Can a wireless router be used in a hotel room

Firstly I hope this is the best forum for such a question.

I have a PDA which can connect to other devices via bluetooth and WiFi.
I used this PDA (with a bluetooth keyboard) when I am travelling to send/receive emails.
Problem is that I can only do this when I am near a WiFi point (and can gain access).
A thought occurred to me - could I connect to the internet using a wireless router plugged into the broadband socket which are found in many hotel rooms.
An acquaintance said that I could but I'm not sure.
I can connect to the internet via my son's wireless router which is plugged into a broadband cable modem so I know that I can connect via a wireless router HOWEVER would a router work plugged into the broadband socket in a hotel room?

 

Yes and no.

In 99% of the cases yes.
Most Hotels still require some type of brouser redirect for the initial session which I assume can be done through your PD brouser. In that case yes.

There might be some unushual circumstances that I haven't seen that may be the exception but not the rule.

My wife is a traveling nurse and I always set her router up in her hotel room.

 

Thanks Scott
Just the answer I was hoping for.
I know nothing about wireless routers so I would be pleased if you (or any other reader) could answer two questions -

The first one a bit silly as I guess wireless routers are not connected to a PC via USB - Are all wireless routers powered externally (ie via a plug pack).

Are there any compact ones

Reason for questions - I want to take it when travelling and weight and size are important.

Thanks

John

 

When used as a WIFI source, no connection is required between router and computer.

Most Small office/Home routers use external power adapter.

Linksys Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router WRT54GC
Asus WL-530g compact wireless router

To give you a size comparison, my router displaces over 30 cubic inches. The above compact Linksys about 14 cubic inches and Asus less than 10. (all dimensions exclude antenna and power adapter.)

 

A built in power supply (no separate power adaptor) is even better - one less items to pack and possibly loose.
I will try and source one of these (WTR54GS) in Australia.
But as Tony states an access point might be a better way to go.
Any suggestions as to brands names especially for compactness?
I assume that an access point can be plugged into a normal router to turn it into a wireless router - am I correct?
Thanks

 

What I was getting at by asking "would plugging an access point into a normal router turn that router into a wireless router" is this
I have a normal (wired) router (Netgear) in my house. Can I plug the access point into my normal (wired) router and effectively then have a wireless router.

This would be a double bonus if I could do that as well as taking it on trips and plugging it into a hotels Cat5 socket.

 

Arie,

I need some tuition here I think.

Is an Access Point a wireless device? I understand that I can plug an Access Point into the Cat5 socket in a hotel room then I can access the hotels internet with my PDA using WiFi connection (PDA to Access Point). Is that correct?

Then surely the end of the cable (from the Cat5 socket in a hotel room) is connected to a Router somewhere on the premises. Is this correct?

Then why couldn't I connect an Access Point into one of the 4 ports on the back of my router at home?

Sorry if sound confused but I am very new to WiFi etc.

Is there a web site which explains all this?

 

yes and no
Turn off the dhcp in the control panel of the router
The hotel router will hand you an ip from its dhcp
say 192.168.1.142
or 10 whatever
If you have the dhcp on your router turned on - it will then assign its own internal network number say 192.168.0.176
There are two networking tables in place
Very confusing for the other side and networking
It may work - but be inconsistent and erratic - especially with secure sites such as banking sites
It will work - but best to turn off the dhcp in your router
Linksys makes a very nice , handy compact router - no one seems to realize how useful it is. They go cheap on ebay
Model is wrt54gc
Another area of concern is that if you are using the wireless have a different ssid and channel from the hotel's wireless
Otherwise you may blanket the area with your wi fi signal and cause interference in the area around your room and even on adjacent floors
The wrt54gc comes without an external antenna ( optional but not worth it) to limit its interference range

As for your question
Routers mainly come with an external power supply and must be plugged in
Range of standard routers is 300 feet indoors ( laptops less with your pda) and 1000 feet outdoors
Biggest problem by far is interference from other routers. Cordless phones ( same frequencies) seem not to be a problem
Interference can be dealt with changing the channel from the default channel 6 ( almost all brands) to any other of the 12 channels
1 and 11 are first picks
If there is interference you may not even be able to detect the other signal
You will see your good signal but be unable to connect to the internet as your network device swings between the wo unable to connect
Several useful programs

- netstumbler - both for laptop and a ministumbler for pdas
will tell you signals , are they locked and channels
- network magic for laptops
- Boingo has free software that may help you to scan for signals on you pda
the minstumbler would be first choice

 

It will work fine.
How many routers do you think your packets go through to get to their destination?

Do a C:\tracert www.yahoo.com and see.

The only confusion would be for specific incomming traffic through NAT. Remote desktop would be one that comes to mind. But since he cant manage the hotel router that would be a moot point anyway.

 

Thanks for the info guys.

Maybe I may have confused you about using a (wired) router and an access point.
I didn't mean connecting a (wired) router to the cat5 socket in a hotel room and then the access point into the router.
I was only ever going to plug the access point into the hotel room socket.

I was only wondering if I could plug the access point into my (wired) router at HOME and then be able to connect to the internet (my router is plugged into my cable modem) with my PDA at home. Probably would never want to but just asked the question.

Anyway it seems that I can - tell me if I'm wrong.

You have been very helpful. I will now look out for a cheaper (second hand if necessary) compact wireless point.

 

Yes, but look at the lively debate you started

Yes, you can connect a wireless access point to a router via a network cable, and thereby give access to the internet to wireless devices. You do have to be a little careful to ensure that only one of the two devices is acting as a DHCP server and that the two devices are given IP addresses within the same subnet.

 

Absolutely agree with the thrust of this. Connecting different networks together, and routing traffic through those networks is exactly what a router does. If networking was as haphazard as visionof suggests, the internet (which is a mass of inter-connected small networks) wouldn't work.

However, I would make the point that there is one thing you have to be careful of. That is that the the two private networks (the hotel's and the new one in the hotel room) don't share the same IP addresses. For example, if the hotel uses the 192.168.0.0/24 address space, and you set up your network to use the same address range, you won't get internet access from PCs that connect to the room network. You would need to use a different subnet such as 192.168.1.0/24 or 10.0.0.0/24.

 

JP if all you want to do is get wireless access to your PDA you could just plug in a simple AP into the wall plug and be surfin your heart out provided you have previously set up the AP with SSID, Security, and DHCP turned off.