Connecting to a Wired Network: Wireless Access Points

Articles on Wireless | Topic: wireless

by Letha Underwood

Connecting to a Wired Network: Wireless Access Points.

Let's talk about something a little more complicated. What if you have a wired network already, and you're quite happy with the way it's laid out -- you see no point in dismantling it and making it wireless when it works fine as it is. You've got this laptop, though, that you'd really like to use wirelessly. Basically, what you want to do is make a wireless connection to a wired network, often referred to as a network bridge.

Well, as luck would have it, there's a very easy way to do exactly what you want. It's called a wireless access point.

Going Partly Wireless.

If you've got a lot of computers (on an office network, for example) and you can't switch them all over to wireless networking at once, installing a wireless router is a good way of doing it bit-by-bit. Once the router is part of the network, you could just remove one network wire per day or per week, replacing it with a wireless connection.

Software and Hardware.

There are two kinds of wireless access points: software and hardware ones. Wireless access point software runs on one of the computers on the wired network, and lets wireless devices connect to the network through that computer (the computer must obviously be wireless-enabled).

You can get wireless access software easily -- doing a web search will give you plenty of choices. Look for one that's open source, as you will be able to download it straightaway for free without breaking any laws. Unfortunately, though, the wireless devices will only be connected to the network while the computer in question is turned on and connected itself.

Hardware access points, on the other hand, are standalone devices that can be plugged in anywhere on the network -- you can either buy a dedicated access point, or convert an old computer to act as one and do nothing else. They connect to the wired network just as a normal computer would, except that they offer access to the network to any wireless receivers within range.

Historical Quote

Our friendships hurry to short and poor conclusions, because we have made them a texture of wine and dreams, instead of the tough fibre of the human heart. The laws of friendship are austere and eternal, of one web with the laws of nature and of morals.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

You can leave hardware access points connected to your network and turned on all the time, if you want. An advantage of dedicated devices is that they generally have a greater range, letting you use your wireless devices further away from the access point than you could with a software access point. Dedicated devices can be expensive, though -- prices are roughly similar to wireless routers.

How Wireless Access Points Work.

An access point sends requests for data on behalf of the wireless devices connected to it. In this way, it works a lot like a wireless router: basically, a wireless access point is to a wired LAN as a wireless router is to the Internet. The difference, though, is that the devices connected through an access point actually become part of the LAN -- other computers on the LAN won't distinguish between the wired computers and the wireless ones.

This is powerful, as it gives you the capability to dynamically extend your wired LAN, without wires. In theory, there shouldn't be anything you can currently do over your wired network that you won't be able to do over the wireless extension to it.

Configuring a Wireless Access Point.

You can usually configure a wireless access point as easily as plugging it into a connection to your network, using the cable that should be included. Your network should see the access point and give it a networking (IP) address automatically. If you need to do any more configuration on your access point -- for example, turning on wireless encryption -- then you'll need to open your access point's settings.

You can do this by going to the router's IP address in your web browser. If you're not sure how to do this, refer to your access point's manual (you might have better luck reading the online version, which will be updated with the latest problems people are having). While you're playing with your access point's settings, you might find it worth disabling DHCP (dynamic network addressing) and giving your access point a static address instead. This helps to keep your wired network more stable.

We strive to provide only top rate articles on our website. If there is a specific topic about wireless that you would like us to cover, please contact us here.

Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Connecting to a Wired Network: Wireless Access Points" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by WebDesignConferencing.com.

How Bluetooth Connects With The Gamers
By Letha Kemp
How Bluetooth Connects With The Gamers Just like all the other phases of life, the Bluetooth wireless technology has cast a deep impact on matters of fun and entertainment. Starting from listening to the music to playing games and sharing the screen savers and photos, the world of entertainment has become Bluetooth based totally, thus creating a new episode in cordless fun....

A Guide to SEO Resources and Discussion Groups
By Earl William
A Guide to SEO Resources and Discussion Groups. Finding the right SEO tools and resources can be challenging but we're here to make it a little easier on you....

Domain Transfer Rules between Web Hosts
By Ingrid Tanner
There are lessons that can be learned from not backing up information, or as in real life not having receipts, or hard copies of all legal and school information. It makes you wonder how many potential authors have given up on writing because they lost a two hundred-page book....

Podcasting for DJs
By Britt
Internet DJ has iPod enabled its member created DJ mixes. Podcast your favorite independent underground electronic music tracks from the Internet DJ archives....

Writing for the Web
By Orlando Clements
Writing for the Web. Coming at the web from the perspective of a writer, it can be easy to despair....

It's the Digital Age – Earn a Digital Design Degree online
By Walida Mann
It's the Digital Age – Earn a Digital Design Degree online Computer animation and design is used in many industries these days. From movies to marketing to educational programs, the need for those who cannot create logos and marketing materials has risen....