Windows 7 - Wireless and Ethernet solutions

Yesterday, due to an additional guest to our house, I had to up and move all of my possessions into another floor and section of my house. I have only one wireless device, and that is laptop. Other than that, I have

• Desktop PC (windows 7)
• Xbox 360
• and a HP C5100 series printer

that all require an ethernet connection to my router... which is back on the other side of the house. I cannot snake a 60 foot ethernet cord to each of these devices. My router is an Apple Extreme bought less than 6 months ago.

How do I give my network devices internet access from across the house? Is there some wireless hub I can buy that translates wireless internet back through ethernet cords that I can set up over this side of my home?

Any questions for specification please ask. Thanks in advance

PS - If I buy a wireless card for my desktop PC, only a year old, would I be able to use that as a router in and of itself? It has extra ethernet ports on the back, so could I hook up my Xbox 360 to it and get network access for my Xbox or printer? Are there any steps to do that?

Hello and welcome to the forums.

There are many ways of accomplishing this, personally I solved this problem by employing an Ethernet over mains power solution using this; I find that it is almost completely reliable and you can easily stick a 4 port ethernet hub on the other end for all your devices (some of the more expensive versions have a hub built in).

It works by taking your ethernet signal and sending it through your houses power cabling and then receiving that signal at any socket in your house.

There are other options but personally I think this is one of the best.


In answer to your question about your WLAN Card being used as a router then the answer is yes.

You can set it up as an ad hoc network on any version of Windows or if you are running Windows Seven you can use this nice little program called Connectify which accomplishes the same thing but is much more versatile and easier to manage.

I hope this answers your questions.

Oli

Try TCPIP over power. I've used it for many clients successfully. Lots of companies make these solutions so shop around or look at your local IT vendor. TCP/IP over power lines - Hi-Tech Security Solutions

Alternatively set up a wireless connection but do your research. I recommend ruckus wireless or if you are budgeting then Linksys wireless N products as the range is really high.

EDIT: osholt beat me to it... but same advice re TCPip over power..... just much more courteous *grin* (hmm... where are my manners today?).

Or buy an "Access point", its a device that looks and works like a broadband router -minus the router hardware-, and you can "cover" your whole house if you put several APs all over the place...

zzz2496