Is there a way to convert a wireless signal to wired?

Is there a way to convert a wireless signal so that it could go out of a device as ethernet, via cable on rj45, to a router?
Some existing USB adapter perhaps?
A software solution? if so, where?
Thinking here of android tablet devices which just have a wi-fi radio and no ethernet drivers.

 

You mean something like this?

 

From the connections point of view - definitely YES, that's the idea.

What we don't know is whether Android tablets would cooperate from the power consumption (3.3v) point of view, and of course the signal translation.

The Amazon link has few reviews where it worked on Tivo. Someplace else were instructions of Nintendo Wii. I gather neither has specific drivers. So likely the Cisco gadget does it internally somehow. How?

Bill, you know the tech stuff - perhaps this link to Datasheet and userguide
http://www.linksysbycisco.com/LATAM/en/products/USB300M
will tell you.

Edited an hour later: It's problematic. Here is a Driver pack for usb to ethernet on Honeycomb v3.2 , supports USB300M, but on some tablet there are problems
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1274656

 

The power consumption should not be a problem, although it will place a demand on the tablet's batteries. That said, it would be a very little demand and if you can disable the tablet's Wifi, I would think the battery run time would actually improve (because wireless must power a receiver and a transmitter).

Google is showing lots of options.

You could also use a WAP - Wireless Access Point. These add wireless access to a standard Ethernet (wired) network. They connect via Ethernet to a router. So you then connect wirelessly to the WAP, which then connects you to the Internet via the router. One of these is actually what is inside so-called "Wireless Routers". A wireless router is just a wired router with an integrated WAP (and typically an integrated 4-port Ethernet "switch" too).

I think a WAP is your better option because then you don't have to worry about the wire hanging off your tablet and it allows you to move freely about the place. That said, purchasing a new wireless-N router may be your best bet.

 

Great. So the only remaining issue might be the drivers at this point.

Wi-Fi is no issue. That's the default thing. Between Linksys and Netgear routers it all works fine. And works fine in wild places as well.

Thank you very much

Oh, once you showed me the Cisco link, the rest got simpler. At first I didn't even know what search words to use!

 

That is often the only difference between the helpers on these forums and those seeking help!