Ethernet cable to wifi

[Sephy]

Hi,
I live in a flat on a campus (think uni halls, although its not quite that) where we are provided with a network cable to get broadband. I want to get an iPad, and for that I'd really need wifi. The IT support guys have said that so long as I "have DCHP leasing switched off" I can get a router to turn the network socket into wifi.

I really don't know what I'm doing - anyone able to advise me on what I should buy and how I should set it up?

Thanks very much

Here

Is there anyone else on campus you know who uses an iPad in their flat? Finding someone else who has already got it working can be very useful as you can just copy what they did.

I am wondering what they mean by DHCP Leasing Switched Off... maybe they mean using Static IP (iPad can use static IP), maybe they mean using the DHCP server but not having it expire the time it allocates to the IP address.

DHCP is the thingy that allocates IP addresses for devices on your network. The router has a DHCP server in it and thus assigns each wireless device an IP address, so the router knows who to talk to. Does that make sense?

Ask the IT support guys for a recommendation with regard to the router you need to use as you don't want to upset their network by putting the wrong thing in.

The Student Room forum is worth a visit, link goes to a thread about Ethernet port.

The IT support guys have said that so long as I "have DCHP leasing switched off" I can get a router to turn the network socket into wifi.

That's nice of them, in my DD's campus accommodation they ban any kind of WiFi adapter or router being used.

Buy a router designed for cable internet (NOT ADSL) like this one. In the manual you will find instructions for turning off the router's own DHCP (for instance on page 4-1 of this manual you can see the box "Use router as DHCP server" which you need to untick.

Make sure you search for DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) not DCHP

Thank you very much and for correcting my acronym before I embarrassed myself further! All looks really good, thanks again