MiFi to Ethernet Bridge

[Marek Novotny]

Hi Group,

I'm looking for a recommendation. I want a device that attaches itself
to the internet via WiFi, and then plugs into a switch and gives access
to the internet via that Ethernet port. So essentially, you would be
able to take a cell phone or a MiFi and bridge it to a switch or a hub
to grant "wired" access to other devices.

I'd like this to be some kind of a small device. Not a router I make out
of something, which I can do. I want a product. Does LinkSys make
something like this? Or does anyone have experience with such a device?

--
Marek Novotny
A member of the Linux Foundation
http://www.linuxfoundation.org
git with the program

[Mike Easter]

Marek Novotny wrote:
> Hi Group,
>
> I'm looking for a recommendation. I want a device that attaches itself
> to the internet via WiFi, and then plugs into a switch and gives access
> to the internet via that Ethernet port. So essentially, you would be
> able to take a cell phone or a MiFi and bridge it to a switch or a hub
> to grant "wired" access to other devices.
>
> I'd like this to be some kind of a small device. Not a router I make out
> of something, which I can do. I want a product. Does LinkSys make
> something like this? Or does anyone have experience with such a device?

This TP-Link company makes a lot of different devices. First I found
their site with a lot of 3G/4G wireless routers, but later I found a
2011 article^1 for a little device that was allegedly selling for $30.
I had a little trouble finding it on the TP-Link site until I found its
product no.


2011 Wired article
http://www.wired.com/2011/11/tiny-router-turns-ethernet-3g-into-wi-fi/
Tiny Router Turns Ethernet, 3G Into Wi-Fi

That one is neat because of its portability since it can run on USB
power or line and has an ethernet port.

The old 2011 company announcement
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111116005156/en/Create-Wi-Fi-Hotspot-TP-LINK%E2%80%99s-150Mbps-Wireless-Mini#.U0ciON9jHDk


The company product listing
http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?categoryid=&model=TL-MR3020

Then if you navigate around that site, there are all kinds of alternatives.



--
Mike Easter

[Marek Novotny]

Thanks Mike,

I'm actually looking for something else. Imagine you have a MiFi or a
cell phone that allows you to share your wireless LTE as a portable
hotspot. I want to take that WiFi from the phone and convert to an
Ethernet port.

[Mike Easter]

Marek Novotny wrote:
> Mike Easter wrote:

>> Marek Novotny wrote:

>>> I want a device that attaches itself
>>> to the internet via WiFi, and then plugs into a switch and gives access
>>> to the internet via that Ethernet port. So essentially, you would be
>>> able to take a cell phone or a MiFi and bridge it to a switch or a hub
>>> to grant "wired" access to other devices.
>>>
>>> I'd like this to be some kind of a small device.

>> This TP-Link company makes a lot of different devices.

> I'm actually looking for something else. Imagine you have a MiFi or a
> cell phone that allows you to share your wireless LTE as a portable
> hotspot. I want to take that WiFi from the phone and convert to an
> Ethernet port.

I think I am 'confusing' your usage of MiFi and WiFi here. I think we
need some definitions. I hate ambiguity or ambiguous use of terms
because it interferes with accurate communication.

LTE = 4G LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed
data for mobile phones and data terminals.

MiFi = a name for wireless routers that act as mobile Wi-Fi hotspots,
but in this usage of 'wi-fi' it means a different tech than 802.11 wifi,
rather something like/ similar to/ 802.16 tech.

... which to me 'proper' wifi is 802.11 based tech, as opposed to
'cellphone' tech, whereas 802.16 tech is such as WiMax between certain
mobile devices.

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) = Wi-Fi: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g,
802.11n, 802.11ac standards

If I'm understanding you correctly/differently now, this actually has
nothing to do (directly) with 3G or mobile connectivity as I initially
understood; that is, here is how I originally understood:

'I have a mobile 3G-4G provider account. I want to access the internet
via that account/provider, (and then) establish an ethernet LAN to allow
others in my network to access the internet via device > ethernet >
(somehow) > mobile broadband > mobile provider > internet'

But now you are saying, instead:

"I have a mobile LTE account + a MiFi (where 'mobile wi-fi' does not
mean wifi, but instead means something else which isn't 802.11) and I
want to convert/extend that mifi into ethernet.'

