Adding a wireless router to a WIRED network

[Murr045]

Ok, I've got cable internet, works great, whatever. I own a Linksys BEFSR41 V.3 Wired router and a Linksys BEFW11S4 V.2 WireLESS router. The WIRELESS router does not work with Xbox Live, so I have to use my WIRED router for my Halo 2 needs. I live in an apartment with 3 others; we have 3 xboxes to connect, 2 desktops, and 2 laptops. I want to use the WIRELESS router to provide the 2 laptops and 2 desktops with internet. I don't care about any other features of the wireless router, I only want it for internet goodness on my computers. I only want the WIRED router to provide the Xboxes with internet.

I read up a little, and I found I could actually do this! The gods of homenetworking were smiling upon me. In fact it was supposed to be really easy; all I had to do was connect my two routers together from a numbered port to a numbered port with a standard ethernet cable. Then connect the WIRED router to the cable modem. Then change the IP address of the WIRELESS router from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.2 (the WIRED router's IP is 192.168.1.1) and turn off DHCP. Guess what? It actually f***ing worked. I seriously couldn't believe it.

Of course it stopped working. I got a few of these "IP conflict" messages from time to time on my laptop, but it seemed to still provide me with internet. Now it doesn't. Maybe tomorrow it will, if I pray hard enough.

What do I have to do to make this work, and CONTINUE working? I believe there is some sort of logic to this, but it is beyond me. Please, please help me. I'm extremely frustrated; I'm looking around for invaluables that I can throw at the wall.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[dnoyeb]

im surprised. it worked. I would have expected you need to use a crossover cable if you go from LAN port to LAN port. I would have expected you to go from LAN port on your wired router to WAN port on your wireless, and turn on DHCP on the wireless so it can get an IP, but turn OFF its DHCP serving so it wont try to hand any out itself.

 

[nweaver]

actually, you don't want to use the wan port. Turning off DHCP and putting some bubble yum in the WAN port effectivily makes that "WIRELESS" router an "ACCESS POINT"

If you are getting IP confilicts, make sure ALL devices (X Boxes, computers, and routers/AP's) are set for DHCP EXCEPT the wired router. Jack will be by with a handy link w/more details later

 

[ktwebb]

As long as your have turned DHCP off on the second router, making it a switch/AP combo, the only reason it needs an IP is if you want to manage it. Security etc.. Other than that an IP is irrelevant to it. nweaver is correct, you bypass the WAN port however that is what it sounds like you did anyway. As for the error, exactly what is the message. Go go your event viewer then copy and paste the IP confict event message here.

 

[NuroMancer]

Personally I would look at getting rid of the wired router and only using the wireless one. You are only connecting 3 wired devices to it, and the rest are wireless(4). Correct, if this is the case, then here is what you should do. Pick up the wireless router and hold the reset button for about 10 seconds. Plug the modem box into the WAN port on the Wireless router. Connect to the router with a pc or lappy and LOG into it. 192.168.1.1 Once here make sure UPNP is turned on. This should hopefully allow the xboxes to only use the wireless router to get onto live . My guess is the wireless router has the ports that live uses blocked, and thats why you can't use the wireless router to do live.
Anyway good luck.

 

[NuroMancer]

Originally posted by: dnoyeb
im surprised. it worked. I would have expected you need to use a crossover cable if you go from LAN port to LAN port. I would have expected you to go from LAN port on your wired router to WAN port on your wireless, and turn on DHCP on the wireless so it can get an IP, but turn OFF its DHCP serving so it wont try to hand any out itself.

Oh and what he did works fine all the time... basically what you do is use the router as an AP and turn it into a 4 port switch. Thus why you don't want to use the WAN port. Also the DHCP is handled by the wired router in the case because the wireless router is acting as a switch/AP.