Internet -> wireless -> wire?

[endersbean3k1]

Ok, I know the title is kinda vague, so I'll just start from the beginning here.

I'm pretty unfamiliar with wireless, and I'm thinking about switching to it. What I want to know is if I can use the wireless signal to send the connection across my house and then have something take the signal and put it back into ethernet form... The computers I want to do this for are kinda old (PII and PIII) and I'd rather not try to run a wire through the house or try and get a wireless card working in them if I can avoid it.

I'm pretty sure this should be /possible/ but I don't know if it's easily done, like, without mashing some parts together and writing my own programming for it or whatever. But I don't know, so that's why I'm here.

Thanks in advance guys.

[thideras]

Actually, its pretty easy. You need 1 wireless card that will act as your switch.

Put the wireless card (and other ethernet cards) in a machine.

Get your wireless working on that machine (be able to connect and use the internet).

I'm assuming here that you have XP. Go to Start<Control Panel<Network Connections.

What you need to do here is select all your wired connections and your wireless one (hold ctrl and click on each one). Then right click on any of the selected icons and select "Bridge Connections".

After that is done (takes a minute) right click on your wireless connection and select Properties. Go to the advanced tab; under the "Internet Connection Sharing" divider, check the box that says "Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet Connection".

Plug you wired connection into the computer with the wireless and your good to go!!

[endersbean3k1]

Ah, well, don't think that's gonna work for me... its just the two rustbuckets in that end of the house.

Thanks anyway though mate.

[Cheator]

You can also use an wireless bridge.

Internet > wireless router> bridge device > old clunkers

If you have a wireless router, then you can connect to it with the bridge. To get a bridge, either buy an actual bridge, or put DD-WRT on a Linksys WRT54G. Thats what i do.

[Madwand]

Look into wireless client mode bridges.

E.g. Buffalo Wireless Ethernet Converter.

Alternatively run DD-WRT firmware on a compatible router (e.g. Buffalo WHR-G54S/WHR-G125, Linksys WRT54GL -- check DD-WRT supported hardware list), and set it to "client bridge" mode.

These will connect as a standard wireless client to your wireless network, and share that connection to the locally wired clients.

[endersbean3k1]

Wow, that's pretty much exactly what I was looking for, just didn't know what to call it / if it existed.

Thanks guys, I'll look into that.