http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article36-page7.php Even having read the above and using the SEARCH function, sadly I'm still not understanding the difference between a WIRELESS ETHERNET BRIDGE and a WIRELESS ACCESS POINT. Can anyone show pity on this poor soul and dumb it down several notches? (ie. "If you wanna do X, use this. If you wanna do Y, use that.") Kisses XXOOXX Jen

I'm not sure if I'm right, but I think it's like this: Bridge = Use two connections together Access point: It's a place (for example, a wireless router) that people can connect to it with their wireless laptops... If I'm wrong, plz somebody correct me!! El-Trucha http://www.masterleito.ath.cx ftp://tsfc.homeftp.net hotline://tsfc.ath.cx

A wireless access point extends a wired network wirelessly. A wireless bridge creates a new network and allows connection with the wired network. Jen you probably want a wireless access point (also known as hub) as a bridge is usually only used on large networks to reduce local traffic.

You started out so well Rimfire. A hub is not a wireless access point. A bridge is used to connect two networks together with no consideration as to size. Jen it would have been nice if you had said what it was you wanted to accomplish :-) I think if you had read some of the descriptions you would have the answer to your question. For example from linksys's web site and their wireless bridge "Converts wired-Ethernet devices to wireless network connectivity" So this would be your GameCube's rj45 port connected to the wireless bridge via a patch cable. Now it can get to the wireless router to get to the internet. So this is a wired to wireless to wireless setup. A wireless access point on the other hand is a wired to wireless solution. If you look at a picture of a wireless AP you will see it has a single LAN port. This gets patched to your switch. By doing so you provide wireless connectivity to your existing wired lan. So what was it you were asking about?

Sorry Wanderer, I should have said 'wireless hub', but I'd used that word too many times already. I suggested access point, as if she needed a bridge, she wouldn't need to ask.

Hey not a problem Rimfire. Like I never mistype :-) NOT. Maybe Jen really needs a wireless router but we will never know if she never checks back.

The difference between bridges and routers is that routers are used to create a subnetwork, while bridges are used to extend an existing network. Bridges are pretty dumb devices- basicly whatever comes in one port is broadcast to all the others. Routers are much more complex, they look at IP headers and choose intelligently which port to send data on. For example if your router had 4 ports on its back and you had 9 computers, you could plug 6 ports into a bridge and then plug the bridge in to the router and effectively have a 9 port router. If you have a cable internet connection with only one port, you can usually plug it into a router and share it amongst all the computers in your house. An access point is a place where you can plug into the network. It can be a plug on a wall, or a router, or a hub, or even a computer (if you have two network cards). Wireless access points are like wireless plugs. They can be wireless hubs, or wireless routers, or even other computers with a wireless card. So to answer your question, a wireless ethernet bridge is a type of wireless access point that can only be used to extend an existing subnetwork.