Can a console server app access a wireless...?

General
1

Hello all,

Question 1: Can a console server app access a wireless dongle, to in tern receive incoming connections, while the wireless dongle is also connected to a a router as part of a LAN?

Question 2: The answer to #1 is NO, can a server app access a wireless dongle, to in tern receive incoming connections?

In both cases, it would have to decide if it is a connection it wants to accept. If in either case it can, how do you tell the OS that you want to use the dongle?

Thanks in advance.
Tim

2

#1 If the OS sees the USB wireless device as a valid network card and has an IP address then yes. The USB wireless adapter would connect via 802.11a/b/g/n to the wireless router for IP connectivity. The router then routes the traffic from there to the WAN/Internet assuming there are connectivity past this point. You would bind your server sockets to the interface that the wireless USB adapter gives you on the server running your console app.

Which OS?

3

Hi Mike,
Any OS, but starting with Windoz, then Linux. Either way, needing to get an IP from a router, is not what I wanted to do… This is to be more of a really really private network. Basically between the device with the dongle, and an iOS or Android device.

From what I can glean from your post, I would need to talk directly to the dongle to do any of this - correct?

Thanks for your reply.
Tim

4

You can assign a static ip address on your wireless USB adapter and it doesn’t have to be via DHCP. The dongle is your wireless network card (USB) and it needs to talk to a wireless access point assuming its 802.11a/b/g/n etc. Even if this is a private LAN you have to talk to your wireless access point so other devices can access your console apps wireless dongle.

Here is a minimum needed to communicate privately on a 802.11a/b/g/n wireless LAN network:

Static IP address example:

  1. Your i-device/android wireless LAN 10.1.1.10/24
  2. Wireless Access Point (router in most cases for Netgear, linksys, belkin, etc) - 10.1.1.1/24
  3. Your server/computer using a wireless USB dongle adapter running Xojo Console app - 10.1.1.100/24

This will allow these three devices to communicate. Now privately:

  1. Do not connect wireless router to internet on the WAN port :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
  2. Use WPA2 and/or the highest level of wireless encryption that all three devices can use.

There is a wireless option to connect from device to device via 802.11a/b/g/n and its called Ad-Hoc mode. I am not sure if all devices support it, but it cuts out your wireless router need. You may want to look into this since it builds a very private point to point wireless network.

5

Thanks Mike,
The Ad-Hoc mode is the search term in need!

Much appreciated!
Tim

6

One more thing Mike.
The wireless cannot be both an Ad-Hoc network, and a regular network can it. It would need to be dedicated, one or the other.

Is that correct?
Tim

7

Yes you are correct - A wireless LAN adapter can usually only run in ad-hoc mode OR in enterprise (normal) mode at once.

8

Thanks for the clarification!
Tim