[clue-tech] My Wireless non-Ephiphany

[Jed S. Baer]

On Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:36:33 -0600
David L. Anselmi wrote:

> Jed S. Baer wrote:
> > 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.
> 
> So there's a port on the netgear that it thinks is "Internet" and
> others that it thinks are "LAN" (LAN includes the wireless part,
> probably). Don't plug the Internet port into the Actiontec, plug in a
> LAN port (possibly requiring a crossover cable if neither can
> autodetect who's a switch).

Well, just to be clear, I no longer have the netgear box. I gave it back.
Seemed only reasonable. I'm not sure when I'll play with this again, just
want to accumulate the knowledge I need for whenever that is. I'd like
to assume that the "proper" way to set it up is quite similar for the
various brands, just because they all have to mostly interoperate using
established network standards. I don't know what brand I'll have next
time I can play around with it.

Plugging in to a LAN port on my hub defeats part of the purpose, which is
to use the hub for an isolated lan. That's why I want a wireless router
that has wired LAN ports as well. If I understand what you're writing, if
I did it as you describe, I could get a WAP (just 1 wired port) and I
would expect that to just chain off the hub.

> You will have to turn off DHCP on the netgear.

As soon as I did that, I couldn't talk to it anymore. It resets itself,
and I don't know if at that point, it won't talk because it wants to get
an IP address for itself but can't (seems logical to me) or what.

> I don't know that you 
> can set it to get an IP from the Actiontec's DHCP but you should be
> able to give it a static one on the Actiontec's subnet (which is what
> you want).  No problem to experiment with it and a PC standalone and
> then plug it in to the Actiontec when it works (though the PC will also
> need a static IP until the Actiontec is hooked in).

Well that'd help with the above, I think. As long as I can figure how to
do that with whatever box I try out next. I'll just have to remember to
look for that capability in the docs.

So I'll need to also config the Actiontec to not give out that address. I
assume that shouldn't be difficult, but I'll have to look into it.

> If you get to that point then you get to play with WEP/WPA/etc 
> authentication on the wireless side.  That shouldn't be hard but there 
> are lots of gotchas depending on what hardware/software are on either
> end.

Oh, no worries there. That part was actually quite easy -- or at least
appeared to be -- never got to actually test it though.

> HTH,

Well, all stuff to add to my list of things to know. Thanks Dave.

jed