Networking Advice

[Robert Paulsen-2]

This is not specifically a SuSE nor perhaps even a Linux question, but I
appreciate the general good advice I've seen on this list.

The house I just sold and will be out of in a week is wired for ethernet. I
have it set up with a Linksys wired router hooked to a RoadRunner modem and
to the ethernet cabling throughout my house. I have connected to this:

        Tivo
        SuSE 9.3
        Windows something-or-other
        HP printer

I am now in an apartment withut any ethernet wiring. Time Warner will be there
soon to hook up RoadRunner, Cable TV and digital phone.

My idea is to switch to wireless networking. At first I thought I would get a
wireless NIC for each of the Linux and Windows systems and would need advice
on what was the best wireless card to use on SuSE 9.3 -- I might still need
this advice! But, after some thought, I realized this didn't address the Tivo
or HP printer.

So, here is my question: Can I get a device that acts as a wireless
hub/switch? That is, it connects via wireless to the router and provides
wired connection to several devices such that everything is on the same
subnet (e.g.192.168.1.xxx). If so, I'd put one in each of the two rooms where
I will need ethernet connectivity. In this way I wouldn't need to add NIC
cards to the SuSE and Windows systems and the Tivo and HP printer would also
work.

If the above is not a good idea, does anyone have another suggestion?

Thanks!

Bob P.

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[John Andersen]

On Saturday 12 August 2006 14:11, Robert Paulsen wrote:
> So, here is my question: Can I get a device that acts as a wireless
> hub/switch? That is, it connects via wireless to the router and provides
> wired connection to several devices such that everything is on the same
> subnet (e.g.192.168.1.xxx). If so, I'd put one in each of the two rooms
> where I will need ethernet connectivity. In this way I wouldn't need to add
> NIC cards to the SuSE and Windows systems and the Tivo and HP printer would
> also work.

You can do this with a couple of linksys bridges connecting router to each
room.

http://www.bizrate.com/bridges_routers/pid7624579/compareprices.html

Some of the other routers can be set up to act as bridges too.

I'm not sure how Tivo works but MythTV can not broadcast via
wireless to another station also on wireless on your typical 54meg
wireless network.  Not enough bandwidth.  So the Tivo, and any
other server class station should be wired to the accesspoint with
cat5.

One of my customers tried to go all wireless in a small office.
It is slow.  With unexplained long pauses while loading software
across the network from the servers.  Printers tend to disappear
for unexplained reasons.

They have gone back to wired for printers, and servers, and
high demand workstations.  Most of the other stations remain
wireless.

So I'd recommend the wireless router (which presumably has some
cat 5 ports on the back) be located within cord reach of the printer
and high volume stations.

--
_____________________________________
John Andersen

[Randall Schulz]

Robert,

On Saturday 12 August 2006 15:11, Robert Paulsen wrote:

> This is not specifically a SuSE nor perhaps even a Linux question,
> but I appreciate the general good advice I've seen on this list.
>
> ...
>
> I am now in an apartment withut any ethernet wiring. Time Warner will
> be there soon to hook up RoadRunner, Cable TV and digital phone.
>
> My idea is to switch to wireless networking. At first I thought I
> would get a wireless NIC for each of the Linux and Windows systems
> and would need advice on what was the best wireless card to use on
> SuSE 9.3 -- I might still need this advice! But, after some thought,
> I realized this didn't address the Tivo or HP printer.

TiVO sells a USB wireless networking adaptor that they certify to work
with the software in the TiVO.


> So, here is my question: Can I get a device that acts as a wireless
> hub/switch?

The LinkSys WRT54G or WRT54GC (compact) certainly meet this description.
I use the WRT54GC for reasons similar to your.

> That is, it connects via wireless to the router and
> provides wired connection to several devices such that everything is
> on the same subnet (e.g.192.168.1.xxx). If so, I'd put one in each of
> the two rooms where I will need ethernet connectivity.

Depending on the size of the apartment and its construction, you may
need only a single wireless access point.


