Neophyte wireless question Wired and Wireless bridging

I have a small SOHO wired network with a Linksys router (BEFSR41), uplinked
to a Netgear Switch (GS108), and on ot the wired computers. I have recently
aquired a portable computer that is 802.11b compliant, and my daughter has a
portable too that has wireless capability. I would like to keep my old
wired network, and build up a new wireless one. I have been looking into
wirelessAccess Points, such as Linksys WAP54G. I was planning to just hook
it into a spare Ethernet plug.

-Question 1 - Will this WAP serve more than one wireless computer?

-Question 2 - The Router and the Hub are in the basement, not an ideal
location for a wireless device, it seems from reading here on the net. Any
recommendations on a topology for this layout?

-Question 3 - My portable (IBM Thinkpad T42) is only 802.11b compliant, but
I do plan on adding more wireless computers and devices to the network,
which may be 802.11g compliant in the next 6 or 7 months. Are the 802.11g
NAP devices' downward compatibility to 802.11b good enough to go directly
with a 802.11g device? (I plan on experimenting a bit with wireless
devices.)

Any recommendations in general on equipment?

TIA,

Paolo

 

In

If you have Ethernet cabling upstairs, you can connect the WAP there, rather
than plugging it directly into the router.

Yes, but as far as I know, if you have a G-capable WAP and even one of the
clients connects as B, everyone else will slow down to 11Mbps max.

Make sure it's got some capacity for encryption - WEP is barely better than
nothing, but is still better than nothing. WPA is better. But your cards
have to support whatever you choose.