Can I connect a wireless access point to a bridged-mode cable modem?

Question

My wireless router is beginning to show signs of dying -- it restarts itself every once in a while. Needless to say, it needs to be replaced. Coincidentally, one of my friend's neighbour is having a garage sale, with one of the items being offered being an 11n wireless access point for just $20. It's a D-Link (I don't remember the model) and appears to be in a good shape.

The problem is, I don't know what will happen if I use it in place of my router. Particularly, I'm not sure whether it will take only a single public IP address from the provider's DHCP for use by all computers connected to it (just like the router) or it will give each computer a public IP instead. As far as I remember, I'm only entitled to use a single public IP at a time.

I have a cable connection and an unnamed DOCSIS modem that can only work in bridged mode (there's simply no way to change the working mode).

Answer 1

A google search for "D-Link wireless 11n access point" shows several D-Link products that would match that description, that are strictly access points. In other words, they do not do NAT, or DHCP. I would guess that's what you're looking at. Which means it would not replace your router.

Depending on your budget, $20 may be a small enough gamble to try. On the other hand, you can buy a brand new Wireless router for about the same price... http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1618852&CatId=2667.

Answer 2

It will almost certainly work, and do NAT (translating your public IP to many non-routable internal IPs). It would help to have the model number to guarantee it, but as long as it is a router with wireless, and not a pure wireless access point, that is the market D-Link is in.