Linksys WAP54G help me put it all together

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Okay so I'm looking to get a wireless access point. I'm looking at this one the Linksys WAP54G





I have two notebooks and an old iMac I want to network. Notebooks have cards and the iMac will link in to linksys and act as a print server and have additional storage. I think this will all work between 802g Powerbook and the 802b iBook.





The REAL reason I'm posting is that in reviewing other threads here I read that the wireless access point can also be my cable modem? Is that true. It's not in the spec's page of anything that Linksys sells.



Okay okay wait wait in writing this I was digging into the user guides at Linksys. Access point vs Router. I guess the "access point"s have one ethernet connector and the "router"s have more than one.



In this case the photo on the back of the access point I was looking at at CompUSA was wrong. The photo showed the "access point" having four ethernet jacks in the back. I think that's wrong. I had a hard time telling the difference between the access point and the router at the store. Maybe this is why?



Can someone shed come light on this?



I think I want the WRT54G which cost a lot more.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    ... So also after looking at the user guide it cannot act as a cable modem as well. Is there some other 802g "router" product that does?
  • Reply 2 of 19
    resres Posts: 711member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    ... So also after looking at the user guide it cannot act as a cable modem as well. Is there some other 802g "router" product that does?







    It would be cheaper and give you a much wider selection if you just hooked up a router to a cable modem, but if you want to you can get things like the Toshiba PCX5000 http://www.toshiba.com/taisnpd/products/pcx5000.html
  • Reply 3 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Res

    It would be cheaper and give you a much wider selection if you just hooked up a router to a cable modem



    Well then I'll own a cabel modem, router and a wireless access point. When I could just get a wireless with a router and hook to to the cabel modem.





    Quote:

    Originally posted by Res but if you want to you can get things like the Toshiba PCX5000 http://www.toshiba.com/taisnpd/products/pcx5000.html [/B]



    Hummm? That looks interesting. I'll check it out.
  • Reply 4 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    That thing's "only" 802b. The Linksys is g.
  • Reply 5 of 19
    resres Posts: 711member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    That thing's "only" 802b. The Linksys is g.



    There are not very many products that have all three functions. I would go with a cable modem and a combanation router/switch/wireless access point like the SMC2804WBR
  • Reply 6 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Hummmm? Why is that one so much cheaper than the others? Most are ~250 and this ones coming in at ~100?
  • Reply 7 of 19
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    That thing's "only" 802b. The Linksys is g.



    Scott, the g will clock down if there are any b devices on the network. Since you've got an iMac and iBook on the network, you won't get g speeds anyway.
  • Reply 8 of 19
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by torifile

    Scott, the g will clock down if there are any b devices on the network. Since you've got an iMac and iBook on the network, you won't get g speeds anyway.



    Ugh, this is not true. Sheesh. Where do rumors like this start anyway? Performance may be slightly diminished if the AP's hardware is underpowered, but you'll still get waaaay better than 802.11b speeds.



    I know you're not the first person to mention this, but please stop spreading FUD.



    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107372
  • Reply 9 of 19
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    Ugh, this is not true. Sheesh. Where do rumors like this start anyway? Performance may be slightly diminished if the AP's hardware is underpowered, but you'll still get waaaay better than 802.11b speeds.



    I know you're not the first person to mention this, but please stop spreading FUD.



    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107372




    What did I say that was inaccurate AT ALL? I said there will be a speed hit. You agreed. My statement was 100% accurate.



    You'll get about 1.5 times b speed or half of what a homogenous 802.11g network will give you. I'd hardly call that waaay better. So it's not FUD. Even that link you provided doesn't claim that you'd get that. But it does indicate that there will be some speed hit.



    http://www.proxim.com/learn/library/...investment.pdf



    However, you're right. There's contradictory information out there. ieee.org claims you'll get actual g speeds in a mixed network with a g device. That's theoretical. I don't know how accurate that white paper is, but it seems to indicate that a mixed network diminishes speeds.
  • Reply 10 of 19
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    And IEEE is correct while Proxim is incorrect. Looking at the timesharing equation in the Proxim PDF. Does it make any sense to you? They are right that it adds some overhead, but will it somehow knock your throughput down to 9 mbps? That's bull. That doesn't happen with my D-Link GWL-250 or AirPort Extreme Basestation.



    Both are connected to 10 dBi antennae. It's moreso the transmitters being slightly weakened by the additional chatter rather than a fault in the protocol.



    Proxim's just trying to market yo you their B+G access points.
  • Reply 11 of 19
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Eugene

    And IEEE is correct while Proxim is incorrect. Looking at the timesharing equation in the Proxim PDF. Does it make any sense to you? They are right that it adds some overhead, but will it somehow knock your throughput down to 9 mbps? That's bull. That doesn't happen with my D-Link GWL-250 or AirPort Extreme Basestation.



    Both are connected to 10 dBi antennae. It's moreso the transmitters being slightly weakened by the additional chatter rather than a fault in the protocol.



    Proxim's just trying to market yo you their B+G access points.




    Gotcha. Thanks for the insight. Still, neither will get you anywhere near 54mb/s. And if the iMac is the "networked" drive, you're not going to get any advantage. Scott, if the using the net is the only way the g computer is not going to interact with the other computers (e.g., the only place b speeds won't be in the equation), there's going to be no upside to getting a g access point.
  • Reply 12 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Slow down guys it's moot. The old iMac is not on wireless and the "b" notebook is owned by someone that's not a big network user. I'll have the wireless end to myself 99% of the time.
  • Reply 13 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    I found this page that had early reviews of many of the g routers out there now.





    It got me to look at the Belkin 802.11g router It cost ~130.
  • Reply 14 of 19
    resres Posts: 711member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    Hummmm? Why is that one so much cheaper than the others? Most are ~250 and this ones coming in at ~100?



    SMC Barricades have always been bargains, and they frequently win top honers in reviews . I've set up four networks based on their 4 port broadband routers and they've never given me a problem.



    I have not tried the wireless model yet, but I will get one as soon as I upgrade me Powerbook.
  • Reply 15 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Tom's Hardware has a reviews of many of these wireless routers. It's a little out of date. None of them seem to be much better than the others. An 802.11b card will slow down the g card in all cases. The only issue being how well the router deals with it. They're all about the same. It just comes down to features. Like only some have logging. Something I don't think I need for home use.
  • Reply 16 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    Slow down guys it's moot. The old iMac is not on wireless and the "b" notebook is owned by someone that's not a big network user. I'll have the wireless end to myself 99% of the time.



    Then why get stressed about b versus g? Your internet connection speed will never pass b's bandwidth.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    I'm not that worried about it. Mostly want to future proof it. I will be connecting to desktops that are wired albeit one that is only 10 base T. Sometime I will be getting a new desktop and then I'll want the speed. And then also there's the, "why buy 'b' when you can buy 'g' for not a lot more" argument.
  • Reply 18 of 19
    Scott,



    I think the Linksys WRT54G should do what you want, assuming you have an existing cable / ADSL modem. Just feed the modem in to the WRT54G and then connect your Mac's tot he modem using either a cable or via wireless.



    I'd email Linksys with your question - the UK support guys have answered a couple of questions I sent them.



    Dave.
  • Reply 19 of 19
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Yea thanks. Next time I'm at CompUSA I'm going to pull the linksys "access point" out the box and confirm or disprove my suspicion that it's not the same as the photo on the box. But after hunting around I know that they are on the high side of price. It may have some nice features the others don't. Features I may not need.
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