| Author |
Message |
    
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1444
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 14, 2005 - 12:05 pm: |     |
How hard is it to link two wireless routers together?
I want to add one near my TV for the Tivo and Playstation. I have a wireless router with 4 ports. So I could just hardwire the TIVO and Playstation to the ports and have the 1 router talk to the one on my desk. They’re both Linksys.
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5493
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 14, 2005 - 6:18 pm: | |
Why do this? And what does the number of physical ports have to do with this? You can have FAR more than four wireless systems on a single wireless router. |
Mergele
Citizen
Username: Mergele
Post Number: 249
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 14, 2005 - 7:20 pm: | |
I have 2 routers effectively daisy-chained in a failover setup - my 54Mbps router regularly runs into interference and takes a while to recover. So I'm now set up to find the slower router when the first one fails... |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1448
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 8:14 am: | |
Daisy chaining won’t work.
I have a wireless router set up on my desk. There I have a Desktop, printer and Fax (Lan enabled). The to laptops work off of this wireless router.
My Playstation, Tivo, and new television also need to get on this same network. I don’t want to have to run Cat 5 cable from the desk to the TV area, and I don’t want to spend $150 on wireless connectors.
So I want the set up my extra Wireless router behind the TV, there is 4 ports on it that I can then hardwire to the Tivo etc.
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Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 973
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 9:28 am: | |
I think I understand what you are trying to do, but honestly I don't think you can do it with two wireless routers.
I might be proven wrong, though. If I had some time to play around, I would first assign fixed IP's to the two routers, then ...???? Play around and see what happens. Use two PC's at first one at each router, so you can log into them and see what is going on. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5505
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 9:42 am: | |
I bet some wireless routers allow this, but probably not the consumer grade ones. I bet Linksys will tell you if this is possible. The one time I called their tech support line, the guy helped me well. You may end up running a cable from your router upstairs. In that case, you could use an etherswitch instead of a second router. |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1449
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 9:58 am: | |
I did the online chat with LinkSys and in fact their routers are incapable of this. I did some research and found some products that will do but they¡¦re pretty pricy.
Now I could just fork over the $150 for the three wireless cards (Gaslight Commons would frown on me drilling a hole in my upstairs neighbors floor ļ ), or I could really geek this thing up, which will cost more then double.
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Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1450
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 10:02 am: | |
Earlster I agree with the Static IP approach and am hoping for a rainy weekend day to play with that a little bit. |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 535
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 10:12 am: | |
Since you have Linksys, I would stay with another Linksys product, like this one; http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=550&scid=36
it will do just what you want except I think that it only has one ethernet port, just buy a cheap switch to connect the Tivo and game consoles. |
woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 898
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 10:24 am: | |
There are also devices similar to what monster mentions above that are simply wireless to wired ethernet adapters. perhaps that is what the linksys device is, rebranded for gaming.
It's basically a wireless access point in reverse. All the major wireless mfg's make them. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5509
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 11:07 am: | |
The generic term, I believe, is wireless access point. |
woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 899
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 11:16 am: | |
Typically a WAP is connected to the LAN via ethernet, and broadcasting to other wireless devices. I don't know enough about wireless technology to say whether a WAP will automatically work in reverse (that is, be connected to an ethernet-enabled device, and attach it to the LAN via a wireless protocol). Is that what you're saying you can do? Cool. I know a while ago Linksys and D-Link had products specifically for this, but it didn't occur to me until you mentioned it that you might be able to do it with just an access point! Now I might have a use or my old access point now thatI have a new w/l router. |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 974
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 11:50 am: | |
I think if you follow monsters advice, you would at least need a NAT router, instead of a switch.
Connect the WGA11b to the WAN port of the NAT router and the console and TiVo to the LAN ports. Might work, but you might still have to configure port assignments.
