If you don't have a wireless ethernet bridge, pick one up.

[johnb]

I finally broke down and bought a Linksys WET11 (http://www.linksys.com/Products/product.asp?grid=22&prid=432) for my PS2 and, despite a few setup annoyances, it's working very well. It's so much easier that running cable to whatever room the PS2 is in, you console gamers might want to check it out.

[sznapsDOTcom]

I got one of those, But it doesn't work well with my xbox, it says Unable to connect and stuff like that

[Tammy]

I ran a cable to the family xbox, couldn't get a wireless to work either. Of course, I didn't pay Bill Gates the $70 he wants for his wireless adapter, but the cable I had hanging around works just fine.

[vanselus]

What's different about the bridge than just a simple router?

[johnb]

All the bridge does is connect a wired device to the wireless network, the router can obviously do more.

[HRGraham]

Basically an ethernet cable comes out of the wireless bridge and plugs into your network card.

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=36&prid=602

http://www.linksys.com/images/wetplay.jpg

[vanselus]

Are they mutually independant, or do you have to already have a wireless accesspoint or router to use the bridge?

[Tammy]

I use one for my downstairs computer, though it hooks into a USB port and it isn't called a bridge. But it works the same way. Gives a real solid connection, too.

[johnb]

do you have to already have a wireless accesspoint or router to use the bridge?

Yes.

[HRGraham]

How is the signal/transfer speeds from the wireless bridge? I was thinking about getting one also. I'm tired of the cat5 cables running down my hallway.

[Tammy]

I never notice any problems at all with speed, the downstairs computer is every bit as fast as the upstairs computer. You only have the occasional issues connecting to any wireless network once in a while, but you would never notice that it was wireless rather than cable when it is working. Biggest issue for me is that when I occasionally have to re-set the modem and router, I have to trudge upstairs to do it, but that's like once every few weeks.

[johnb]

I haven't benchmarked it, so I can't give you exact figures, but I haven't noticed any decline in performance since I made the switch.

I'm tired of the cat5 cables running down my hallway.

A vocal wife helped me come to that conclusion. ;)

[vanselus]

I get it - the bridge is not router-side, it's equipment-side... for devices that don't already have a wireless card or whatnot... right?

[johnb]

Right. Because you can't configure a wireless USB adapter like Tammy has through the PS2, you have to use something that's its own entity. If that makes sense.

The thing that irked me about it was getting it to work. I had to enable SSID broadcast which I wasn't happy about and the web config page stops responding after you configure the bridge the first time. The settings take and it works great when connected to the PS2, it just irritates me that it doesn't do what it's supposed to. This only seems to happen to me though, I've not seen anyone else have this problem.

[vanselus]

Well, at least you found a workaround.

Would that work for a printer?

[johnb]

Should work for anything with a network port, they're pretty handy.

[Tammy]

I've actually been thinking of getting a bridge for the family xbox for using with xbox live, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I kind of like having the xbox only used in the room with the router, let's me use the good tv undisturbed in the living room!

[KLH]

Cisco's Defination of a bridge:

Device that connects and passes packets between two
network segments that use the same communications protocol.
Bridges operate at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI
reference model. In general, a bridge will filter, forward, or
flood an incoming frame based on the MAC address of that
frame. See also relay.

[vanselus]

Ahh... professionally vague. I love it.

[fac3less]

don't use xbox live!

use gamespy tunnel! FREE!

[Tammy]

Gamespy tunnel? Never heard of it. Will give it a search, thanks for the suggestion.

[vanselus]

There's something that's free at GameSpy?? I don't believe it :D

I tried to D/L steam last night from there, and no luck. I ended up Googling some obscure server and had it within 5 minutes.