People often think there is only one way to connect to the SVUnwired WiFi network in Milpitas. You open up your laptop or smartphone, select the SVUPublicWiFi SSID from the list and start browsing the internet. Here is a picture of what this might look like:

In this case, all the configuration is done on the computer/smartphone itself which must have a WiFi interface built in or directly attached (e.g. pc card or a usb wifi dongle). This setup works well and is the least complicated of the examples we will talk about. The drawback is that the placement of your computer/device is very important to your connection strength -- you may have to be able to see (have line of sight to) the node you are trying to connect to. This is because of the relative signal strength of your device -- for more detail, read more here.

WiFi Modem (aka CPE device)

There are a large number of home network configurations which are more interesting than the basic connection described above. The first of these is the use of a wifi modem. The wifi modem is a client transmit signal booster for the WiFi connection and allows the user to create a WiFi data connection which would not be possible with a plain laptop/device alone. For details why, read more here.

Here is what this setup might look like:

As you can see, the computer uses a standard ethernet cable to connect to the wifi modem. The wifi modem can operate in either router or bridge mode. In router mode, the wifi modem connects to the SVUnwired network and gets an IP address on the SVUPublicWiFi network. When a computer plugs in, the wifi modem gives it a local IP address -- usually something like 192.168.1.X. There can be one or several computers connected to the wifi modem. All requests for data go to the wifi modem which then forwards them on to the SVUnwired network.

In bridge mode, the wifi modem acts like a silent connector and it forwards all data coming from the ethernet port on to the WiFi port. (In networking parlance, the wifi modem is a Layer 2 device.) There can only be one computer connected to the ethernet port and the computer itself is connected to and gets an IP address from the SVUnwired network.

Complete Home Network

In the previous example, the wifi modem was the center of the small home network -- it operated as a very simple router (in router mode) for the 1 or 2 computers in the home. There are certainly cases where the home network needs to be a bit more complicated -- in these cases a separate router is the center of the network. Here is what this might look like:

In this scenario, the wifi modem is just providing back haul for the home network -- much like a DSL modem if the Internet connection came from DSL or a cable modem if the Internet connection was through the cable system. In the case, you would probably want the wifi modem in bridge mode so the home router controls all information. Note that often these home routers have their own WiFi interface so as to provide in house WiFi service for laptops, smartphones, etc. The WiFi standard has many different channels defined and so these 2 WiFi networks can co-exist without causing any interference between them.

These are just some of the ways you can use SVUnwired's Public WiFi network to connect all the WiFi devices in your home.

Thanks for your interest in this community resource.