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is there a device which converts the incoming lan signals into wifi signals?

The apartment only has a fixed network ip with a predetermined gateway and DNS. One needs to give this static ip, netmask and gateway in the network configuration of the computer and it works.

But I would like to use smart phones to access the network. Hence the static settings should be done in the device ( maybe it is is called an lan to wifi adaptor ) itself . Ofcourse, I do not want an expensive ADSL or DSL because I do not need the modem functionality.

Also, it would be great to know how this network device works i.e how does it give the IP addresses to the connected devices - may be using NAT?

Help with links what I should look for, would be appreciated.

Edit 05 June, 2017:

I have a FritzBox 7240, which according to this manual ( German ) https://avm.de/service/fritzbox/fritzbox-7240/wissensdatenbank/publication/show/106_FRITZ-Box-fuer-Betrieb-mit-anderem-Router-einrichten/, should be able to fulfill my needs. But the problem there is, that the static IP provided by the external router is class B ( 134.x.x.x ). If I enter this static IP into the FritzBox's Routers configuration and activate the DHCP server of the Fritzbox to provide IPs ( Class C - 192.168.178.x ) that would distribute the IP's to the connected devices, the Fritz box complains a conflict between the Class B incoming IP and the class C Fritzbox's DHCP IP.

So, I have left with no other choice, but to buy some other device like an Access Point.

infoclogged
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    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_access_point – goldilocks Jun 04 '17 at 17:14
  • @goldilocks can you suggest some links to buy. I need to put static ip , dns and gateway in the access point. I tried with Fritzbox 7240, but does not work. Maybe Fritzbox 7240 cannot be used as an access point. – infoclogged Jun 04 '17 at 18:05
  • An Access Point will basically translate wifi to lan signals and vice versa. If you want to use more than one device behind this one static IP, you want a proper router, which will route from your subnet to the "more public network". If you do not need to run more than one device at any time, a "simple" access point will work. So now for the obligatory questions: How much money are you willing to spend? What else beyond the above explained functionality do you want / need? – SEJPM Jun 04 '17 at 18:20
  • I'm going to contradict @SEJPM on this point (as does wikipedia: "One IEEE 802.11 AP can typically communicate with 30 client systems located within a radius of 103 metres..."). AP's work by using NAT with a private subnet. This does mean the client devices are effectively hidden from the LAN, but that only matters if they are running IP servers, or you want zeroconf/mDNS stuff to work across the AP -- but a complete router is not a transparent solution to that either (unless you move everything but your ISP router onto it). – goldilocks Jun 04 '17 at 19:32
  • @SEJPM Just normal internet connectivity. I am not hosting any server and neither I want any specific ports like ssh, http/s etc to be running. Budget - cheaper the better. – infoclogged Jun 04 '17 at 20:53
  • @goldilocks Is FritzBox 7240 an AP or a Router? As far as I understand, the router is only advantageous if one is running an active server, otherwise a normal AP should work. I still could not find any Access Points in internet to buy. – infoclogged Jun 04 '17 at 20:57
  • If you are German, here should be an AVM help article on your situation. What a router does, is to forward packets between subnets and separating them (with the firewall as well). Actual dedicated access points are mostly an enterprise phenomen (like ubiquiti unifi ones) but most routers can be configured to act as one. – SEJPM Jun 04 '17 at 22:37
  • If your intention is to setup static IPs on a dynamic network, you could just configure your devices to always request the same IP address via DHCP make your devices essentially static. – Bennett Yeo Jun 05 '17 at 00:21
  • @SEJPM the AVM help article does not work. The problem is that the static IP provided by the router is class B ( 134.x.x.x ) and if I enter it into the routers configuration and activate the DHCP server ( Class C - 192.168.178.x ) of the router to provide IPs to the connected devices, the fritz box complains a conflict between the Class B incoming IP and the class C Router DHCP IP. – infoclogged Jun 05 '17 at 11:41
  • I think there are some miss-conceptions about networking and router configuration going on here. I'd suggest you ask on SuperUser.SE for advice. For example modern networks have long left the class-based approach to IP adresses behind. – SEJPM Jun 05 '17 at 14:43
  • I am going to give up the fritz box router and buy a simple Wifi Access point like this . http://static.tp-link.com/res/down/doc/TL-WA901ND_4.0.pdf. I hope it will work. Thank you for the answers anyways. – infoclogged Jun 05 '17 at 17:37
  • If you've already got a working wired network, you want a "bridge" rather than an "access point" or a "router". – Mark Jun 05 '17 at 19:06
  • @Mark there is only one ethernet cable coming out of the wall and I connect it to my computer. In the computer, I configure the eth0 with a static IP, dns and gateway provided to me by the owner of the apartment. Hence, I dont have a working wired network. Just one computer connected. I would like to have a wireless network though. Can you recommend me a hardware with a weblink? The hardware should be configurable though, so that I configure the hardware with the static ip, dns and gateway. – infoclogged Jun 05 '17 at 19:18
  • Found this cheap device which acts as a bridge, AP, router - all in one and is configurable with static ip, dns and gateway - http://www.edimax.com/edimax/mw/cufiles/files/download/manual/BR-6428NS_V4/BR-6428nS_V4_User_Manual_English_EN.pdf – infoclogged Jun 05 '17 at 19:54

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Found this cheap device which acts as a bridge, AP, router - all in one and is configurable with static ip, dns and gateway -

http://www.edimax.com/edimax/mw/cufiles/files/download/manual/BR-6428NS_V4/BR-6428nS_V4_User_Manual_English_EN.pdf

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