joining fixed network + wireless

sirlinux

Here is the situation, one existing network of 20 pc's on a 24 port switch with 2 servers and fast leased line DHCP server etc. Also one (at the moment) totally seperate wireless network with only 5 clients all using fixed ip addresses well installed with a decent antenna giving good coverage, using wep128 no problems, except tehre is not much going on on the wireless apart from a few laptops sharing files. So could the two networks be integrated by plugging a AP into the switch and setting it to be a wireless client to the existing wireless network, would all teh DHCP from the wired network traverse into the wireless??? Should this question be in wireless? Any suggestions anyone?

longword

Nearly all the APs out there work as simple ethernet bridges, sometimes with optional extras like an onboard DHCP server. If you turn off the extra bits, your wireless clients should be able to pull an address from your regular wired DHCP server and function as a part of that network just as much as any of your wired clients. I work that way myself, with an Apple Airport AP, its own DHCP and NAT functions turned off, plugged into a 100BaseT switch. There's a Linux NAT & DHCP server on the wired network that wireless machines can use just fine.

BogoBot

If you are at all concerned about security I would hesitate to join the two networks in that way. It would be worthwhile to implement ipsec....at least on the wireless segment. Treat it as a DMZ or untrusted network.

Bogobot.

Rew

128 bit WEP is long broken i would go with IPSec like BogoBot said if you value your nnetwork...