[MLB-WIRELESS] Wireless networking question

[Joe Hovel]

I hope someone can answer a technical query for me:
With an access point connected to a home network switch, I find that
_all_ traffic for any of my PCs (even the little printserver) is passed
through the access point. I noticed this because the Dlink
configuration/monitoring software shows continuously increasing packet
numbers, irrespective of where traffic is intended. 
I guess this stands to reason, because the Dlink AP900 has no routing
capacity and is happy to accept whatever traffic the switch sends it.
This is not much of an issue here, because this family only ever uses
two or three PCs at a time.
However, when I put up my antenna and hook the AP into the local
wireless group's network, then _all_ my traffic is going to "use up"
bandwidth of the community wireless network, isn't it? And presumably so
is everyone else's.... Many of the members at Bendigo Wireless have home
or SOHO networks - so when they all connect, I'm not really expecting to
have much usable bandwidth left....
The only way I can think of preventing this is with (expensive) routers
at all nodes, or wireless cards in PCs with routing OS.
How is Melbourne Wireless managing this? Surely not everyone has and can
afford a router????
Am I missing something here?
Cheers,
Joe Hovel
Bendigo


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