Quick Wireless Question

[slinga]

Alright here goes:

In my new apartment (shit I move around a lot), we've got a combo wireless router + AP which is located in the east end of the apartment. This connects to our cable modem and a PC. The apartment is small and I can get wireless on my bed, but not on my desk which is in the other side of the apartment.

To fix this, I was planning on buying another combo wireless device, and using it only for its switching functions. I was going to run a cable from the main device to this one, and use the main wireless router as the DHCP, etc. As long as I disable DHCP on the 2nd device, and make sure it's located in the same subnet as the first, this should all work correct?

My gut instinct tells me it'll work provided I make sure the wireless devices are on non-conflicting channels, but I just wanted to double check as I'm no wireless expert. Is there anything I'm missing? And yeah, we use WEP like a mofo...

Edit: Reason for using a combo Switch\AP instead of use an AP is because my roomates will use X-Box live, and I will buy a PC as soon as I stop being retarded. So having a few extra jacks is a good thing.

 

[racketboy]

Do you have a big apartment?

I get excellent range all over my apartment and can see other networks that aren't even close to me.

 

[slinga]

I can see other networks as well, tons of them. I could very well use these other, unprotected networks except for the fact that I'm paranoid.

I'm sure there's one asshole out there who offers free wireless to all of his neighbors and sniffs all them on the way outbound to the internet. It's easier then and it seems. Add to the fact that I live 2 blocks from Wall Street, and you get the idea why someone would want to do this. Besides he should download his own porn, not sit around and let me do all the hard work. No wait...

 

[lordofduct]

yet another reason why I would NOT use a wireless router in an apartment complex!

wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy an amplifier or larger antenna for the router?

 

[schi0249]

AS long as its locked down and you don't broadcast, no one knows your there.

I was originally gonna reccomend a new antenna. But if your looking for more ports, I would think an AP and switch would be the easiest.

 

[slinga]

It's locked down (64 bit wep) but we do broadcast the SID. I haven't installed netstumbler on my laptop yet, but I figure people should be able to see our SID, but not actually transmit packets on our AP. I'll double check that though.