[CS-FSLUG] Setting up a Wireless Network

[Frank Bax]

At 02:53 PM 6/5/04, Timothy R. Butler wrote:
>         1.) I have an existing wired router switch (4-port Linksys) and 
> I'd like to keep it on the network to go along with a new Linksys 
> wireless 802.11g router (which also has a 4-port switch thus allowing me 
> to have more wired connections). So here's what I need to do: I need to 
> link the old router to the new router, I guess by running a cable from 
> the old router's "uplink port" (which doubles as the first port of the 
> switch normally) to the new router's WAN/Internet port, and then -- if I 
> understand correctly -- switch the new router to "Dynamic Routing" from 
> "Gateway" so that it knows there is another router in town. Does this 
> sound like it should work? Would I be better off to rid myself of the 
> wired router and buy a plain old switch to accompany the new router if I 
> need more than 4-ports?


I've worked with several LinkSys and D-Link routers and have never seen any 
with an "uplink" port.  I did a router-router connection setup like yours 
only once.  I ignored the WAN connection on router not connected to 
internet (wireless), so that second router (with builtin printserver) 
functioned just like a switch.  I used crossover cable to connect the two 
routers LAN-port to LAN-port.


>         2.) If I need to get a few GNU/Linux boxen going on this network, 
> are Linksys cards any good for GNU/Linux networks? Other recommendations? 
> Particularly, I need one for a desktop, preferably a USB/external one so 
> that I can position the antenna in a better location, and one for a 
> notebook (cardbus).

I haven't tried wireless on Linux yet - I'm using D-Link DWL-650+ on two 
Win98 laptops.

Frank