WAP acting as a true bridge

[hcclnoodles]

I have a wireless question.I am going to set my PIX 501 up as a DHCP server to the local LAN (which will consist of devices hanging off the 4 port switch on the back of the PIX). However, I have some wireless laptops on my network and as far as I can see, the majority of Wireless Access Point products available do not act in true bridging mode , Ill explain further…I would like the PIX LAN interface/s to be able to successfully talk to and assign a DHCP address to the wireless laptops in my Lan 'THROUGH' the access point which will be plugged into one of the 4 lan ports on the back of the PIX (so that essentially the PIX LAN interface and the laptop are on the same network), rather than the wireless access point acting as an additional DHCP / NAT device separating two networks and subsequently altering the packets.

So far I have been unable to find a device that does this…Does such a device exist ? Or does the wireless technology itself actually prevent me from doing this,

Friends and colleagues of mine with WAP's on their lan, all have models where the packets from the laptop terminate at the WAP rather than the dsl router (or in my case pix), I would like to set the default gateway of my laptop to the LAN interface on the PIX, thus invisibly bridging over the WAP completely

I hope I have explained this properly and would appreciate any advice

Gary

 

[bcastner]

Mot of the APs I have seen have the option to either perform a DHCP role or not. It is selectable.

 

[lui3]

make sure you configure the WAP in bridging mode. Some products from linksys are not truely APs but APs with built in routers. you want an AP version only not one with an integrated routers. it will function as a bridge between the wireless LAN and the wired LAN transparently as you desire. here is the model number of the one that i have used.

WET54GS5

i believe on some of the router models you have to hack the box in order to get it to act as a bridge between the ethernet port and the wireless or disable dhcp.

Lui3
CCNP,CCDA,A+/Net+
Cisco Wireless Specialization

 

[lui3]

and routing

Lui3
CCNP,CCDA,A+/Net+
Cisco Wireless Specialization