Add wireless to my network -

[PDANEWBIE]

Okay let me put fourth right now that I already have a full home network, I have a router going to a switch with over 10 PC's off the switch and I have 1 main DC running active directory on its own hardcoded IP scheme. On top of this my home router is set up to dynamically assign IP's out to anything that connects to it. (Basically this was setup with a few leases in case friends wanted to hit the internet without configuring all of their network settings).

Also note that my entire house is networked 10/100 cat 5 Cableing.

Now I am new to wireless and want to set this up right the first time. With the fact that I already have a at home DHCP setup and that I really can plug in an accesspoint anywhere in the house considering I already having a full running network would a single network access point instead of a wireless router work in this instance?

Does a wireless access point have to be in an uplink port in order for it to work correctly? Basiclly from what I understand is the wireless access point is really just a throughput so it should be able to sit on any port no?

Lastly are there any restrictions besides A B G and A+G that a person needs to worry about between access points and wireless cards?

I.E. If you have a Linksys card but a Belin Access Point would that not work correctly?

(Now to the PDA part of my question)
I am planning on buying a CF Wireless card - Has anyone had rave reviews for one vrs the other. Are their any good wireless setup toutorial pages for Ipaq's running 2K3 as this is my first PDA and I have not delt with networking yet on a PDA and the menus are all in strange places.

Lastly are there any GREAT networking tools that one can suggest for a Pocket PC. I am looking for things that will allow you to do the standard informational things you can over a network on a full blown PC including nbtstating a computer or tracert and things like that.

I know this is ALOT to ask for in one post and not all of it is PDA related but I figured I would throw all my concerns and questions in one fell post.

HAGD
:robot:

[dmacburry2003]

I think that you can plug an AP anywhere in the network (connected to the router or hub or whatever) and it doesn't have to be in any special mode.

You can use any manufacturer with any other manufacturer of wireless stuff, as long as its not specialized. (I use a Linksys AP/Router with my Netgear notebook card and a Belkin desktop card and about five different makers for the cables :D )

If you want very specific help I would wait to see what you get here and then e-mail a network manufacturer (ie. Linksys). I did that and they were very helpful.

[JonnoB]

Think of a wireless access point as a wireless hub... equivilant to a wired hub. Think of a wireless router as the equal to a wired router. So, in the same manner you would/could cascade multiple hubs from the parent 'port' to the child 'uplink' you could do the same with wireless. The AP would be connected to the wired 'port' of another hub or router.

[dmacburry2003]

So he/she does have to uplink it?
I have a few hubs laying around here and can connect them in a row without uplink. Ex: Wi-Fi AP/Router>Hub>Hub>Hub>Network Card.

[JonnoB]

Well, in reality, each hub daisy-chained to another hub is performing uplink services to each child. You simply need to plug in your AP into one of the available ports.

[Mark_Venture]

My situation is very similar to yours, except, my apartment is not completely wired, I could not run(hide) the wires like I wanted to. Plus I wanted to add wi-fi for my shiney new iPAQ.... My home lan is in WORKGROUP mode, not Domain. (you mentioned DC, so I assume you have a machine setup as a Domain Controller?). I had multiple PCs and printers already networked behind a wired router that is acting as DHCP Server, NAT, firewall, etc.

Back in July, when I did this, I found Wirelss Access Points and Wireless Routers to be about the same price. From what I read on APs vs Wireless Routers, I decided that for ME, getting the wireless router was a better idea, as then I'd have a backup if my wired router ever died. I also decided the other one or two features (bridging was one) that APs had, that wireless router lacked, I would not need.

I started with Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless B router and an Ambicom WL1100C-CF Compact flash 802.11B card. While I intended to use the Ambicom card in my iPAQ 2215, it can also be used in my Laptop via a CF to PCMCIA adapter until I could scrape the money together to get the laptop its own card.

It worked well, except I noticed when streaming video (MPEG or AVI) to the laptop via Wi-fi, the video was kind of jerky and file transfers from the laptop to one of my desktop PC's via wireless was sllloooowww.... Internet access was just fine.

So, I took the BEFW11S4 back and picked up a Linksys WRT54G wireless-G router, and a Linksys WPC54G 802.11G CardBus card for the laptop. The iPAQ still uses the Ambicom card.

All works great! Speed is better, but obviously not as good as wired, and video is no longer jerkey.

To set it up, I disabled the DHCP server, and changed the LAN IP address of the Wireless router and stacked it to a LAN port on my Linksys BEFSR41 WIRED router.

I put a walk through of the configuration steps for how I set mine up (including screen shots of PPC steps) at... http://marzano.home.att.net/mobile/ipaq.htm Its not the best, but its enough to give most people a start. Also there are links to the FREEWARE apps I'm running on my iPAQ, including networking and browsing apps.

As for "rave reviews" on CF wirless cards. I don't know I'd call this a rave review, but I like my Ambicom card. It was purchased locally because it was on the shelf. It was easy to install and configure. And IT WORKS. :)

There are a few threads with info/reviews/opinions of CF Wi-Fi cards here in the PocketPC Thoughts forums. Search for posts by me, and you will find quite a few.

[Mark_Venture]

Oh, and Circuity City has the Ambicom card with a $20 mail in rebate if purchased between 02/08/04 and 02/14/04...

See... http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?b=g&c=1&oid=75820&oid=75820&catoid=-9281&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&qp=0&ct=0&BV_SessionID=@@@@1907127848.1076711858@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdeadckjjjlfifcfngcfkmdffhdffo.0

[BigDaddy]

Please pay close attention because I want you to do this the right way the first time.

ONLY BUY Linksys Products! I say this because of the wide range and excellent support you shall get. Every single wireless product in my homes is connected by linksys. From the Wireless Video Cameras(WVC11) that give me eyes for that extra piece of mind, to the Router/AP with VPN that connect me inside and outside my home so I will never forget a document, pic, or video file, to the game adpaters which which attach flawlessly to my XBOX and PS2 systems, and to the Media adapters that play all my MP3's/WMA and MPGs on any TV or radio throughout the house. I LOVE LINKSYS, and I am sure you will to.

~BD

Also, the bluetooth adapter is also an additional connection option just to purcahse just in case you ever need it.