SPA122 ATA with Router

[travis.choi]

Hi,

Maybe stupid question, but here is my question.

I purchased recently this product anticipating I can use this ATA for wireless connection in my home as well replacing my existing wireless router.

Because the product name said 'with Router'.

But nowhere I could find how to setup wireless connection in this ATA.

Can anyone give some sheds on this?

Thanks,

Duksun

[robbikay1]

It is indeed a router, however there are no wireless features on the spa122.

You can make use of your old wireless router to serve as a dumb switch and wireless access point.

Some suggested steps on your wireless router include...

- disable firewall and DHCP server

- put on same subnet as spa122 (ie. 192.168.15.0), and give a free static ip such as 192.168.15.2

- plug spa122 into LAN port, leave WAN port open.

[travis.choi]

Thanks Robert for your answers, but I am still not sure about router thing.

You said "it is indeed a router...", and why do you say that?

What kind of things can we do with this feature?

[cybersaga · Accepted solution]

"Wireless routers" do several jobs that can often be totally separate pieces of hardware:

• Router - Routes traffic with whatever rules you set. It can inspect, readdress and/or rewrite the data passing through if needed.
• Switch - Allows several physical devices to be connected, and sends traffic to the right device. It's like a mailman standing in front of an apartment building mail box that looks at the apartment number on the letter and puts it in the right box.
• Wireless access point - A switch for wireless devices.

The SPA122 only has a router, not a switch or wireless access point. So if you're going to connect multiple devices to it, you'd need to connect a separate device to the LAN port.

You can do as Robert said and turn off the router capabilities of the router you have and let it act as only a switch and wireless access point. But I think you'd be better off just plugging the SPA122 into your router. i.e. WAN port of SPA122 to a LAN port of your router, unless there's something wrong with the router you have. Separate routers usually perform better than an ATA that also acts as a router. Though if this is a home installation, you'd probably never notice the performance difference.

[travis.choi]

Thanks again for easy explanations.

I don't think I understood the concept of router, switch properly.

I am using ATA at home, and it sounds like there are not much usages with this router feature as home user.

Also there seems big differences between "wireless routers" and just "router".

But I thought it is same when you are shopping router product at the computer store.

Cheers,

[cybersaga]

Don't worry, network routing is a complicated subject even for computer people. If you want to learn more, you can google "difference between switch and router". You're not the first to ask.

Pretty much the only use for the router in an ATA is for a home user who has only one computer and no router. It allows them to connect their internet modem into the WAN port, and their computer into the LAN port, and they're done with no other hardware to buy. Any type of setup where there are multiple computers, a separate router is best.