"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...
I have a problem with wireless devices in the house due to extremely thick
stone walls, knowing this I laid a cable through to the kitchen when doing
work on that recently to give us broadband access in there and that works
fine if we use an Ethernet cable to connect.

Question; is there anything I can plug into that Ethernet switch box which
would give me a wireless signal at that end?

I can't use the gizmos that plug in at either end and use the house wiring
as the kitchen has a differrent circuit and indeed fuse box to the rest of
the house.

I know there would be dedicated groups out there but I have learnt to
trust some of the posters here (and I may not understand the answer on a
more techy site!)


I've tried reading through the thread but lost the will to live.

Firstly, you have done exactly the right thing.
Wired is ALWAYS better than the alternatives, which are generally intended
to avoid all the mess of running wires.

What you want to do now can be summed up (hopefully) very simply.
Although this may require several read throughs :-)

Firstly, an essential digression.
Virtually all home Internet connections utilise a Name and Address
Translation (NAT) router.
On the Internet (Wide Area Network [WAN]) side you have a single IP address
from your provider.
On the internal (Local Area Network [LAN]) side you have as many IP
addresses as you have connected devices.
A DHCP server gives any device (PC, phone, tablet etc.) which asks its own
IP address.
It then combines all the traffic from all these devices and sends them out
to the Internet pretending that they are all coming from one device with the
WAN IP address.

So your entire house looks to the Internet as if it is one very busy
computer.

So in your kitchen you have an Ethernet cable which connects to a single
port on your NAT router in the office.
So a single PC (or whatever) can get an IP address via DHCP on you LAN and
can talk to all the other devices in your house plus talk to the Internet.

Now you want more than one device in the kitchen area.


You have several options.

(1) Connect an Ethernet switch (which is invisible to the network and does
not have an IP address) to the wire, and have a number of wired connections
in the kitchen. This is a bit like having a distribution board off a single
13 Amp socket with a number of items plugged in. Your devices connect
through to your NAT router in the office and ask it for IP addresses.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Unma...tp_s2_edpp_url

(2) Do the wireless equivalent of (1) which is an Access Point (AP) - this
is basically invisible to the network (apart from management) and will allow
a number of wireless devices to connect through to your NAT router in the
office and ask it for IP addresses via DHCP.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-W...5509591&sr=8-2
This keeps all your devices on the same logical network which is nice if
they want to talk to each other.

(3) One really neat thing is that you can cascade NAT routers. So you can
install a wireless router in your kitchen. This will get a single IP address
from the NAT router in your office. It will then have one (WAN) IP address
from the office and then start sharing out a load of IP addresses (from a
different IP range) from its own DHCP server.
This is cool because the Internet thinks the office router is one big,
smart, but slightly confused PC.
The office router thinks the kitchen router is one medium sized, quite
clever but still slightly confused PC.
:-)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-W...5509735&sr=1-1
The downside of this is that (unless you do some fancy configuration) you
can't see the PCs in the office because they are on a different network.
The upside of this is increased security - the bad people have to get
through two NAT routers to harm you.

Virtually all consumer network devices these days are simple to use (usually
you just plug them in and they work) because most people don't know enough
to do anything much to configure them.

So a lot of words to say that it is all pretty easy and straightforward to
do.

Hope this helps.

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:12:02 +0000, The Original Jake wrote:
Reading all the posts, I think some may be confusing a "wireless
extender" and a "router".

Quite, see my last post. An "extender" is no use as there is no useable
signal in the kitchen to extend, if there was a signal there wouldn't be
a requirement to extend/provide one in the first place...

A "router" is not required either unless you very loosely apply the
marketing use of the word to refer to *any* box that that passes traffic
from one interface to another.

All that is required is a wireless access point.

The first question, though, is does he want an extender or a router.

Niether an access point... B-)

The former will be cheaper but it simply boosts the signal.

No signal to boost...

A router will cost more but will increase the wireless capacity
(bandwidth) of the network.

How? A router doesn't have any wireless capabilty. Unless you are in
marketing, in which case it probably has a network switch and cable/xDSL
modem in it as well.


