Robert Heller wrote:
I would guess that the OP just wants a Wireless Access Point. It is hard (impossible at retail outlets) to get 'just an Access Point', although I think Linksys, et. al. still make just plain Access Points these are no longer commonly available at the retail level.
I am using a Netgear 'Wireless Router' as an Access Point. *I* don't even have broadband Internet at all (I use dialup). Just leave the WAN jack unconnected. Use a machine with a wired network (RJ45) that gets its IP address via DHCP and connect this with an Cat5 cable to any of the LAN ports on the Router, let it get an address automagically from the router and connect to the router via the router's default IP address with a web browser. You should then be able to 'login' to the admin pages using the default username and password. If you can, you can disable the WAN (in the case of the cheap Netgear box, you can't and it will bitch and moan about not having internet access to check for firmware updates -- I just ignore it). I just disable the router's DHCP server, set its IP address to something consistent with my LAN (a static IP address in the same subnet, with the proper netmask, etc.), tell it to use *my* DHCP server, default route, etc. Oh, and set up its SSID and security. I run DHCP on my desktop for my LAN. Once the router is set up to work with your LAN, just jack a Cat5 from any of its LAN ports to your switch.
That is more or less exactly what I'm hoping to achieve - except that I would like my server also to be my DHCP server. But I'll start off with you method, and see how I get on.