How do I connect 4 desktops wirelessly without wireless adaptors

I am trying to figure a way to connect 4 desktop computers (not equipped with wireless adaptors) to my wireless network. Attached is a simple diagram of what it looks like ... Internet connects to cable modem; cable modem connects to wireless router; main desktop connects "wired" to the router. So, what I have is 4 desktops across the building (small) that is too cumbersome to attempt to hardwire them. So, I want to get them connected wirelessly without having to install wireless adaptors for each of them.

I "thought" an Access Point (like a Netgear N150 Access Point) would do the trick, but I MUST be missing something.

HELP?!

Thanks. ~david

 

So, you have everything you need, so where is the problem? Oh, you need to figure out how to have them use Wireless. The key here is the word Wireless, which allows you to communicate without wires to that wifi router.

 

Unless your desktops came with wi-fi, there is no way it's going to happen. Maybe wire the closest ones and get wirelss PCI cards for what's left. What's your aversion to buying fairly inexpensive cards?

 

Auggie, the one we put in my daughter's desktop is a startech for $29.95, that we got from the local computer shop. Works better than some of the other stuff out there.

http://en.kioskea.net/guide/618559-startech-com-802-11g-wireless-pci-nic-adapter-pci555wg

http://www.startech.com/Networking-IO/Wireless

 

I thought there "must" be some device that "receives" the wireless signal from the Router ... which then would send that signal to the desktops via the wired connections on the device. From what you are saying, that's not possible.

Hmmmm.

THANKS for taking the time to reply. I genuinely appreciate it.

 

How did you think that it was going to work? Yeah, wifi should be standard in desktops these days, instead of making it a add-on. I mean come on, everyone has either one or both in their households.

 

OUCH!:-o I should have checked your diagram first. My apologies. I just read your type, the Netgear sounds right though however this is beyond my expertise. Again, my apologies.

 

Auggie, they could do it either with wifi in each desktop, or a bridge as a backhaul. Problem with using a bridge for backhaul, you end up saturating the network between the two devices, when you have multiple machines wanting to communicate out the gateway. Personally, if I was looking at something like desktops, strictly go wired, and if between floors, use 1gb backhauls. For Wifi, minimum I would use a N Range Extender such as the Netgear wn2000prt, and the Netgear Prosafe SRXN3205 N firewall.

They could keep the AP, if wanting to extend off the existing network. But they need a N route, but really how hard is it to pull ethernet to the other area that the four desktops are at.

 

Create a wireless bridge, the other device you need is a 'router' with ddwrt firmware (buffalo routers come per installed) so you can make it a bridge.