How can I set up a home network using the free wifi internet connection from the university's hotspot?

Question

I can pick up the signal which is very strong at my home. I can individually connect on my 3 computers but I would like to be able to network them as well (for the shared printer and folders). It seems that I can only connect to one network or the other and if I connect to the home network I don't have internet. Any ideas on how I could bridge thm together? Thanks!

Essentially my question is - can a router be set up to grab the free hotspot internet while all my machines are on a local home network with the router between my machines and the internet connection?

Answer 1

Well, here is my method, and since I do this for a living I know it works.

First get a wireless bridge. (A wireless bridge by the way, is a wifi receiver with ehternet output!) Don't get a cheap one but a good one. (Zyxel, Senao, Buffalo, etc) Set it up to receive the schools wifi. You can do this by connecting the bridge directly to a local computer log on the the web based screen and setup the correct connection. Then browse the web and be sure it is working.

Step two. Connect the OUTPUT from the bridge to the WAN/ INTERNET INPUT of a local router. Be sure the set your local router to an entirely different IP address range, subnet, etc. If your school is using 10.0.x.x you use 192.168.x.x if the school is using 192.168.x.x you use 10.0.x.x (this is very critical -- you can not use the same ethernet IP range or this will not work!) You router should "pull" and IP from the schools network. Your system will get IP's from YOUR network don't even try to make these in the same range.

Once your bridge and router are setup, connect all your computers to your local router and poof you have a local network connected to the schools wireless system and to themselves..

You could also try the Buffalo Multi unit bridge.
http://www.buffalotech.com/products/wireless/wireless-g-mimo-performance/wireless-g-mimo-performance-ethernet-converter/
it but does not create a new private network for you.

Thats all there is to it. Its that simple actually and works well

For bridges visit
http://shop.defactowireless.com/s.nl;jsessionid=ac112b6b1f439f8afb6c36204791863fb7875790d69e.e3eTa3aSaxmTe34Pa38Ta38Pc3n0?sc=2&category=227
http://www.echotechwireless.com/category_s/6.htm
or anyother site with wireless bridges or wireless ethernet adapters. (You can try a cheap one from dlink or linksys if you want but they tend to bog down with multiple computers on the ehternet side!)

Don't forget you will then be sharing the internet between the users at home. I also assume you have permission to connect to the University hot spot (If not you may get a nice fine or get to go to jail etc!)

Answer 2

Here is a great link from microsoft on setting up and sharing connections between machines. Hope this helps. TX


http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/default.mspx

Answer 3

Once, I happen to believe those connections are inextinguishable.