Can a Wireless router work off of an ethernet Switch?

[pentupanger]

Let me describe what I have and what I am trying to do... what I describe doing here is something I can actually do (if it works) without having to spend money on buying anything new.

My main PC and modem is in a back room of the house, my secondary PC and game systems are in the living room.
My main PC HAS to have a wired internet connection because that is what I want.
My game systems and second PC need a wired connection.
I would like to have my D-Link wireless router in the living room so I can use the WiFi for my iPods, iPad, laptop, and anything else that I am looking at when I am sitting on the front porch.
I have an Epson printer that I can hook up to my network that I want to be in the back room with my main PC.

To get the internet into the living room I am going to run a CAT5E ethernet cable under my house (off the ground and away from electric wires and copper pipe) from my back room to the living room.

Is it possible for me to go from the modem to a switch box (I actually have two switch boxes, but I believe I will only need one)which would be connected to my main PC, the printer, and the ethernet wire going under the house to the living room... Then in the living room have the wire that comes from under the house (from the back room) go directly into the wireless router and then from the router have cables going to my game systems and the second PC?

If this will work, will I still be able to control the wireless router with my main PC?

Will this work, or am I about to do something wrong?

If you need more info, let me know.

Thank you.

 

[jamesmcuk]

Setup up would be Modem > router > then Switch

if you set up as above then runa cable from the router to a second switch which you say you have in the living room you would have internet at all points of the house but wireless would be limited by the range of the router. I know you said you didn't want to spend any money but the way to do it would be to connect a Wireless Access Point to the Front Room Switch. This would be Top Notch for a home kit IMHO.

PS Don't worry to much about routing CAT 5 its very resilient!

 

[pentupanger]

Hmm... when looking for a Wireless Access Point what is their cost range? And is it actually something that says "Wireless Access Point (WAP)" or is it just a different wireless router?

Also, how would that work exactly? Would the WAP use the signal from the ethernet cable and just broadcast the signal to wireless devices, or would it pull the signal from my wireless router and boost it?

Sorry, the last time I bought any networking equipment was about 6-7 years ago and it has done well for me up til this point... so since I never needed to know about this stuff... I never looked into it. =/

 

[jamesmcuk]

Would the WAP use the signal from the ethernet cable and just broadcast the signal to wireless devices/

This is exactly what it would do. In the UK they are around £20. I don't know where you are from so can't give you an exact cost

 

[pentupanger]

Hmm, I looked into it some more and it seems that most wireless routers nowadays are also Access Points.

Since the only router I have is wireless, can I just use one switch in the back room to split off the main PC, printer, and living room wires... and then when I get the wire into the living room, have it go into the second switch first... and then into my wireless router (for an AP)?

The wireless router I have is a D-Link DI-624. Not sure what the range is, but I barely get a signal with it when it was in a middle room and I was in the living room.. too many walls, maybe.

I would probably just buy a new router if I knew it would work for the distance (back room to front porch... going through approx. 4-5 walls and the outside brick wall) I need it to...

 

[jamesmcuk]

no mate the router must be before the first switch thats why I suggest an AP for the front room. if the switches wer hubs then it may work

 

[pentupanger]

Ahh, I understand now.

Is it possible for me to just put the wireless router in the back room, run the wire into the living room to another wireless router (if I can't find a WAP locally) and have two wireless routers?

it would be like this:
modem -- wireless router --cable to living room-- second wireless router

 

[jamesmcuk]

yeah should be fine

 

[eibgrad]

Actually, you could use the one wireless router in the living room *if* you were willing and able to use the main PC as a (software) router. If the main PC had a second network adapter, you could use ICS to bridge the two connections and provide basic routing functions for everything behind the main PC.

Granted, a somewhat unusual and bizarre configuration, but it would work. You're simply leveraging your main PC for routing purposes rather than buying another standalone router/WAP. Of course, not everyone has that second network connection on their PC, but perhaps you have an old ethernet usb/pci adapter lying around.

Personally, I would just invest in a second router/WAP and use your existing wireless router directly off the modem. A standalone router has a lot more features and flexibility than ICS (e.g., port forwarding). But again, it *could* be done w/ ICS if you’re so inclined. I guess one advantage of using ICS is that it does given your main PC direct access to the modem. That might be advantageous for gaming purposes, for example, to reduce latency.

 

[ButcherChop]

Can I do this configuration:

Router/Modem (all in one) > switch > (cat5) to 2nd switch > WAP ?


There is a switch in my closet that feeds all the rooms AT&T set top boxes (no coax needed), one cat5 goes to the living room where Im thinking of putting another switch for my devices (google tv, xbox, AT&T set top box, etc.) and connect my access point to the switch.

So it would be two switches connected together and a WAP. Thanks!!