Tom, never mind the time frame, I appreciate both you and Terry's input. You are right as to what is at my brother-in-law's house. It's not an access point but a wireless router. In fact two wireless routhers, one mounted outside and one inside. The one inside is suposedly the stronger one with the most range but I get the outside one better at my place. They have the DirectWay, I am investing in the routers and wireless bridge if that is the way we go and I think it will be. Tom and Terry, here's two links I found last night if you have time read them and let me know what you both think. http://www.tomsnetworking.com/2006/02/27/wireless_networking_ntk_2006/ http://www.tomsnetworking.com/2002/10/25/wireless_bridging_ntk/ They are both from the same site with the first one being the latest. One of them refers to the possibility of handling the bridging with only one device. But it does sound to me like using two is better. I am assuming that at my end I could then hardwire to a wireless router, with some wired positions, and I would be in business. Gator Bill
Bill, you have a combo router, that is one that acts as a wireless access point and an standard router. That's why your bro-in-law can hardwire to it and you can access it wirelessly, this is what I have at home(mine is also a DSL modem). So it seems to me that all you need to is to use another wireless access point/bridge down in your house and that will accept the signal and rebroadcast it to your place. In the first article they mentioned that wireless access points have evolved and added bridging capablity So you probably already have all the necessary equipment just need to get it configured. Just out of curiosity what exactly are routers, etc that you already own? Brand Name and Model Number. What is the Brand Name and Model number of the one that is in place and connected to the DirectWay system? Terry
Terry, one of them is a NetGearWGR614v5, it came with the Vonage phone and I have been using it in the trailer as a wireless so that I can move around with my laptop. Another one is an older NetGear and I believe the third one is also a NetGear. It was the most expensive and supposedly has the longest range. But as I said it is the one inside the house and hasn't worked as well as I had hoped. The signal isn't that strong down at my house and if I read right some of these wireless bridges have a stronger signal. You may be right that I could refigure one of them and get it to work. But I thought the wireless bridges were a bit different and stronger. I may give NetGear a call next week. I do have another antenna that I got from Comp USA that I might use on the one I just gave you the moder number and that might help. Thanks to both you and Tom for helping talk me though this. Gator Bill Thanks for the advice.
Terry, I believe this is my third router http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WPN824.php I bought it last summer and haven't been thrilled with it. Also note that there is no external antenna but 7 internal ones. If I put it outside it might give me a stronger signal but I didn't want to put it outside if I can keep from it. If I can get things to work right I might want to use it at my house. Gator Bill
Bill, Are you saying that the RangeMax is the one that is currently in the house in North Carolina? From reading that it seems like it should give you great range and you could just put that NetGearWGR614v5 down at your place and make sure they both have the same SSID and are on the same channel and tell it it's gateway is the RangeMax, they should talk to one another and your laptop should talk to the closest wireless router which will talk to the one up in the house...yeah I know it's only easy till you try to do it! Terry
Terry, are you sure those two can communicate with each other? I'm not sure of that from what I have been reading the last couple of nights. Here's a Linksys device that does look like it would work as a point to point if I had two. http://www.gnswireless.com/WAP54G.htm If I could truly make the two I have communicate that would perhaps solve my problem but it is also a weak signal. Gator Bill
Bill, That Linksys is the exact one I have in my office and I use it as an access point, but it has no advantages over you RangeMax, so I wouldn't invest in it. WGR614 - compatabile with 802.11b and 802.11g RangeMax - compatablie with 802.11 a, b and g Your "older" Netgear is bound to be either a 802.11 a or b. If it's an 802.11a then it will communicate with the RangeMax but not the WGR614v5, if it's an 802.11b then all three will communicate with each other. Terry
Terry, I am in North Carolina now. Terry, I think that to have my routers talk to each other I need something that is a repeater or bridge? I don't think any of my equipment does that but it seems to me the Linksys one you have does do that. Am I missing something? Also I have a very weak signal and the Linksys device looks like you can buy a stronger antenna. I'm going to call NeatGear this week after I get a phone. One other thing that affects the satallite internet is the weather. Specfically cloud cover. It slows it down, sometimes to not working. Gator Bill
Bill, I found this complete kit that will obviously cover your needs if you do have to buy equipment. It is not cheap. However, I have found much more costly kits... some from this same supplier.
I understand how it is Bill. It's kind of the same for me. Funny, the older I get, the less important all this is. These 2 kids of mine take up about all the spare time I have. They're plenty worth it. I'll even less time if I ever get started with Firehouse Subs.
Wow that outdoor kit definitely would do the trick, 5 miles!!!! But I'd still call Netgear and see what they recommend to make your existing stuff work, I just have a feeling that they should talk to one another. Maybe there is something about your situation though that makes them less than ideal and what Tom posted the best solution. Terry
Funny thing Tailback is that after you get old enough you have more time for this stuff. That's when the kids are chasing their kids and you get to be a grandparent. Hey I didn't remember reading about the Firehouse Subs thing so I went to the Back Room to catch up. Like I said there you can get a lot better business advice from others here, but I can tell you I like the product and they replaced Subway as my favorite Sub. My daughter told us about them. There were none in Kissimmee, now there are three within a short distance of my trailer. Gator Bill
Tom, that WAP54 is the same one I posted to Terry on another post only with a 2.4ghz hig gain antenna.(It doesn't tell me anything about the gain, only they 2.4ghz) In thinking about this a bit more, maybe one of those devices would do the trick, or a good outdoor antena. If I get a good enough signal down to my place it works fine. I'm working with a weak reception right now and an eathernet card on my desktop which seems to me to work better than my Apple Airport Card. If the signal was stronger so that I could relocate my tower to the place in my new desk that it is meant to go I would probably be pretty happy for right now. I did get a CompUSA 2.4ghz antenna to attach to the Eathernet card and it didn't improve the reception at all. What do you think of one of those Access points you pointed out with a stronger antenna? Terry, your thoughts also? Gator Bill
Bill they are all the same, wheter they are called Access Points, or Wireless Router. The Routers just have at least 4 hard wired ports. The wireless stuff is all the same. I wouldn't do anything till you had a conversation with the Netgear folks. While theoretically all brands should work together, iin practical sense I think I would try to stay with one brand. Terry
I agree Terry, I have it working in an acceptable manner right now and I'll have a lot more conversations before doing anything else. One problem with the NegGear is that their antennas are not removable making them less versitile. Also I think there is a repeat function that some of them have that I don't think any of mine do have. The 824 has not really proven to be anything that great. The older router that I have outdoors gives me as good or better recption that the supposedly high gain one.
Hey TB... "Get 'er done" before the end of August. Cindy and I will be looking for lunch on either the 5th or 6th of September while traveling from Rockledge, Fl to Chattanooga, Tn. I have never been to a Firehouse Subs. I'm interested in checking them out from the customer side of the counter. :wink:
Bill, Yeah I was sure you've been to one since they got their start in Florida. Great place! Tom, It seems it's going to take a while. I think FH moves kind of slow? I'm still waiting on their UFOC. In the mean time I'm going to look at Winston-Salem NC. It may be an option to re-locate.