Either way this is going to be a nice geek project for a rainy week(end). |
woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 900
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 12:22 pm: | |
If he's already got a wireless router, then it probably has NAT capability. Basically, the second wireless station (WAP, WGA11b, etc.) should simply be acting as a method of extending the wired network wirelessly. Just as you wouldn't need another router if the devices were connected with wires, you shouldn't need one if you're going wireless.
I assume what you're trying to do is this:
If so, a wireless bridge (that's the term I was trying to remember before) like this http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=241 should do it for you. From a logical perspective, the network doesn't care if the link between the existing router and the switch is wireless or wired. |
woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 901
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 12:28 pm: | |
BTW, Brett, there was a comment on a recent post on JumboJoke from a "Brett in New Jersey" who is the brother of the site host. Now, I recognize that there are probably a dozen or so people named Brett in our fair state, but that wouldn't be you, would it? |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1453
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 12:53 pm: | |
You guys are cheating! No fair going online and finding a product that will actually do this!
The issue that I’m having is that I have two LinkSys ( WRT54G http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=601) wireless routers. My question is if these two can be connected wirelessly. I don’t think they can after further thought, but I’m still going to try.
I figure that they will need to have Static IP addresses so that they won’t conflict. The keys will need to be the same. But what do you think about Channels? They might also have to be the same, will they conflict or create the wireless utopia I’m going for?
I am only a Brett from NJ, not that Brett. Unless it was a really good joke  |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 536
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 1:18 pm: | |
You can do it with what you have, just turn off DHCP on the one connected to the Tivo, and gamebox. |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1454
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 1:22 pm: | |
Oh ya I forgot about DHCP. Now I'll have to look a bunch of the settings, like Mac Address Cloneing.
It would be nice if there was just a Master / Slave switch. |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 537
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 1:51 pm: | |
After you turn off DHCP, select "Advanced Routing" under the "Setup" tab, under the "operating mode", choose "Router", this will tell it where to look for it's signal.
The manual page for this is on page 29, ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/wrt54gv1.1_ug.pdf
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monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 538
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 2:15 pm: | |
Speaking of switches, Office Depot has the Linksys EtherFast 5-port 10/100Base-T Ethernet switch on sale for $19.99, a $10.00 rebate brings the price down to $9.99.
You can order online and pick up in the store.
Router; http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=283061
Rebate form; http://rebateimages.teg-online.com/157016.jpg
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Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1455
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 2:57 pm: | |
This article shows how to do it with WAP54G
http://linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/linksys.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid= 245&p_created=1084207311&p_sid=2qBUiayh&p_lva=245&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5P SZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9Mjc0JnBfcHJvZHM9MSwwJnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0xLjE7Mi51M CZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfc2NmX2xhbmc9MSZwX3BhZ2U9M SZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PVdSVDU0RyAgd2lyZWxlc3MgYnJpZGdl&p_li=&p_topview=1
But there is nothing saying that mine can do it…..
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Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1456
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 3:58 pm: | |
So it appers the my particular router will not work as a nework bridge using the existing firmware.
I would have to download firmware from a third party.
http://wrt54g.thermoman.de/
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5520
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 4:03 pm: | |
Good research, guys! How many times a day do you ask how we lived before search engines and the web!?
Brett, updating firmware on a linksys router is very easy. Just be sure to follow the instructions exactly. |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 976
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 5:54 pm: | |
Looking at Monsters post above, setting it as a router seems to be the way to go.
I would try this before upgrading the firmware.
Also with the pure wireless bridge as described for the WAP54G it seems that you would loose the use as an access point, which means you couldn't connect a wireless laptop anymore. |
ML
Supporter
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 2292
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 8:52 pm: | |
I don't think I understand how your network is configured. Why do you need two wireless routers in one residence?
I've got a wireless router on the 2nd floor, and I use a wireless range extender to boost the signal in order to reach another PC at the far end of the house on the first floor.
