Vonage over Wireless

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 6

I'm considering Vonage for a home office. Right now, my cable modem is 100 ft. away, and I access the internet as follows:

Cable Modem cabled to Linksys Router (BEFSR41 V.2) cabled to Linksys Wireless Access Point (WAP11). My office PC (via a wireless PCI card) and laptop (via a built-in 802.11b) receive the wireless signal from WAP 11 - and it works great.

So here's my question. To put Vonage phone service in the my office, it sounds like I'll need an access point/router in my office that will communicate with the WAP 11 that's located with the cable modem & router. I've tried to get two wireless access points to communicate with each other before - and was never succesful.

Anybody done this before? Or, can you point me to a web site that might explain the process? What Linksys gear should I buy to do this?

Thanks

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 8:24 am Post subject:

is this an option?
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=657&scid=35

Posts: 13 · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:07 am Post subject:

What you need to do may not be what you want, but this is what you must do Very Happy

First, in order for two Linksys WAPs to talk to each other, they have to be in what's called Bridge Mode. Finally (and here's the part most don't like), is that they'll ONLY talk to EACH OTHER. This is what the Bridge Mode does. Effectively, it's a private wireless link in between the two WAPs.

So, to connect your office to be online, you'd have to use standard network (yes WIRED!) cable to the new WAP in your office. Ditch the wireless cards, attach the Vonage adapter (again, wired) to the new WAP.

You could by a third WAP and wire it to the two in bridge mode, so you don't have to get rid of your wireless cards, but that's probably more expensive than just wiring the PC and the laptop straight to your new access point.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 6

So if the WAP 11's are taking to each other, aren't they tranfering network data? What happens to the information received by the WAP 11 in my office? Can I connect the RJ45 port on the WAP in my office to a router, and then hard wire my PC's and phone adapter?

Also, what about a wireless bridge: http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=615

Will that work?

Thanks

Posts: 13 · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:32 am Post subject:

Quote:

So if the WAP 11's are taking to each other, aren't they tranfering network data?

Yes, but in bridge mode, the two only talk to each other. Think of it like two islands with a bridge in between.

Quote:

What happens to the information received by the WAP 11 in my office?

Again, it sort of gets discarded in a way. The bridge mode only lets the two WAPs talk to each other.

Quote:

Can I connect the RJ45 port on the WAP in my office to a router, and then hard wire my PC's and phone adapter?

Sure, but why? The Linksys WAP that you would buy for your office will have 4 wired ports.

Quote:

Also, what about a wireless bridge: http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=615

Will that work?

Yes, but you've already got a WAP capable of bridging (I'm 99.99% sure) wired to your cable modem (the 100 ft away one). Just buy a second for your office, set that to bridged mode, bridge the two WAPs and use the hardwired ports for your office computers.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 6

I already have two Linksys WAP11's. A WAP 11 only has one RJ45 port.

So I need either a router in my office, or I need to buy a Wireless Access Point/Router combo like http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=610

Right?

Will a phone adapter work with either of these options?

Thanks for your help.

Posts: 13 · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:49 am Post subject:

I don't have that EXACT access point, but it should work. Make sure your existing WAP 11 and this new access point both support the bridging mode.

Also, the TA should work behind the access point. You may want to search on this forum for posts with the TA behind a router.

Which TA do you have by the way? The PAP2 or the RT31?

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 6

I don't have either yet... I'm still investigating whether or not this will work. Should I have a preference?

Posts: 13 · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 11:06 am Post subject:

The RT31 is a Linksys Router with a 4 port switch (no wireless access though). The PAP2 is just a TA that plugs into the network. Since you know you won't be near your existing router, I'd go with the PAP2. The PAP2 has no routing functionality so it'll make setup less of a hassle. It'll just act like another node on your office LAN.

Since you already have the WAP 11 in your office, perhaps an inexpensive hub is the way to go instead of replaceing your WAP 11. Since you'll only be using it for bridging, it seems a little overkill to connect a 802.11g WAP to an 802.11b WAP (at your cable modem end). This is especially true since all of your office clients are then to be wired anyway.

I have a 10/100mbit 8 port 3COM hub if you are willing to purchase it off me cheap. I've never been able to get rid of it on eBay.