Question Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridge

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Scott#

Jan 1, 2024
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Hello,
I’m trying to figure out how it is that a WiFi enabled device I have in a remote location can communicate to a PC that does not have a Wi-Fi card or adapter. It is instead a hardwired Ethernet connected to a Netgear switch then to the Centurylink modem. I never set up a Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridge. I just don’t understand how the device and computer are communicating when they do not have a bridge. I admit I am not 100% sure how this works. Just reading online that the bridge is required.
Maybe the switch is acting as a bridge? Anyway, the Wi-Fi connection does not seem reliable and often will not connect, so I’m thinking I should just buy an external Wi-Fi adapter for the PC and then bridge the Ethernet to the Wi-Fi networks. At least this make sense to me and hopefully will get me a reliable connection.
Any thoughts on this?

Thx -Scott
Windows 10 Pro
 
Scott# said:
Hello,
I’m trying to figure out how it is that a WiFi enabled device I have in a remote location can communicate to a PC that does not have a Wi-Fi card or adapter. It is instead a hardwired Ethernet connected to a Netgear switch then to the Centurylink modem. I never set up a Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridge. I just don’t understand how the device and computer are communicating when they do not have a bridge. I admit I am not 100% sure how this works. Just reading online that the bridge is required.
Maybe the switch is acting as a bridge? Anyway, the Wi-Fi connection does not seem reliable and often will not connect, so I’m thinking I should just buy an external Wi-Fi adapter for the PC and then bridge the Ethernet to the Wi-Fi networks. At least this make sense to me and hopefully will get me a reliable connection.
Any thoughts on this?

Thx -Scott
Windows 10 Pro
Click to expand...
Most likely, the CenturyLink device is a WIFI router. What model is it?
 
what is that wifi enabled device ? smartphone, tablet, wireless printer or wireless TV and what model? And how far is it from the wifi router?

wifi is just like wired ethernet, you just don't see the wire and much unreliable. wifi and wired are using same ethernet protocol. if the PC is wired, you don't worry about it at all.

Your wifi router is old, probably it's time to replace it.
 
Scott# said:
Hello,
I’m trying to figure out how it is that a WiFi enabled device I have in a remote location can communicate to a PC that does not have a Wi-Fi card or adapter. It is instead a hardwired Ethernet connected to a Netgear switch then to the Centurylink modem. I never set up a Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridge. I just don’t understand how the device and computer are communicating when they do not have a bridge. I admit I am not 100% sure how this works. Just reading online that the bridge is required.
Maybe the switch is acting as a bridge? Anyway, the Wi-Fi connection does not seem reliable and often will not connect, so I’m thinking I should just buy an external Wi-Fi adapter for the PC and then bridge the Ethernet to the Wi-Fi networks. At least this make sense to me and hopefully will get me a reliable connection.
Any thoughts on this?

Thx -Scott
Windows 10 Pro
Click to expand...
There are loads of devices; just search wifi to ethernet adapter on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/WiFi-Etherne...07678876&sprefix=wifi+to+,aps,144&sr=8-3&th=1
 
You are not answering the question. If you have a lot of wired devices that need to wirelessly connect or wired to the router, you need an wifi extender wirelessly or access point with several ethernet ports which uplinks to the router (using one of the LAN ports)with a cable, not a bridge. bridge is for one device only.

draw a picture.

==
Oops, I mistakenly took dwd999 as OP. But the answer is the same. Bridge is only for one device (including a switch).
 
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lantis3 said:
what is that wifi enabled device ? smartphone, tablet, wireless printer or wireless TV and what model? And how far is it from the wifi router?

wifi is just like wired ethernet, you just don't see the wire and much unreliable. wifi and wired are using same ethernet protocol. if the PC is wired, you don't worry about it at all.

Your wifi router is old, probably it's time to replace it.
Click to expand...
Supposedly, this is a new router that I had just received from Centuylink/Dish. I guess you mean the model is outdated.

The device is a controller board that operates a stepper motor. The PC issues commands to the board to operate the motor. It's about 35 feet from the modem. The PC is located adjacent to the device. I have had intermittent problems connecting the Wi-Fi to this device before. But, you say the modem is routing everything between the Wi-Fi and the Ethernet network. This does make sense. The device is getting assigned an IP address and gateway. It just is not making a network connection whenever I try to open it. So, this may be a problem with the device then.