Would that type of setup accomplish what you need your network to do? |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 5527
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 10:53 pm: | |
ML, he wants a wired router upstairs because he has so many devices to wire to it. But he doesn't want to feed that router with a cable, so he wants to feed it with wireless. That's why he wants two routers. So a range extender won't help at all. It solves a problem he doesn't have. |
ML
Supporter
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 2293
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 11:13 pm: | |
got it. somehow I thought the new devices were wireless, but now I realize they need wires to the router.
never mind |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1460
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 11:02 am: | |
The plot thickens….
I was wrong I don’t have 2 WRT54G’s I have one WRT54G and 1 WAP54G. Back to Google.
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Dean P. Clarke
Citizen
Username: Concerto
Post Number: 1
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 8:18 pm: | |
I have never tried this but it may be worth a shot. You can set up each router on a different subnet say 192.168.1.XXX and 192.168.2.XXX with DHCP enabled on both. Then RIP must be enabled on both routers. RIP will allow the routers to pass data from one subnet to the other.
Computers can only communicate with other computers on different subnets via a router. Broadband routers are required for internet access because by default, on your side of the router, is subnet 192.168.1.XXX where the routers IP sddress is 192.168.1.1 and on the other side of the router is the ISP's address scheme, usually 68.87.XXX.XXX. |
monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 541
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 11:12 pm: | |
ACK! Now your just going to confuse people,
Okay, I'm going to guess that the router you have hooked up to your modem is the WRT54G and the second one that will be connected to the Tivo and Playstation is the WAP54G.
These two routers will do what you want, and they are both G routers to boot.
The WRT54G is already configured, so configure the WAP54G, by default it is functional right out of the box.
The best way to set it up would be to use your laptop and connect to the router with an ethernet cable, open a web browser and enter the default address for the router, "192.168.1.245", into the address field, I could go step by step but it would be easier to read the manual here, ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/wap54g%20v2-ug-Rev_A%20web.pdf
You should be fine by going ahead to Chapter 7, pg. 29, and starting there, or you could start from the beginning and go through the setup wizard too.
When you get to page 37 and are setting up your AP Mode, choose the "AP Client" button (Access Point Client), this will allow the router to communicate to the WRT54G router wirelessly (it will not act as a wireless repeater, or bridge when set up this way.), and allow connections to wired clients so that they can communicate through the WRT54G connected to your modem.
After selecting the "AP Client" mode, click the "site survey" button to see a list of available access points for it to get a signal from, select it and continue with the setup as needed.
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Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 1464
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 8:25 am: | |
Monster you hit the nail on the head.
I spent a bunch of time on the routers last night, updating firmware, configuring, setting the keys and what not. Slightly annoying because, not being one to read manuals, I didn’t know that my laptop needed a Static IP address to connect directly to the WAP. Once I got that it was easy. I did forgo Tom R’s advice (“Just be sure to follow the instructions exactly”) I just hit “Update Firmware” and crossed my fingers.
Note: One thing I found out, always update firmware WIRED, not WIRELESS. You drop signal in the middle and you’ve seriously screwed your router.
Unfortunately I started out with the thought that I was trying to get the WAP and the WRT to form a Wireless Bridge, which I did successfully. But if you do that the wireless laptops can’t connect to the network wirelessly. Wireless Bridges are only Point to Point.
Then I tried setting it up as an Access point. Also achieved smashing success, I now had two wireless devices sitting on the desk. My signal went from Very good to Excellent, but the Tivo was not amused.
Then about 11pm (minutes before monsters post) I found out that the AP Client was what I needed. But I didn’t have it in me, it was bed time. So tonight I will finally have the wireless utopia I have dreamed of. Well not quite, I need to buy a small router / switch for behind the TV, the WAP only has one port. But I will be one step closer to transferring TV shows to my laptops and controlling my Tivo from my desk at work.
BTW if you ever want to be a Beta Tester for something always put “Software Design” as occupation. I got a call directly from Tivo for the upgrade and then they e-mailed me some bug tracking software.
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monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 544
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 11:36 am: | |
Glad it all worked out Brett, enjoy.... |
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