Wireless home network - what do I need?

Here is what I've learned so far by doing some research.

Required Hardware:
Router (plugs directly into my PC, also connected to wireless access point)
Wireless access point (transmit signal to PS2)
Wireless adapter (plug into PS2?)

Remaining questions:
- Does my/a PC need to be on in order for this network to work?
- Does the system that is plugged into the wireless adapter, the PS2 in this case, require the installation of drivers?
- Does the wireless adapter connect to the system via an ethernet cable?

you can get a combination router/WAP box - don't necessarily need 2 seperate.

The PC does not have to be on in order to use the wireless node. If you're running XP it may already have the drivers for the wireless NIC. If not, it will come with drivers. Not sure what type of PC you're wireless node will be but if it's a laptop the NIC will be PCMCIA and if it's a desktop (what I did) you will have a PCI adapter that the PCMCIA card will slip into (extra purchase). I think they also make pure PCI wireless NIC's, probably more expensive than the combo I mentioned.

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

Thanks for the info. A couple of points:

- The only PC, at this point, on this network will be my desktop. I'd prefer that it plug directly into the router/WAP box and not connect wirelessly, since it is in the same room as the modem/phone jack.

- The only system that will be connecting wirelessly will be the Playstation 2. The network adapter for the PS2 has an ethernet port. Will I be able to connect it wirelessly to the router/WAP box without installing any drivers on it?

if all it's got is an ethernet port, you're SOL hooking it up wirelessly.

Too bad it's difficult to draw a picture here, but the way it would work is: (forget about the drawing, it can't be done.

DSL modem -> Router -> WAP -------------> PS/2
||||||||||||||||-> PC

But the PS/2 would need either a PCMCIA port or a PCI bus slot. You've got neither.

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

One thing I thought was interesting was a lot of the wireless NIC cards are PCI cards that have a pcmcia slot to plug the wireless adapter into. You have to have some kind of a antenna to send the signal out. I was wondering if a wireless router has a wired uplink port?

when you see smoke is that a good sign?

Here is an example of a product that has a wireless access point, a router with firewall built in, and a 4 port ethernet switch:

MODEL: Linksys befw11s4.

www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=22&prid=173

I have a Linksys switch at home and I like it.

Linksys Wireless Router Wins Two 2002 World Class Awards from PC World.

Be careful what you buy. Not all networking products support all protocols for things like Telephony.

I tend to like Linksys. They make a wide variety of products. Try looking of prices on products both separately and together.

If you have the WAP/Router together both the ethernet and wireless ethernet are going through the firewall. This means bad guys can only see the IP address of the Router, and you can set up filtering and blocking.

You still have to have an external cable or DSL modem to plug this into.

when you see smoke is that a good sign?

Your computer needs some kind of Network Card or adapter to access the network along with a 10/100 twisted pair cable. It is possible to use a USB adapter or a Network card that can plug into a PCI or ISA slot in your computer. Make sure you know what kind of slot you have. All the newer computers have PCI slots, However that means ISA devices are cheap.

when you see smoke is that a good sign?