[clue-tech] wireless education for dummies (me)

[Charles W Downing]

Collins Richey wrote:
> What is the difference between a wireless router and a wireless access
> point, and why would I want one or the other?
>   
My relatively uneducated guess is: a wireless router works like your 
4-port router but has a wireless receiver/controller in the box, too; a 
wireless access point is only a wireless receiver/controller which plugs 
into and dominates the cable modem coming into your house--it is then 
your only access to Comcast.  Comcast installed a wireless router in my 
home when I ordered it.  One of my sons bought his own wireless access 
point and plugged it into his Comcast cable access.
> My home setup consists of a comcast modem feeding a 4-port ethernet
> router into which I plug my current unsecured (uggh!) wireless router.
> and 3 other local devices.
>   
I wish I had more routes for my network, but haven't tried adding a 
4-port router in the middle, yet.
> The only other wireless router I have (D-LINK DI-614) doesn't want to
> work through the wired router. This one has some level of security.
>   
The n/g/b wireless routers I saw last year while shopping, and the one 
that Comcast installed, all have WPA/PSK or better security for the 
wireless access.  It must be fairly common, since all my neighbors in 
Highlands Ranch and Leadville have secure systems.

Hope this helps.
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
>   

-- 
Chuck Downing
Highlands Ranch, Colorado USA