> In this way I
> wouldn't need to add NIC cards to the SuSE and Windows systems and
> the Tivo and HP printer would also work.
>
> If the above is not a good idea, does anyone have another suggestion?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Bob P.


Randall Schulz

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[S Glasoe]

On Saturday 12 August 2006 17:11, Robert Paulsen wrote:

> I am now in an apartment withut any ethernet wiring. Time Warner will be
> there soon to hook up RoadRunner, Cable TV and digital phone.
>
> My idea is to switch to wireless networking. At first I thought I would
> get a wireless NIC for each of the Linux and Windows systems and would
> need advice on what was the best wireless card to use on SuSE 9.3 -- I
> might still need this advice! But, after some thought, I realized this
> didn't address the Tivo or HP printer.
>
> So, here is my question: Can I get a device that acts as a wireless
> hub/switch? That is, it connects via wireless to the router and provides
> wired connection to several devices such that everything is on the same
> subnet (e.g.192.168.1.xxx). If so, I'd put one in each of the two rooms
> where I will need ethernet connectivity. In this way I wouldn't need to
> add NIC cards to the SuSE and Windows systems and the Tivo and HP printer
> would also work.
>
> If the above is not a good idea, does anyone have another suggestion?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Bob P.

What John and Randall said plus I'll add my recommendation for a Linksys
WRT54G or WRT54GS, any version works these days. They both have 4, 10/100
Ethernet switched ports for TiVo and the printer plus the wireless. Then
get dd-wrt software (http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/DD-WRT_Docu_(EN)
as a starting point) and replace the Linksys firmware. Turns these little
routers into headless Linux servers.

Better throughput overall plus better wireless connectivity and reliability,
with many more security and customization options. From what I've read
about in forums and personal experience the Linksys firmware is not the
best and doesn't take full advantage of the hardware.

Match that with Linksys' Speedboost wireless adapters for your PCs and you
may get 54Mbps to 108Mbps throughput depending on wall construction and
other obstacles. One of the more realistic guidelines I've found is 5, 2x4
and sheetrock walls or 2 metal stud office walls.

Stan

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[ken-8]

Randall R Schulz wrote:

> Robert,
>
> On Saturday 12 August 2006 15:11, Robert Paulsen wrote:
>> This is not specifically a SuSE nor perhaps even a Linux question,
>> but I appreciate the general good advice I've seen on this list.
>>
>> ...
>>
>> I am now in an apartment withut any ethernet wiring. Time Warner will
>> be there soon to hook up RoadRunner, Cable TV and digital phone.
>>
>> My idea is to switch to wireless networking. At first I thought I
>> would get a wireless NIC for each of the Linux and Windows systems
>> and would need advice on what was the best wireless card to use on
>> SuSE 9.3 -- I might still need this advice! But, after some thought,
>> I realized this didn't address the Tivo or HP printer.
>
> ....
>
>> So, here is my question: Can I get a device that acts as a wireless
>> hub/switch?
>
> ....
>
> Depending on the size of the apartment and its construction, you may
> need only a single wireless access point.

IIRC, the standard for 802.11 specifies reception distances up to 300M
outdoors and 100M indoors.  So unless you have a really huge apartment,
larger than 200M, its size isn't an issue.  Much more important is the
materials used in its construction.  E.g., if it's an old building with
"chicken wire" used in the plastering of the walls, then you'll have to
locate the APs and NICs so that they're line-of-sight with one another
because wireless just won't travel through those kinds of walls... at all.

Another poster mentioned a problem with printers operating on wireless.
 I print via wireless all the time without a problem and there's no
reason I can imagine for printing via wireless to be problematic.

While I have no experience using Tivo or VoIP over wireless, I could see
that bandwidth might be a problem, especially when using both at the
same time.  Personally, I'd start out with a single AP but expect that
more than one would be needed, depending upon the factors already
mentioned.  If/When you have more than one AP, be sure to configure them
to use different channels.  Also be sure that the channels you set up
are different from your neighbors'.

> ....

hth,
ken



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