some ?'s here

[I2n0ld]

i have a linksys 4 port wired router (befsx41) all ports are already taken. i would like to add some more ports to it for a print server n would like it wireless. what should i do? im planning to buy another router this time a wireless one and connect that to the existing router that i have, will it work? also how many comps can a wireless router connect to? will a differrent brand of wirelless router be compatible on the linksys wired router?

I2n0ld

[John Prophet]

brands dont matter as far as stuff working together.

You can add ports to it simply by adding a 4 port or 8 port switch....I see the 4 port ones for like $20 and below all the time....you would just come from one of the ports of the router to the switch and then youd have all the extra ports on the switch. Frankly most of the switches and routers now auto select everything so you dont even have to worry if you have a crossover cable or regular cable.

If you want to add wireless then just get a wireless router and then if you need more ports you can just use the old router but just use it as a glorified switch. In other words use the wireless router to actually hook to the cable modem...then out of one of the ports of the wireless router you would come to one of the "Lan" ports of the second router...basically, as I said, you would just be using it as a switch. You wouldnt use the "wan" input of the second router at all.

(just in case you didnt know, a switch is just a smarter version of a hub..so a hub would actually work, but a switch is technically better because it keeps the info from "colliding"..therefore keeping the speeds up etc...switches used to cost a ton more than hubs but now they are so cheap that it would be pointless to buy a hub)

JP

[I2n0ld]

You wouldnt use the "wan" input of the second router at all.
)

JP [/B]

thnks jp. makes more sense now. some more questions though, wan input is ?? is it where the dsl line in goes?

for the wireless router, could u hook up as many devices there not limited to a 4 port thing, coz most of the wireless router already have 4 ports at the back (didnt know that until now, i shouldve gotten that in the first place b4.)

[bailey]

isn't there a problem useing a print server wireless ?

[The Terk]

Originally posted by bailey
isn't there a problem useing a print server wireless ?

I2n0ld: i believe you can have almost as many wireless systems accessing the signal as u want, just be aware that each is taking up similar bandwidth (please correct me if i am wrong)
bailey: there shouldnt be a problem, u can send files and share files over a wireless network, dont see y a printer wouldnt work... just make sure u can access the computer w/the printer on it

[DVNT1]

Originally posted by bailey
isn't there a problem useing a print server wireless ?

Usually it is fine, but it depends on the equipment. I've had Lucent wireless converters added to LAN printers but they never worked. On the other hand, I've had many other printers with wireless JetDirect cards that worked fine.