DHCP server), which implies I need to
configure my Actiontec for bridged mode. My recollection (from 3 years
ago, so it's kinda dim) is that if I want to run in bridged mode, I have
to call up Qwest and have them change my service. Also, when I look at
the status page on the Actiontec, it says I'm running PPPoA, which wasn't
an available option on the Netgear box (or on Linksys stuff, based on my
looking through their online docs). Also, the netgear docs didn't say
anything about configuring for bridged mode, just to power off the
Actiontec, plug in the Netgear box, turn on the Actiontec, then turn on
the Netgear box. Nothing specific, just maybe an assumption that the DSL
modem would somehow realize it needed to be in bridged mode?

Really, what I'd like to do is get a wireless router that completely
replaces the Actiontec, but none of the "DSL" models I've seen have an
RJ11 port for the phone line. They all appear to want to hook to the DSL
"modem". If the wireless box can't replace the Actiontec, then I'd rather
just have it become part of the LAN segment that exists off the
Actiontec. Also, if I do have to configure the Actiontec for bridged
mode, then I'd like to be able to easily switch back/forth, so that if I
can't get the wireless thing working, I can readily just restore the
working config I have. When I tried to configure the Netgear box to not
do DHCP or create it's own LAN segment, and just be a -- don't know the
term to use -- passive (?) device, it wouldn't talk to the computer any
more (this on a wired connection).

Anyways, suggestions on good articles to read to get all the proper
terms, modes, etc., if not fixed in my head, at least ready for reference
when I can use them again, would be appreciated. Other advice too. I'm
not sure how soon I'll be messing with it again, just want to get all my
ducks in a row so I don't end up flogging it and getting frustrated.

TIA
jed