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+--- Thread: [Windows] Need some networking help! (/showthread.php?tid=114616)

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[Windows] Need some networking help! - Jorge18 - 2011-11-14

Alright, hopefully somebody can help me out here.

Hardware-
  • Two PC's running Windows 7
  • Buffalo Technology AirStation High Power N150 Wireless Router & AP WHR-HP-GN
  • D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router

I just wired the house up with Cat5e and now would like to fix my networking issue at home.

Here's how I have it set up today:

D-Link router upstairs
Buffalo downstairs acting as an access point

Here's my problem...When I'm upstairs, I have to login to the router upstairs, but when I'm downstairs I have to login to the AP downstairs. They have two seperate SSID's.

Here's what I want:
  • To not have to log in downstairs to a router and both routers to work seemless.

  • I also need the router downstairs to be able to connect things via ethernet.

Here's a drawing I created in paint to try to illustrate what I'm talking about...
Image

I hope I explained myself clearly and someone can help me out...


- Mallet21 - 2011-11-14

I'm no expert but a switch might be a better option for downstairs (assuming your wireless coverage is adequate using just the upstairs router). Hopefully someone here can explain how to convert that downstairs router into a switch so you don't have to buy any add'l hardware.


- Balinus - 2011-11-14

You might be interested in this how-to : http://homecommunity.cisco.com/t5/Wireless-Routers/Connecting-two-routers-wired-the-definitive-answer/td-p/47006


- Jorge18 - 2011-11-14

Mallet21 Wrote:I'm no expert but a switch might be a better option for downstairs (assuming your wireless coverage is adequate using just the upstairs router). Hopefully someone here can explain how to convert that downstairs router into a switch so you don't have to buy any add'l hardware.

I guess I should have mentioned that downstairs I do not have adequate wireless coverage. That's why I have both the routers.


- Jorge18 - 2011-11-14

Balinus Wrote:You might be interested in this how-to : http://homecommunity.cisco.com/t5/Wireless-Routers/Connecting-two-routers-wired-the-definitive-answer/td-p/47006

That might work, but it doesn't seem like it would distribute the wireless signal as well, or will it?

Just read it again, and it seems like that would work with wireless as well. Seems pretty easy, too.


- Balinus - 2011-11-14

Jorge18 Wrote:That might work, but it doesn't seem like it would distribute the wireless signal as well, or will it?

I don't know enough about that. You should try and see Smile


- Jorge18 - 2011-11-14

Balinus Wrote:I don't know enough about that. You should try and see Smile

Going to try it out tonight. Thank you for your help!


- Balinus - 2011-11-14

Look here also, good info on how to change your router into a wifi repeater : http://lifehacker.com/265142/turn-your-wifi-router-into-a-repeater


- Jorge18 - 2011-11-14

After reading a little bit, I think this is what's going to work for me.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Access_Point

Can someone confirm?


- bluray - 2011-11-14

i owned a 5000sqft two level home 2 yrs ago. i pre-wired the whole house, but i needed wireless routers for my laptops. here is how i did it- Connecting two Wireless Routers .


- lrusak - 2011-11-14

Jorge18 Wrote:After reading a little bit, I think this is what's going to work for me.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Access_Point

Can someone confirm?

I use DD-WRT on two routers, I use it as a WDS-repeater though.

My main WDS-AP is a Dlink DIR-825, and my WDS-client is a Dlink DIR-615.

I use the client to wirelessly connect to the main AP and then use the ethernet ports to connect to my devices. So say I have a computer or xbox without wireless functionality I can use my second router to connect these device to the internet.

you may need to use the Repeater Bridge function of DD-WRT, which only requires the client router to be running the firmware. I didn't use this because I couldn't get it to work.


- rbrohman - 2011-11-15

Jorge18 Wrote:After reading a little bit, I think this is what's going to work for me.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Access_Point

Can someone confirm?

I set up a Linksys WRT-54GL with DD-WRT at a friend's place so that he could access his neighbour's wireless from anywhere in his house (as opposed to just the room closest to his neighbour). It worked great. Too great, in fact - his neighbour caught on and secured his connection. Smile

Short answer - pickup a dd-wrt capable router and set it up as a repeater and you should be good to go.


- g725s - 2011-11-16

lrusak Wrote:you may need to use the Repeater Bridge function of DD-WRT, which only requires the client router to be running the firmware. I didn't use this because I couldn't get it to work.

This is what I do and it works great. I'm using Tomato on two E2000 that are hard wired together. I've got the the E2000s putting out N, and also got an older Airport Extreme bridged to the network and it is putting out G. Since I needed more ports I put in a switch also to hardwire other rooms.

Also you should be asking questions like this over at the network forum. There is a good Linksys forum but now I forget which address it is. I'll post back if I find it.


- Jorge18 - 2011-11-16

OK, I just realized that the ethernet ports on the Buffalo are only 10/100's so i've decided to rethink my networking situation.

All I need the Buffalo to do is repeat the wireless signal through the house, but I want to be able to "roam" throughout the house and now have to login to the different routers.

Will this be solved through the "repeater" function on the DD-WRT Buffalo device?


- waldo22 - 2011-11-16

Here's what you do:

Leave the router that is connected to the Internet as it is.
  • On the 2nd router, set the IP to be one above your main router and
  • disable the DHCP server
  • then plug the Cat5e for the Internet into a switch port on this router instead of the Internet/WAN port
  • set the SSIDs and WPA keys to be the same on both routers
- voila, you have a wireless "access point" with switch instead of a router.

So, if your main router is 192.168.1.1, make the 2nd one 192.168.1.2. Make sure the DHCP on the main router starts handing out IPs at 192.168.1.20 or something like that, so it doesn't interfere with 192.168.1.2.