I think you should define you concept of mifi first.


--
Mike Easter

[Marek Novotny]

On 2014-04-11, Mike Easter <Mi...@ster.invalid> wrote:

> I think you should define you concept of mifi first.

It's really simple. Just forget about what you think you understood
before. A MiFi is a Mobile WiFi. It's just a little box which takes a 4G
LTE or a 3G connection and bridges it to WiFI so other devices can share
that mobile data capability. The way other devices gain access to the
LTE network is through WiFI. I want to use Ethernet instead.

So, it should be a Mobile HotSpot, known as a MiFi, that spits out a
WiFI signal. And I want a box that takes that WiFi and turns it into
Ethernet. So the box I envision is a box with a WiFi receiver and an
Ethernet port. It should take WiFi and bridge it to its Ethernet port.

Mobile Broadband MiFi >> WiFI >> Ethernet.

[Richard Kettlewell]

Marek Novotny <marek....@hushmail.com> writes:
> I'm looking for a recommendation. I want a device that attaches itself
> to the internet via WiFi, and then plugs into a switch and gives access
> to the internet via that Ethernet port.

You want a WAP that be put into what is variously known as ‘client
mode’, ‘wireless bridge mode’ or ‘station infrastructure mode’. I use
an Edimax EW-7228APn for this purpose but I expect lots of similar
devices support the same feature.

--
http://www.greenend.org.uk/rjk/

[Whiskers]

On 2014-04-10, Marek Novotny <marek....@hushmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Group,
>
> I'm looking for a recommendation. I want a device that attaches itself
> to the internet via WiFi, and then plugs into a switch and gives
> access to the internet via that Ethernet port. So essentially, you
> would be able to take a cell phone or a MiFi and bridge it to a switch
> or a hub to grant "wired" access to other devices.
>
> I'd like this to be some kind of a small device. Not a router I make
> out of something, which I can do. I want a product. Does LinkSys make
> something like this? Or does anyone have experience with such a
> device?

This might fit the bill:

<http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?categoryid=218&model=TL-MR3420#spec>
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/lckdonb>

,---- [TP-Link 3G/4G Wireless N Router TL-MR3420]
| 1 USB 2.0 Port for LTE/HSPA+/HSUPA/HSDPA/UMTS/EVDO USB Modem
|
| 1 10/100Mbps WAN Port,
|
| 4 10/100Mbps LAN Ports, support the auto-Negotiation and auto-MDI/MDIX
`----

Use the USB socket to plug in a USB 'mobile internet dongle' for
internet access, then share that access locally via WiFi and/or ethernet
LAN sockets. Leave the "10/100Mbps WAN Port" unused if you haven't got
a cable modem, and turn off the WiFi if you want your local devices to
connect only using the wired ethernet LAN sockets.

I expect other makes or brands are available with similar facilities.

--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

[Marek Novotny]

Thank you, I'll try this one.

[Marek Novotny]

On 2014-04-11, Marek Novotny <marek....@hushmail.com> wrote:
> On 2014-04-11, Richard Kettlewell <r...@greenend.org.uk> wrote:
>> Marek Novotny <marek....@hushmail.com> writes:
>>> I'm looking for a recommendation. I want a device that attaches itself
>>> to the internet via WiFi, and then plugs into a switch and gives access
>>> to the internet via that Ethernet port.
>>
>> You want a WAP that be put into what is variously known as ‘client
>> mode’, ‘wireless bridge mode’ or ‘station infrastructure mode’. I use
>> an Edimax EW-7228APn for this purpose but I expect lots of similar
>> devices support the same feature.
>
> Thank you, I'll try this one.

I've got the Edimax installed, along with a longer antenna and was able
to make an effective bridge. I also ran into a device from Verizon. It
is a Mifi but the home. It is essentially a broadband Ethernet router.
Due to placement and signal it didn't do to well. I'll need to extend
that antenna. So for now I opted to use the Edimax. Nice to have this
covered two ways though.