OT: WiFi hardware question

[Dale Farnsworth]

> Okay, this one seems like a no-brainer question to me but I haven't 
> dealt with one before. A wireless access point like this one: 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833180035 should 
> get better reception with that antenna than one of those little stubby 
> USB adapters like this: 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833127272
> 
> My sister's computer is hooking into our wireless using a USB wireless 
> adapter about the size of that second link (although it's too old to 
> still show up on Newegg, I'm just pointing to something similar in 
> size), and it's never had great reception, but lately it's been very 
> flaky. Looking over things I realized those access points start in the 
> same price range as the USB adapters while having those nice antennas 
> that are longer than the USB sticks are even including the USB plug.
> 
> That said, I've never actually used an access point, it's always either 
> been a built in laptop adapter, a PCMCIA adapter (which got a lousy 
> signal going through two fewer walls than are between the wireless 
> router and my sister's computer), or one of those USB wireless adapter 
> sticks. If I'm catching how it works correctly her computer should 
> simply see it as a plain old connection over the build in Ethernet port, 
> correct?

>From the reviewer comments on newegg, many people are happily using it
exactly as you envision.  This device can be used in any of 3 distinct
modes: access point, client bridging and extender.

access point - This is the mode use by wireless router devices.

client bridging - In this mode, the ethernet port is connected to a
computer and the radio side wirelessly talks to an access point.  This
is the mode you want to use to replace the little "USB wireless adapters".

extender - In this mode it's a repeater that can relay betweeen
access points and clients.

I haven't used this particular device, but I have replaced the firmware
in several Linksys wireless routers with DD-WRT to achieve similar
functionality.

-Dale