I need a printer and computer to be on a wi-fi switch because the computer does not have Wi-Fi (yet) and both it and a laptop (with Wi-Fi) need to print. The laptop should be able to connect to the printer wirelessly on this setup because that’s how I have it set up at home. I know I can use a DSL modem for this so that’s not the issue.
The question is that if I want to tie it into my school’s Ethernet via a drop, can I use a DSL modem out line for that. My first instinct is no because it is a DSL signal and not an Ethernet protocol but I can’t seem to find anything online saying I **can’t[/B do it, maybe because it is so obvious. If not, then correct me if I’m wrong but I shouldn’t have any trouble with using a regular Wi-Fi switch for this setup and connecting my 2 computer/1 printer mini-net to the school’s line other than the fact that I’d have to buy one and I have an asston on DSL modems in a box at home.
By ‘DSL Modem’, I am assuming you mean that you have a device that has wireless capabilities, accepts one DSL connection, and has one or more standard Ethernet ports. If this is not what you mean by ‘DSL Modem’, then you’ll need some kind of wireless access point with a built-in Ethernet switch.
No, you cannot plug an Ethernet drop into the DSL port on the modem. Instead, to put the device on the network, you need to obtain an Ethernet crossover cable. Connect one end of the crossover cable to an Ethernet port on the DSL modem and the other end to school’s drop outlet. Your modem will need at least two Ethernet ports for this to work, as you also need to connect your wired computer to the device.
Note that DSL modems typically run DHCP services; be sure to disable DHCP functionality on the DSL modem or you’ll annoy your campus IT staff. Also be sure that your campus IT staff are okay with you attaching these additional devices to their network.
When you say “the computer does not have Wi-Fi (yet)” do you mean the computer does not have wifi capabilty, or that it (and the printer) has the capability, but there is no wifi network for them to join?
One computer has wifi. The other will get a wifi card sometime in the future. The printer has Ethernet but no wifi capability.
And thanks for that heads up on the router. I was thinking switch when it was just 2 computers share one printer but yes a router if I want the computers share the printer and have network/internet access.
Check the web interface on your wireless device to see if you can disable its DHCP server. If so, plug an ethernet cable into one of the LAN ports on your device, and the other end into the school’s LAN. Your wireless devices should then receive an address from the school’s DHCP server. This is because the LAN ports are bridged to the wireless port; in this configuration your device is acting as a wireless bridge.
That doesn’t work because my laptop has to be here and the drop is over there. Also my phone uses the drop (assuming VoIP). Right now the phone is unplugged since the PBX isn’t up but when it does I can’t hardwire either computer to the network. I suppose I could hunt up my old laptop USB Wi-Fi adapter and setup a P2P network and use one computer as a print server but given that a router (which I would use to redesign my home network eventually) is $30 it seems like the better option long-term.