Backup for internet access.

[Mike Schwartz]

>> On 11/2/2012 11:22 AM, Boaz Bezborodko wrote:
> >> On 11/2/2012 11:57 AM, Kenneth Brody wrote:
> >> While I have not personally used them, there are 4G WiFi access
> >> points, which appear just like any other WiFi access point (no

     Most smart phones (3G or 4G) can be configured to share their wi-fi.
When we go camping, I set this up on my 3G HTC Smartphone and then give the
WPA password to my son and the others who are camping with us so that they
all have wi-fi service for their laptops.

> > How do I bridge an access point to the rest of the LAN so that the
> > other computers have network access.?

     You mentioned you have a Windows XP laptop.  With any 3G or 4G
smartphone, you don't need any drivers for the XP machine.  Do NOT connect
the smartphone directly to your laptop via the USB cable.  If you do that,
you will need the drivers for the XP laptop.  

     Just configure your smartphone to share out it's wi-fi services, then
use your laptop to connect to it wirelessly, just as you would if you
visited McDonalds or any other wi-fi hotspot.  

> So it sounds as if you could just move your router's external-facing port
from
> your ISP's dead connection to the AirPort's RJ-45 port.

     In order to get wi-fi service into the rest of your building, use
Windows XP's built-in "internet connection sharing" function.  Again, you
don't need any special drivers.  On your XP laptop, click on your "help and
support" service and then search for "connection sharing" and the
instructions there will lead you right through the steps you need to connect
all the other computers in your building to the internet service that is now
available through the laptop and your 3G/4G phone.

    In your special case, the only thing you might to do manually when you
configure "connection sharing" is to override the default IP address range,
which, as I recall, is 192.168.0.xxx) with whatever IP address range you
have in your system.  If you can't figure out how to do this while you are
following the "connection sharing" instructions, don't worry about it you
can go back into internet connection settings later on and change it.

    After this is all setup, just connect the network cable from your laptop
to your computer network, and you should be up and running.

     NOTE:  Most 3G and 4G phone plans have VERY limited data policies.  My
phone has a 4 Gigabyte a MONTH data plan.  So, BEFORE you connect the laptop
to your network, make sure your users turn OFF automatic Windows Updates and
anti-virus updates, or you will blow through your entire 5 Gigabyte data
allowance in the first hour of operation.  The 4G wi-fi access points also
have VERY small data limits per month.  One of our computer club members
lives too far out of town to get DSL and satellite is too jerky for him, so
he has 4 of these gadgets.  He and his wife try to do all their updating
when they are in their Green Bay offices, but, even with only light work at
home, they burn up 5 gigs of data in about a week's time...

Mike Schwartz