Mailing List os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com Archived Message #357

From: "Lewis G Rosenthal" <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com> Full Headers
Undecoded message
Subject: Re: Wireless Bridges (was: Re: [OS2Wireless] 3Com wireless card)
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:58:26 -0500
To: OS/2 Wireless Users Mailing List <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com>

On 02/22/09 05:19 pm, Ray Davison thus wrote :
Ray Davison wrote:
Lewis G Rosenthal wrote:
  
I was talking about a wireless ethernet bridge device, such as the Netgear ME101 (http://kb.netgear.com/app/products/model/a_id/2496 ) or the LinkSys WET54G (http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/products/WET54G ).

I have gone shopping and am having difficulty differentiating between WET and WAP.  Like what is this?
Netgear 5 GHZ Wireless-N HD Access Point/Bridge ( WNHDE111-100 )
http://www.ecost.com/Detail/Wireless+Networking/Netgear/WNHDE111-100+REF/42480559.aspx?navid=155441533
WET - Typically, "Wireless Ethernet Terminal," implying a bridge device.
WAP - "Wireless Access Point," or more common these days, a wireless router (which is really a router, a switch, and an AP in one box). Of course, WAP is also a web protocol for mobile devices, but that's another story!

That Netgear unit is a bridge. It has no routing functionality in it.

Some quick terminology might be helpful - and you may find much of this at Hautspot's pages: http://www.hautspot.com/technology.html (pardon the Flash - that will be going as soon as I get an opportunity to decompile the graphics):

AP: Access Point - literally a device which allows connection from wireless clients. Typically, there is a single ethernet port on the other side to connect to a wired network.

Bridge: A device which links two disparate networking topologies, such as wired and wireless (or ethernet to DSL or ethernet to coax). The difference between a bridge device and an AP is that the latter serves multiple clients - as in a hub - , and a bridge is a point-to-point connection. A bridge does not route traffic from one logical network to another, though many bridges have routers built into them (cable & DSL boxes, for example; when we put a DSL box in "dumb" mode, essentially, we are putting it in bridge mode and letting something else behind it do the routing).

Router: A device which logically directs traffic on the same topology from one logical network to another, i.e., one subnet to another. Ethernet in; ethernet out (RJ-45 -> RJ-45).

Multi-Protocol Router: A router which is designed to handle more than one networking protocol, such as IP and IPX. Most home routers  these days do simple IP routing (non-IP will be allowed to pass between clients on the switch ports, but not passed - routed - to other networks). A NetWare server is essentially a big, fat, multi-protocol router, handling IP, IPX, SPX, AppleTalk, and even NetBIOS simultaneously.

Gateway: A router. Thus a "broadband gateway router" is redundant; this is merely a marketing slogan for a small ethernet router which is typically used to connect to the internet.

Re: antennas - There is no set answer to your question, Ray. Assuming the antennae are detachable, a better choice would have to be something to fit the environment. If you need wide dispersion, then a parabolic might do. If you need a long, focused run, then a yagi or cantenna might give you better results. The rule of thumb is to start off with what comes with the unit and see what you feel you need. This also gives you a chance to verify the antenna connector type (there are several).

HTH!

--
Lewis
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Lewis G Rosenthal, CNA, CLP, CLE
Rosenthal & Rosenthal, LLC                www.2rosenthals.com
Need a managed Wi-Fi hotspot?                www.hautspot.com
Treasurer, Warpstock Corporation            www.warpstock.org
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