Calling All Inventors

sixtystacks · EVDO Newbie Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

I just got a Novatel S720 (Sprint) - cutting my cables for good Very Happy

- but I now have perfectly good Linksys WRT54G and two adapter cards that are sitting idle and can only use one laptop at a time. I know I could shell out 200+ for a new router KR1 etc. but it is the principle of the thing....at least partially.

Why doesn't some tech guy out there build a device that 'accepts' the Aircard on one end and 'transmits' the signal via an ethernet cable to my dormant router? Technically is there some obvious reason this can't be done?

Obviously Linksys won't bother because they are now selling a KR1 clone, correct?

GREAT FORUM...

tamasrepus · Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:17 pm Post subject:

There's nothing to invent... you can do this in under 5 minutes with Linux.

That said, there's almost no market for such a device. People rather use WiFi than be tethered with an Ethernet cable.

sixtystacks · EVDO Newbie Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

You don't get what I'm saying... I am trying to use my existing wireless router (so I can use wifi in my house) but to use my WRT54g router I need to feed it with an ethernet cable.

tz1 · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:08 am Post subject:

First, you can usually "share your internet connection" and your wireless connection can be seen by others including the router, or plug the ethernet from the computer to the router.

Beyond that, what you describe is a router that accepts an EVDO card (PCMCIA? USB? Both?) and has an ethernet port and routes between the two. To come up with a simple one based on unit costs would be more than the KR1. You could get an ancient used laptop or desktop with PCMCIA (I got one from Pacific Geeks), throw Linux on it, and use it, maybe for $50 and a few hours of your time.

So, it is doable, but not economically practical.

sixtystacks · EVDO Newbie Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

Thanx for the reply Tz1. I am not all that savvy.

1.) Are you saying I can connect my wireless router to my laptop with the S720 in it - and that will transmit a wi-fi signal that my other laptop can pick up?

2.) I don't understand why creating a device like the KR1 but without half the functionality would cost more. It seems like it would be a pretty popular adapter onsidering all the WRT54G's probably out there already now rendered useless.

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

deparson · EVDO Junkie Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 248

The cost to develop, produce, and sell such a device which is exactly what is already being sold sans the wifi would not make sense.

I am sure you could just connect your existing router to the LAN side of the existing units if you want to continue to use your own router.

-D

Mackieman · EVDO Junkie Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 451

This can be accomplished in Windows using ICS and two NICs. Using ICS, you can take the WWAN connection from your EVDO device and output it through NIC 1 which is then plugged into your Linksys router via crossover cable. NIC 2 connects as a LAN host on the Linksys router enabling LAN connectivity as well. A buddy of mine does this for his dial-up setup where he lives way out in the sticks.

tz1 · Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:40 am Post subject:

The problem is economies of scale. Go to digikey or mouser or Jameco for an electronic part and see how much 1 v.s. 10 v.s. 100 v.s. 10000 cost.

Then there's fixed engineering cost. I can't take KR1s, open them up, remove the wireless cards and sell them on E-Bay, and sell "half the router" at a profit.

The worst part is the actual EVDO connections. That has to be USB AND PCMCIA (which tend to be just USB).

The KR1 probably only exists because it was easy to hack a Dlink DI624S Storage router (which already had the USB stack).

USB doesn't simply connect to ethernet, you need a full computer (even if a small one like the realtek chip in the KR1). And the USB isn't a network, it's PPP serial - basically an ultrafast dialup or DSL (thinking PPPoE for fellow techies). I think Seiko has a PPP chip, but I doubt I could glue it directly to any EVDO hardware.

The only thing that might work is the (almost a KR1) PCMCIA to USB hardware for EVDO cards PLUS some router that allowed connecting to a USB modem (phones set into whatever modes function as modems). Most with USB ports (like Apple's airport) only talk to printers and/or hard drives.

Llama · EVDO Junkie Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 180

sixtystacks · EVDO Newbie Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

[quote="Llama"]

slug · EVDO User Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 46

sixtystacks....I asked about this same thing awhile back. It would be nice to have a small "sleeve" device to plug your card into that had a ethernet jack on the other end so you could use any router from walmart or use it with any laptop. It would eliminate the need for different styles of aircards like usb and express, because all you would need would be a ethernet jack which all laptops and desktops have. I'm VERY low tech also, but after reading the above posts it seems it wouldn't be cost efficient to make.

sixtystacks · EVDO Newbie Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

Thanks Slug. I still don't know enough to dispute the fact it would cost more but it just doesn't make sense - guess I'll wait for KR1 or Linksys to come down in price - refuse to pay $200 for a wireless router....

pismo · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:44 am Post subject:

just set up ics (internet conection sharing)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/234815

turn off dhcp server on the router since ics will be the dhcp server and gateway for all other computers.

plug laptop into lan port of router.

you will provide dhcp and internet to all computers wifi or wired and have network access between all computers all with one nic and evdo card.
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