connecting a Wired device to a wireless network

[kb-hunter]

I have the need to connect a wired ethernet device and I have only a wireless network available (private or public WIFI); I will have a windows 7 PC available for the mediation if necessary. Is there any software that I can run on the PC, or a reasonably priced hardware I can buy off the shelf to get this task done.

Please note that running a wire from the back of the wireless router is out of the question.

Thanks,

Krish..

[evereddie]

This is a very generic answer but I think if you plug the device into the Ethernet port on the computer using a crossover cable and then bridge the wireless connection to the wired in network setup it should work.

[RicheemxX]

quick easy answer Using ICS (Internet Connection Sharing)

assuming your Windows 7 PC has both a wireless card and Ethernet port simply enable ICS, plug the wired device into the network port with a crossover cable and you should be good to go.

[kb-hunter]

RicheemxX, Thanks. That's fantastic and it solves my problem nicely.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

If you know of a purpose built device that will do this, please do let me know. This is for running a credit card machine for a non-profit, and although a PC is generally available it will be even nicer to not to have to depend on it.

But, this will do for us now.

cheers, Krish..

[RicheemxX]

You could use a range extender or access point to give basically give you a wireless connection to the device but why exactly why is running a direct connection out of the question? For a CC machine that would be much better, safer ect.

[kb-hunter]

okay, now you have lost me.

How will a range extender or access point work for me? The CC machine only takes in a wired ethernet. It is not a question of being out of range of the WIFI.

Direct wired connection is out of the question because most of the time we have a public WIFI; i.e. we can access the WIFI network, but the router belongs to someone else, and is locked up behind some cage and we don't even know where it is.

I am not too worried about security/safety because although it is public wifi, a) it is from semi trusted source, b) CC machines have their own security layer built in, and most importantly the CC machine protocol can only transfer money into the bank, not out of it -- at least not the way it is set up now.

Even if not for the internet CC machine, we can connect a obihai device (phone adapter) and get a dial tone and we can use that for the plain old phone based CC machines. Magicjack is not very reliable for data connections.

[RicheemxX]

I am not too worried about security/safety because although it is public wifi, a) it is from semi trusted source, b) CC machines have their own security layer built in, and most importantly the CC machine protocol can only transfer money into the bank, not out of it -- at least not the way it is set up now.

I wouldn't want to rely on that!! Especially with customer info. You are opening the door to some serious liability.

A range extender or wireless AP would connect wired to your CC machine and allow a wireless connection to the wifi network. It would in essence be the same as adding an external wireless card to the CC machine.

And as far as that goes you could even get an external adapter like this one. That would eliminate the need to always have the PC on to connect the cc machine.

[kb-hunter]

You are genius!

This is exactly what I was looking for. I just didn't know if such a product was available and what they called it.

"WIFI internet adapter" seems to be the magic words. How much more generic jargon jumble can you get?!

Thanks.