wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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Well... This is a question I have, in fact, been asking.. I have a partial answer but have not received the answer I'm looking for yet.
You can do what you wish,, Using park Wi-FI I would suggest you get a good "G" type client such as theHawkind 300N.. NOTE "Such as" I'm listing this as an example. Plug it into a low-end dedicated computer, set up a MAC bridge and plug the low end computer's LAN (Cat-5) into your router's WAN port.
You will, from park to park, need to re-configur your router from a low channel to a high one or back to avoid conflicts.. This should be simple
What I'd like to see is a "Wi-Fi to Lan" modem And as I typed this I just thought of something YES It appears the Linksys WGA54AG is exactly what I'm looking for
It is a WI-FI to LAN adapter In theory I can plug it into the back of my router and re-route..
Has anyone tested this type of device out yet? (I have not the funds or I'd do it tomorrow)
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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joshjack
Alabama
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Joined: 11/01/2007
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I have a Buffalo Turbo G Airstation Ethernet Converter that works really well. You get 4 ethernet ports coming off the WiFi and it's compatible with external antennas for higher gain setups (i.e. on top of your RV for the CG wifi). Unfortunately you'll have to get one on ebay or look around a good bit because Buffalo is banned from selling in the US until their royalty case is heard.
J
03 Ram 1500 Quad Cab with Hemi 5.7, HD tow package, K&N Cold Air, B&W Companion + Ball, Prodigy,
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ramblingshots
Long Bay Club
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Joined: 08/15/2008
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Buffalo........ Interesting!
But, If the commercial Wife provider requires Login/PW security plus PC ID data for valid connection and Internet access, how does this Buffalo device handle this?
Don
I Started with NOTHING, And I Still Have A Little LEFT! )
Holiday Rambler Arista 35-foot, Gas 8.1-Workhorse, Allison 5-speed, 3-slides,In-Motion SAT.
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joshjack
Alabama
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ramblingshots wrote:Buffalo........ Interesting!
But, If the commercial Wife provider requires Login/PW security plus PC ID data for valid connection and Internet access, how does this Buffalo device handle this?
Don
Ok, first off I'm not using this device for CG WiFi like OP's desired setup, I use the device to connect a group of desktop computers into my WiFi network - located at the other end of the house.
That being said, I think it should work just fine. The buffalo is controlled through a web interface, the user can connect and choose which WiFi network to connect to and provide WEP, etc as needed. If the network uses a web-based login that should work as well. I wouldn't be surprised if only one computer had to login and then all of the computers on the RV wifi would be logged in (assuming WiFi MAC segregation on the CG WiFi).
J
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Gary Franks
Pacific Northwest
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Joined: 02/24/2008
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I confess that I was unaware of the products suggested by “wa8yxm” and “joshjack”. The Linksys product has been out for a long time, but I never looked at it because it appeared to be targeted to game box users.
I have now studied the user’s guides for these products. Both the Linksys WGA54AG and the Buffalo Wireless-G MIMO Performance Ethernet Converter are products that appear to be able to create a bridge between an RV park’s WiFi network and an in-house network inside an RV.
However, the configuration may be a bit off-putting. Each time that I would move to a new RV park, I would have to reconfigure the “ethernet converter adapter” to recognize the park’s network. This would probably require that I plug in my computer directly to the adapter to reconfigure.
These adapters would plug into the WAN or Internet port on my in-house wireless access point (router). My router would have to be restarted to obtain an IP address from the RV park’s network through the adapter. Then each of my PCs would have access to the internet through my in-house WiFi connected to the park’s WiFi through the Ethernet converter adapter.
Although I could enter a “network key” into the converter adapter’s configuration, this would not resolve the problem of entering a login as required by some RV park’s networks. This is because the actual device obtaining an IP address from the park’s network would be my router, not my PC. In most cases, the login can only be accomplished with a browser.
The “MAC bridge” mentioned by “wa8yxm” is essentially the same as Windows Internet Connection Sharing (Microsoft sometimes changes the names of things, so you may know it as something else – such as Bridge Connections). This would not require a dedicated computer, but the computer would have to be on to maintain the connection for other PCs/devices on the network.
By the way, Connection Sharing through the PC would permit multiple PCs to use a single login at the same time. The "host PC" would have to open a browser and login and then other PCs sharing that connection would have internet access (some logins time-out, so the host machine would have to login again).
Having said all of that, the easiest solution is multiple wireless network adapters in each of the PCs as I mentioned in my earlier post.
'05 Fleetwood Bounder Diesel 39Z | Datastorm F2 Satellite Internet | Toad1: '03 Lincoln Town Car | Toad2: '08 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited 4WD
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joshjack
Alabama
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Gary Franks wrote:However, the configuration may be a bit off-putting. Each time that I would move to a new RV park, I would have to reconfigure the “ethernet converter adapter” to recognize the park’s network. This would probably require that I plug in my computer directly to the adapter to reconfigure.
Yes but is 5 min plugged in via ethernet really that bad?
Gary Franks wrote:These adapters would plug into the WAN or Internet port on my in-house wireless access point (router). My router would have to be restarted to obtain an IP address from the RV park’s network through the adapter. Then each of my PCs would have access to the internet through my in-house WiFi connected to the park’s WiFi through the Ethernet converter adapter.
Your router shouldn't require a restart if you have it setup to work with the converter. It should be looking for an IP continuously
Gary Franks wrote:Although I could enter a “network key” into the converter adapter’s configuration, this would not resolve the problem of entering a login as required by some RV park’s networks. This is because the actual device obtaining an IP address from the park’s network would be my router, not my PC. In most cases, the login can only be accomplished with a browser.
I disagree here, as far as the CG Wifi is concerned, your PC (through the RV wifi router) appears to be the RV router. You should be able to login with any PC on your RV wifi and have it work for all of the others. This is because the RV router hides all of your PC's behind one IP address and one MAC address.
J
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Gary Franks
Pacific Northwest
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Joined: 02/24/2008
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joshjack, the more that I think about it, you're probably correct.
However, as for "5 minutes of being plugged in"... well, in my RV, my routers and hubs and modems are a tangle of wires stuffed in a tiny cabinet. It isn't the 5 minutes of being plugged in, it's the hour and a half spent trying to figure out what I accidently left unplugged!
I think I'll get one of these devices and try it out. Now I need to go back and check the specs for hooking up an external antenna for better reception. I've been planning to mount a WiFi antenna on the side of my bat-wing TV antenna to hook up to my access point. I often give my neighbors access to the internet through my satellite internet system.
In the meantime, back to the original post... I still think that dual network adapters is the easiest, cheapest, simplest, quickest and most stable solution.
I'll have to go back and look at the specs to see if I can attach an external antenna. I've been planning for some time to get a hi-gain antenna and mount it outside to better reach the park's WiFi.
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joshjack
Alabama
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Gary Franks wrote:... well, in my RV, my routers and hubs and modems are a tangle of wires stuffed in a tiny cabinet. It isn't the 5 minutes of being plugged in, it's the hour and a half spent trying to figure out what I accidently left unplugged!
I'm with you there! But in this case I think I'd recommend leaving an extra ethernet cable hooked up and easy to reach, maybe put one of those cable labels on it.
I'm interested to know how it works out.
J
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SCVJeff
Santa Clarita, CA.
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Joined: 07/28/2006
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Isn't this one of the features the DD-WRT project?
Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
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Rangerdave
Austin Texas
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ive got the verizon service with a ppc phone, and a laptop with wifi. When we are parked at a camp, we either get the wifi there or i'll adhoc (wireless to wireless) the connection to the laptop from the phone. pretty slick i say.
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