IIRC a router routes traffic between logical networks (different IP address
ranges).
Most consumer devices which are called 'routers' do include the routing
function.
You will generally get a NAT router which routes between the LAN and WAN.
It will also probably contain a wired hub/switch which interconnects wired
devices on the same logical network.
It will also probably contain a wireless hub/switch which interconnects
wireless devices on the same logical network and also connects these to the
wired network.
It may also contain a DSL "modem" which doesn't modulate/demodulate but
whatever.

So to keep the names simple and short these devices are generally called
'wireless routers' because they have both wireless and routing functions.

Oh, and don't get me started on what Broadband really is - as opposed to the
marketing mis-speak which has now become 'official' according to the
government.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"David Rance" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 David Rance wrote:

It was simplicity itself to set up. Charlie, I think (if I haven't
misunderstood the situation) that your solution should be as easy as that
to set up. Just plug the access point into the end of your ethernet
cable. I think that USR still supply wireless access points - a quick
google brought up a USR 5453.

No, it doesn't seem that USRobotics do simple access points any more but
if you go to, say, Amazon and search for "wireless access points" you'll
see some by TP-Link from between £20 and £30+.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk


I have ordered a TP Link router and will let you all know how I get on!

Many thanks for the many helpful bits of advice and enthusiasm to help
from everyone!


Hope this does what you want :-)
Be prepared for potential issues if you intended to share files or printers
between the kitchen and the office.
For Internet access this should do just fine.

Cheers

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 12/14/2012 07:51 PM, David WE Roberts wrote:

I've tried reading through the thread but lost the will to live.

I did that early on in this thread!

On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 David WE Roberts wrote:

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 David Rance wrote:

It was simplicity itself to set up. Charlie, I think (if I haven't
misunderstood the situation) that your solution should be as easy as
that to set up. Just plug the access point into the end of your
ethernet cable. I think that USR still supply wireless access points
- a quick google brought up a USR 5453.

No, it doesn't seem that USRobotics do simple access points any more
but if you go to, say, Amazon and search for "wireless access
points" you'll see some by TP-Link from between £20 and £30+.

David

I have ordered a TP Link router and will let you all know how I get on!

Many thanks for the many helpful bits of advice and enthusiasm to
help from everyone!

Hope this does what you want :-)
Be prepared for potential issues if you intended to share files or
printers between the kitchen and the office.

There should be no problem as long as file sharing is enabled and that's
no big deal.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

"David Rance" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 David WE Roberts wrote:

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 David Rance wrote:

It was simplicity itself to set up. Charlie, I think (if I haven't
misunderstood the situation) that your solution should be as easy as
that to set up. Just plug the access point into the end of your
ethernet cable. I think that USR still supply wireless access points -
a quick google brought up a USR 5453.

No, it doesn't seem that USRobotics do simple access points any more
but if you go to, say, Amazon and search for "wireless access points"
you'll see some by TP-Link from between £20 and £30+.

David

I have ordered a TP Link router and will let you all know how I get on!

Many thanks for the many helpful bits of advice and enthusiasm to help
from everyone!

Hope this does what you want :-)
Be prepared for potential issues if you intended to share files or
printers between the kitchen and the office.

There should be no problem as long as file sharing is enabled and that's
no big deal.

David


File sharing across an AP should be O.K.
File sharing through a NAT router might be a little more difficult - a while
since I've played with cascaded NAT routers.
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On Sat, 15 Dec 2012 David WE Roberts wrote:


"David Rance" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 David WE Roberts wrote:

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 David Rance wrote:

It was simplicity itself to set up. Charlie, I think (if I haven't
misunderstood the situation) that your solution should be as easy
as that to set up. Just plug the access point into the end of
your ethernet cable. I think that USR still supply wireless access
points - a quick google brought up a USR 5453.

No, it doesn't seem that USRobotics do simple access points any
more but if you go to, say, Amazon and search for "wireless
access points" you'll see some by TP-Link from between £20 and £30+.

David

I have ordered a TP Link router and will let you all know how I get on!

Many thanks for the many helpful bits of advice and enthusiasm to
help from everyone!

Hope this does what you want :-)
Be prepared for potential issues if you intended to share files or
printers between the kitchen and the office.

There should be no problem as long as file sharing is enabled and
that's no big deal.

