[Techtalk] wireless home network without router

[Miriam English]

Hi all,

Is it possible to set up a home wireless LAN without a router? That is, 
using wireless network cards in a couple of computers, connect them as a 
small mesh network, similar to how you can connect a couple of computers 
together using an ethernet cable.

It seems to me that it should be possible, as wireless cards transmit 
and receive. But I can't find anything about it on the net. All the 
pages I've found imply that a wireless router is necessary, and the 
people I've spoken to in shops assure me a router is needed (quickly 
followed by an attempt to sell me one).

I know mesh networks are a recent development. Is it simply that this 
technology hasn't trickled down to us plebs yet? Is there a way to adapt 
mesh network software to do the job inside a home? Or am I overlooking a 
more obvious solution?

I have no experience with wireless connections (all my computers use 
ethernet cables) but my younger sister wants to be able compute on the 
verandah without trailing a long cable. I felt certain it would be 
possible, but I can't get it to work. Any ideas?

Cheers,

	- Miriam

-- 
If you don't have any failures then you're not trying hard enough.
  - Dr. Charles Elachi, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Website: http://miriam-english.org
Blog: http://miriam_e.livejournal.com