Network puzzle

[Smoky]

Having an irksome network problem.

I now have two laptops and one desktop connected via a Linksys wired (not wireless) router.

In our current campground, I have one wireless laptop in contact with the campground WIFI.  However for WIFI to work I have to disable the wired network icon on the wireless laptop.  Not hard to do but irritating.

What is worse I cannot get the other laptop to access the internet through the wireless computer.  Since this can be done through a standard dial-up modem, should it not also be possible via a wireless computer?

I have a feeling the two problems are related.

Any suggestions?

 

[Smoky]

Well!

Just came back from Best Buy where I bought this new laptop.  They insist that it is impossible for a pc to be connected to a wireless network and to a wired router simultaneously,.  Is this true?  Anyone know?  If true, it is a hardship.  Makes my being on the Internet via wireless hard to bring data over from my old laptop while I run into situations on the new laptop.  Bummer!

 

[caltex]

Smokey, I don't know about PCs but my Apple wants you to select what input you want to use for internet.  It will let you select only one at a time, so the choice is wireless, dial up, eathernet, bluetooth, etc.  I see no way to do two at a time.

 

[Ned]

It can be done but it's a bit complicated and messy.  Involves multiple subnets and ICS.  Much easier to use wireless client adapters for each machine to obtain their own internet connections.

 

[Smoky]

Caltex:

The wireless us the only one I select for Internet.  I am using the wired router only for the 3 PCs to talk to each other.  I wanted the other 2 PCs to share the new laptop wireless connection.

Ned:

Thanks for explaining this.  I am not astute enough to navigate through the mess you describe.  I will do what you suggest and establish separate wireless connections for each PC.  As soon as I get to Sam's camp (another day or two) my Direcway coming in via my router should solve all these problems I suppose. 

 

[Ron]

I'm sure when you get the DW your problem will be solved.  I have the DW connected to the Linksys WRT54G router and one computer hard wired to the router.  My second computer is normally connected wirelessly when used but I can connect it via the ethernet connection if I wanted to.  Not wirelessly and hard wired at the same time though.

 

[John From Detroit]

Well, guess it shows what the Geek Squad at Best Buy does not know

Now.. If I understand correctly you are trying to use a computer with a WI-FI card as a "Gateway" if you like to the internet

The idea is that the computer with the Wi-Fi card will access the internet via the campground's wi-fi and then pass it on to the network

IF your gateway computer is Windows XP than you need to go into the internet connections section on the control panel and set up a MAC BRIDGE between your wired IP device (lan port) and the wireless port, that is about all there is to it.

You may need to connect the gateway computer to the router using a cross over cable and pluggging into the MODEM jack, and you may not, I tend to think not, but since I"ve never done it I can not be sure

This is very common by the way, folks do it all the time

For more information on how to do it try the PCHARDWARE forum on compuserve (http://community.compuserve.com/pchardware ) we can refer you to a better forum if we must from there.. (INETNEW perhaps if it still exists)

 

[Smoky]

John:

Are you saying that using the Internet sharing wizard will not work?

to be sure we are on the same wavelength ... what I was trying to do wold be exactly like someone who has a WIRED Ethernet (NOT WIRELESS) and one PC is connected to a dial-up modem, and then all the other PCs go out via the PC with the modem.  I believe it is called Internet sharing.

In my case I was trying to use the one wireless laptop, which was also connected to the wired router, as if it was the PC with dial-up .... but instead of dial-up, was using a wireless connection to the campground.  A lot of experts, Ned included, have convinced me it will not be worth the effort.

It is getting academic now, because in 2 or 3 days i should have Direcway and also my Verizon cell phone as backup.  A curious and interesting problem though.

 

[Ned]

ICS will work with any internet connection but it's not as easy to set up.  You do not use a bridge, as ICS sets that up internally.  You do have to insure that the two subnets are different and use a switch, not a router, as ICS is also the NAT and DHCP server.  As I said, it's much simpler to give each computer it's own wireless adapter.