I have a Linksys 10/100 wireless router with several computers
connected to it, both wired and wirelessly.

I recently purchased a ReplayTV digital video recorder for my living
room, which I attach to my router via an ethernet cable every two
weeks to download new program listings from the Internet.

I would like to replace this cable with a wireless solution by buying
a wiress device and plugging my ReplayTV into it, and having this
device give me access to the Internet through my router.

My question is:  A) Do I need a wireless access point or a wireless
bridge, and B) what's the difference between the two?

valjean1-ga:

The device you need is a wireless bridge, such as the Linksys WET11:

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

This device will let you 'bridge' between two different physical
media, namely the wireless Ethernet connection from the ReplayTV DVR
and the wireless media of your wireless network. It sits transparently
between your ReplayTV DVR and the device controlling your wireless
network (your Linksys wireless router), and transforms your wired
device into a wireless one.

The difference between a wireless bridge and a wireless access point
is that a wireless bridge is designed to support only a single stream
of wireless communication, translating that stream from wireless to
wired. A wireless access point, on the other hand, is designed to
support multiple devices communcating through it using separate
communications sessions. Where things get confusing, is that most
wireless access point manufacturers also incorporate wireless bridging
capabilities into their devices, to increase the number of situations
where the device can be used. Similarly, some wireless bridges can
also be set up as repeaters, to help extend the range of a wireless
network (sort of like how you can volley a volleyball to keep it in
the air longer).

Besides the WET11, therefore, you can optionally use the WAP11 instead:

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=563


The two example devices I've listed above are both 802.11b devices; if
your network uses a 802.11g wireless router, then you can use the 11g
versions of these devices instead:

Linksys WET54G
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=36&prid=603

Linksys WAP54G Wireless Access Point
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=608

Finally, you can also use one of the newer devices marketed as gaming
adapters, which are essentially wireless bridges with easier setup
capabilities:

Linksys WGA11B
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=36&prid=550

Linksys WGA54G
http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=36&prid=558


With all these options, it can indeed be confusing. Just remember:
access points are designed to support multiple wireless sessions
simultaneously, bridges/gaming adapters are designed to connect wired
devices to wireless networks.

I hope this helps!

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

---

Clarification of Answer by aht-ga on 23 Apr 2004 14:11 PDT

Glad to hear that everything is working well for you, and thank you for the tip!

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

Thanks for your help.  I held off on the rating until I got my setup
up and running - I bought a WET11 and it's working like a charm!  Now
I can even copy shows off my ReplayTV and store them on my hard drive!