XPost: comp.mobile.android, alt.comp.os.windows-10   
   From: nobody@nowhere.co.uk   
      
   Patrick wrote:   
   > Desktop PC to Android Mobile Hotspot - What do you use for the Gateway?   
   > 1. My Windows 10 desktop has no Wi-Fi card.   
   > 2. So I Ethernet out to an old router acting as a wireless client bridge.   
   > 3. This has been working for many years.   
   >   
      
   [snip detail]   
      
   Let's look at each component of this in turn.   
      
   The router.  Conventionally a router contains 4 systems: the network   
   switch (so it has several Ethernet ports), the Wireless Access Point   
   (connecting to the network switch), the router (providing DHCP, DNS, NAT   
   services), and the WAN port (which could be Ethernet or a modem for   
   ADSL/VDSL).   
      
   The client computer.  If this has WiFi it is configured as a wireless   
   client and only requires the SSID and key of the Wireless Access Point.   
   It gets everything else it needs from the DHCP and DNS services in the   
   router (provided the computer is set for "Auto").  If the client   
   computer has only Ethernet then simply plug in the cable to the router.   
      
   The hotspot.  This is a router and Wireless Access Point integrated into   
   a mobile phone.  A client only needs the SSID and key to connect to it -   
   everything else is provided by the hotspot.  When you configure the   
   phone it will tell you the SSID/key that you will need.  You could test   
   this by using a WiFi-equipped laptop.  You don't need to know anything   
   about IP addresses.  To make life easier, if you try this it would be   
   sensible to shut down all other computers, routers, and wireless access   
   points - this avoids confusion.   
      
   Your requirement is to use a conventional router as a wireless client.   
   This depends on the router, so you will have to refer to its manual. In   
   general terms, you must disable all the routing functions (DHCP, DNS,   
   NAT, etc.) leaving only the network switch and its internal wireless   
   system, which is reconfigured as a client rather than an access point.   
      
   Some routers have an option to achieve this: set the option and reboot.   
   Reverting to router mode may require a factory reset so find out how to   
   do this first.  Once in wireless client mode you then have to   
   reconfigure the connected computer to communicate with the reconfigured   
   router.  This might involve setting a static IP address in your   
   computer. Once you have communication with the router it might find the   
   hotspot and ask for the key, or you might have to set everything   
   manually.  Some routers will help you with this - they get you to   
   configure the WiFi parameters first, then on reboot they come up   
   properly configured.  The router should then show you that it has a   
   connection to the hotspot.  The computer you use for this can only see   
   the router (because of its static IP address).  So to see the internet   
   use another computer, or reconfigure the first as "auto".  It will   
   communicate through the wireless client (your reconfigured router) and   
   get all the IP details (address, mask, gateway, DNS) from the hotspot.   
      
   Once a router is configured as a client, you can no longer use it as an   
   access point.  So the issue of same SSIDs does not arise.  If you have   
   other wireless clients (laptop, phone, tablet, etc.) these need to be   
   reconfigured to talk directly to the hotspot.   
      
   Some routers can be configured to use their wireless component to   
   implement their WAN port.  In this case the router retains its DHCP,   
   DNS, and NAT function.  It's important that its LAN address is different   
   from the LAN address of the hotspot (which you will know if you've   
   tested the hotspot with a WiFi-enabled laptop or similar).   
      
   Hope this helps ...   
      
      
   --   
   Graham J   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)