I just want to make sure this is not a problem with my network before I go back to the device support forum for help. It sound like Wi-Fi connection may not be my problem then after all.
 
lantis3 said:
So the PC is wired to the Actiontec C1000A and the controller board connect to the C1000A wirelessly? Any spec / model about the controller board?
Click to expand...
Yes, the PC is wired and the device is Wi-Fi. I do not have any information on the device's wifi specifications. I guess I am just trying to understand how these two separate networks are communicating. They seem to be doing so in spite of no bridge between them.
https://www.lifewire.com/wireless-bridging-explained-816563
 
Can't help if there is no info. But as I suggested, as long as devices are connect to the same network (same ip range), they should be able to communicate with each other (tcp or udp), well, at least in theory.

Howerver ,reliability is an issue, protocol or API is yet another issue, like security camera can be using rtsp, rtmp, http, etc, it's all different, software like browser or other software viewer not necessarily can communicate with all different devices or protocols.

You can add an wireless bridge or wireless AP (uplink to router with ethernet cable) to enhance the signal then, however, as you mentioned from the beginning, if weak signal is really the only problem.
 
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lantis3 said:
Can't help if there is no info. But as I suggested, as long as devices are connect to the same network (same ip range), they should be able to communicate with each other (tcp or udp), well, at least in theory.

Howerver ,reliability is an issue, protocol or API is yet another issue, like security camera can be using rtsp, rtmp, http, etc, it's all different, software like browser or other software viewer not necessarily can communicate with all different devices or protocols.
Click to expand...
I see, and thank you for your help.
I do not have a working understanding of networks. All I know is when I look at the network status on the PC I only see an Ethernet network (wired). I do not see a Wi-Fi network. Yet, somehow the PC and the W-Fi devise can communicate. At least they did at one time. Now there is an issue, and at this point, I assume the communication between the two is valid and the problem is with the device.

Thanks again.
 
lantis3 said:
OK then. PC without an wireless adapter will never see a broadcasting wifi SSID, that's for sure.
Click to expand...
Ah ha.. see that's what I am thinking. This should not work, and yet it has worked in the past. The device is getting an IP address assigned to it when I run the configuration routine setting up the device. With DHCP toggled on it gets the IP address. Then it changes to a static IP and never connects. But, like i said it was connecting before. But how, it shouldn't connect at all! I think that if I use an external Wi-Fi adapter at the PC and then bridge the two networks it should work, but I am unsure this is a solution and may even complicate things further.
 
lantis3 said:
See if can reset that controller. Reserve an IP address in the router, not setting a static ip on the device.
Click to expand...
I think this may be over my head. if this is an issue with the device, i can have the developer help me correct it. I just wanted to make sure this is not a problem with my network before I turn to them and waste their time. i honestly though that posting this would lead to a quick fix like "yeah, you need to get a WiFi adapter on that PC and then bridge the networks". But I see this is not so easy. You did qualify one thing for me. Without an adapter on the PC it should not be able to communicate wireless. But somehow the PC is finding the IP address on the device, the modem must be routing it between the networks. Anyway, I think I am going to try an external adapter and then bridge the networks and see what comes out of that. I can always delete the bridge and remove the adapter if it does not work.
 
Scott# said:
I think this may be over my head. if this is an issue with the device, i can have the developer help me correct it. I just wanted to make sure this is not a problem with my network before I turn to them and waste their time. i honestly though that posting this would lead to a quick fix like "yeah, you need to get a WiFi adapter on that PC and then bridge the networks". But I see this is not so easy. You did qualify one thing for me. Without an adapter on the PC it should not be able to communicate wireless. But somehow the PC is finding the IP address on the device, the modem must be routing it between the networks. Anyway, I think I am going to try an external adapter and then bridge the networks and see what comes out of that. I can always delete the bridge and remove the adapter if it does not work.
Click to expand...
If you have an Android phone, you can get an app called WIFI Analyzer -- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en_US&gl=US It will show you the strength of your WIFI signal and any competing WIFI signals. Your router might be poorly located or there might be a lot of interference from other WIFI. You can manually set the channel of the router to the least congested channel from (1, 6, 11). You should also make sure the channel width is set to 20Mhz on 2.4Ghz and 40Mhz on 5Ghz (we don't know which your laser uses -- most likely 2.4Ghz).
 
PC not having wifi adapter does not stop pc being able to communicate with any wifi device at all as long as they connect to the same router, wired or wirelessly. One possibility is AP isolation mode (many new routers have this capability) being turned on preventing devices "seeing" each other on the same network.

Give the controller's pdf manual link and it can be easy.

MAC address should be printed on every network device's sticker/label.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=reserve+ip+address+on+router

Just stop mentioning bridge at the moment, it has nothing to do your situation at least for now.

Another concept is that there is no routing at all between devices on the same network, it's like you living with your neighbors on the same street.
 
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