File sharing across an AP should be O.K.
File sharing through a NAT router might be a little more difficult - a
while since I've played with cascaded NAT routers.

I hope that what Charlie meant was that he had ordered an access point,
rather than a router, in which case there will be no problem. An access
point is what I mentioned in my message quoted above.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

On Sat, 15 Dec 2012 08:00:07 -0000, David WE Roberts wrote:

I have ordered a TP Link router and will let you all know how I get
on!

Hope this does what you want :-)
Be prepared for potential issues if you intended to share files or
printers between the kitchen and the office.

There should be no problem as long as file sharing is enabled and
that's no big deal.

Just to be clear that is a setting for individual files/directories on
the computer that has the files not an AP or router setting. Reasonably
sure that more recent versions of 'doze have a "public" directory which
has file sharing turned on by default you just drag files into that
directory tree to share them.

File sharing across an AP should be O.K.
File sharing through a NAT router might be a little more difficult - a
while since I've played with cascaded NAT routers.

Through an AP shouldn't be any trouble I don't think it'll work through
NAT (Network Address Translation not what some one said earlier), at
least not without some jiggerey pokery. If Charlie has bought a router
rather than just an access point I see two options:

1) Plug the ethernet cable into the routers WAN port and configure the
router into bridge mode (ie turn off NAT).

2) If the router has a built in switch plug the ethernet cable into one
of the LAN ports. A gotcha here is the physical wiring one might need a
cross over cable (or choose an "uplink" port). Many things these days are
autosensing and sort it out themselves.

Charlie what device have you actually bought?

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sat, 15 Dec 2012 08:00:07 -0000, David WE Roberts wrote:


Charlie what device have you actually bought?

--
Cheers
Dave.


I have now fitted a TP-Link wireless router. setting to give me wireless
broadband in the kitchen was very straight forward. However when connected
in the kitchen we can't see any of the other computers in the house on the
laptop.

When logged into my BT hub from the main house computer I can see all the
computers including the ones connected to the hub in the kitchen, but from
the network screen on the actual computer they are not visible, Job for
tomorrow I think as the machine in the kitchen is new and has windows 8
(wish it didn't!) and I am struggling a bit to find where they have hidden
everything.

Its not critical as we seldom file share but it is a bit irritating as you
know that you should be able to!!


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sat, 15 Dec 2012 08:00:07 -0000, David WE Roberts wrote:


Charlie what device have you actually bought?

--
Cheers
Dave.


I have now fitted a TP-Link wireless router. setting to give me wireless
broadband in the kitchen was very straight forward. However when connected
in the kitchen we can't see any of the other computers in the house on the
laptop.

When logged into my BT hub from the main house computer I can see all the
computers including the ones connected to the hub in the kitchen, but from
the network screen on the actual computer they are not visible, Job for
tomorrow I think as the machine in the kitchen is new and has windows 8
(wish it didn't!) and I am struggling a bit to find where they have hidden
everything.

Its not critical as we seldom file share but it is a bit irritating as you
know that you should be able to!!


If you check back up the threads, you will find words of caution over using
a wireless router instead of a wireless access point.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On Mon, 17 Dec 2012 Charlie Pridham wrote:

Charlie what device have you actually bought?

I have now fitted a TP-Link wireless router. setting to give me
wireless broadband in the kitchen was very straight forward. However
when connected in the kitchen we can't see any of the other computers
in the house on the laptop.

When logged into my BT hub from the main house computer I can see all
the computers including the ones connected to the hub in the kitchen,
but from the network screen on the actual computer they are not
visible, Job for tomorrow I think as the machine in the kitchen is new
and has windows 8 (wish it didn't!) and I am struggling a bit to find
where they have hidden everything.

Windows 8 is a bit strange. It doesn't actually need to be a member of
the HOMEGROUP on earlier Windows versions.

Type VAULT on the startup page (that's the Metro interface but we
mustn't say Metro any more). You get two choices. Click on "Manage
Windows Credentials". Click on "Add a Windows Credential". Fill in the
name of the computer that you want to connect to together with the
username and password. You should then be able to see the computer
you've just added. Can't remember if you have to reboot or not.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk