Until recently I have had a switch feeding my Windows computer and Aastra VoIP phone into the back of my iMac, which would then send the data to my router over the 802.11n connection. This was a really bad way of doing things, since my Trixbox server (running on the Windows computer) lost all connections when my iMac went to sleep.
Why was I doing it this way? Because my router is on the other side of the apartment by my cable modem, and there is no cable connection in my office area. I could have run an ugly wire over to the router, but I wasn’t really interested in a blue wire going across the apartment.
Now I have had other choices to create an 802.11g connection using what companies call a “Gaming Bridge” which allows you to link two ethernet ports over a wireless connection, but I have had bad luck with those in the past and I really wanted to stay on my primary 802.11n connection.
A few days ago Apple answered my request. They have released an 802.11n version of the AirPort Express and it works just like their original 802.11g device did (before it burnt out on me in a puff of smoke). All I had to do was tell the device to connect to my .11n network and allow computers to use the connection over the built in ethernet port. I then hooked that ethernet port into a switch that feeds my Windows box and Aastra phone. That’s all it took to get them on the network!
So if you’re running an 802.11n network in the 5GHz range and want to provide network access to a room without running a bunch of wires through walls (or can’t because you’re in an apartment like me), this is a logical choice at a price of $99.
However if you are not keen on Apple products, Netgear also has a product that can perform similar actions for a slightly higher cost. The one drawback with the Netgear product is that you won’t get the same additional features (like AirTunes and USB Printer Sharing) as you will get with the AirPort Express.
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March 23rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
[…] http://blackice912.net/2008/03/20/i-have-found-the-best-80211n-bridge/Until recently I have had a switch feeding my Windows computer and Aastra VoIP phone into the back of my iMac, which would then send the data to my router over the 802.11n connection. This was a really bad way of doing things, … […]
April 15th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
FYI your router must support WDS (Wireless Distribution System) for the Airport Express to allow itself to act as a bridge.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Not for the Airport Express. My .11n router doesn’t support WDS and all I had to do was enable bridge mode on the Express to have it act as a link between the Ethernet port on the Express and my switch.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:15 am
cool you saytik! Write more!
November 5th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Thanks for the post. Poznovatelno.
November 6th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I like your office raises)
November 12th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
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