Demented network question: G/N/GigE FIXED

[Kartajan]

Concept that did not work:

Cable Modem--> DIR-655
DIR-655--> Vonage WRPT54G
DIR-655-->WGT624v3

DIR-655:Wireless N to Wife PC, ipod, iphone, myLaptop when in use::Wired to Server, Main PC

WRPT54G:Wireless G to Printer::Wired to BluRay, NTV550

WGT64v3:Wired to Kids PC (2x)::Wireless G to whomever is upstairs

Issue was that no matter which guide I followed, everyone can't seem to be set up to be on the same network. Invariably I had the LAN/WAN cannot be on the same subnet. Several guide proport to have worked around that, but none of them worked. (the appearance of operation failed, as the G only printer could not see the N only network or the wired only network.)

<Most of these guides had me running the secondary routers back in on themselves in order to cheat the network back on itself, but that did not seem to work... Either the Win7 machines and the printer appear to be too smart, or too dumb to allow this...>

Is there even a way to do this without just setting up switches and effectively running everyone wired?

EDIT: Note that I am currently running mostly wireless of the DIR-655, with that box set as G/N wireless. Everyone is on the same network (yay- wireless printer, and movie streaming from the WHS work), but (BOO- Movie streaming to G hangs so bad as to be functionally unusable, and on N chokes out regularly)...

 

[mammador]

I would suggest this topology:

Modem - wireless router - nodes/hosts in your house

It seems you have multiple routers attached, which seems like overkill. One should be sufficient here (or for any home network). In the router's admin function, set the channel to b/g/n, so any wifi NIC can connect to it. I think this is your actual problem, since a router in itself creates a seperate subnet/broadcast domain.

Also, you could run an Ethernet cable (maybe a Cat 6) upstairs and place a wireless access point, so as said anybody who is upstairs can access wifi.

 

[Kartajan]

There exists a hardline from

LivingRoom to server.
Upstairs to server.

The equipment identified is what I have,
I was hoping that there was a way to segment out the G from the N in order to at least allow the N to go full on at the same time as the G.

That and I was hoping to not need to buy more stuff, but if buying is needed I would like to mimimize the BS and get it right....

(As is stands, if I turn off the wireless on the vonage and connect everyone via the DIR-655, everyone sees everyone as needed... It just runs horribly for the non hardwired machines)


This does not work: http://vpncasestudy.com/download/usefuldoc/how_to_access_point.pdf

 

[Arcanedeath]

Just run the vonage box behind the DIR 655 and use the WGT624v3 as an access point run hard-lines to the vonage box and the WGT624v3 as long as you set the same subnets and just Let the DIR 655 be your only router things should work as everything will be behind the DIR 655, due the ubicom stream engine qos chip / service build into your router it should handle letting your voip box be behind it without an issue. You should be able to set each wireless device individually and due to the routing functions being shut off on all but the DIR 655 that should eliminate any conflicts.

 

[Kartajan]

OK, so here I am back at the start again; how do I accomplish what you are saying? I have attempted to configure the setup you mentioned, but I do not get connectivity.. Connecting everything behind the DIR-655, I cannot seem to set up the WGT as an actual access point. I keep getting forced to have the WGT on a seperate subnet than the DIR-655, which kills my transparency. (example, wireless printer won't connect to the main part of the network). Can you direct me to a setup scheme that allows that configuration to work properly?

Example: Main network is a xxx.xxx.0.<whatever>, if the WGT or the vonage are on a static IP in the xxx.xxx.0.<whatever>, how do I get the devices on those devices to resolve to the same subnet, as no configuration that I have tried allows this.. (The config pages complain that the WAN and LAN cannot be same subnet for the vonage and WGT)

 

[mammador]

Set the IP address of the main router to 192.168.1.1, and use DHCP to dynamically configure each node/host IP address.

On the wireless router turned access point, disable all DHCP functions, and any router-specific items. In that sense, it would just function as an access point, and not forward packets.

 

[Kartajan]

OK, I have them talking...

Cable Modem--> DIR-655 (DIR handles wired and N wireless now; SSID #1)
DIR-655--> Vonage WRPT54G (Just as vonage, no connected clients)
DIR-655-->WGT624v3 (As dumb AP/Switch, same network as DIR-655, all DHCP/ etc off; wired +G Wireless; SSID #2)

The new issue is that on occasion, the network is confusing the DIR-655, requiring me to power cycle the DIR-655 to restore internet connectivity. (Local network stays golden, and the loss of internet is across entire network, not just on the WGT624)

Thoughts?

I am guessing that I will not be able to maintain a proper network this way, and I will have to find a way to maintain connectivity via some form of routing tables on the DIR with the WGT on a different subnet....

 

[imagoon]

Just as a side note, Wireless N and G share the 2.4ghz band so your performance may be poor due to interfering radios being physically close to each other. Obviously if you are using 5ghz N then this doesn't apply. Have an N and a G AP there to "share the load" more likely is causing more bandwidth contention.

 

[alkemyst]

Are you on the same network all with a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask for all? Try breaking the networks down to 255.255.248.0 or something and let them route the traffic instead of handling it at layer 2.

 

[Kartajan]

I do not think this is a same band contention issue, since when the DIR gets confused, even the hardwired machines lose internet access. Everyone is currently on the same 255.255.255.0 subnet mask, as I was under the impression that in order for all machines on this network to see each other, they needed to be on the same subnet.. Am I mistaken?

 

[alkemyst]

Well if you have routers they can route.

You need to be careful with gateways and certain defaults some devices use.

I'd bring up 2 of the 3 at a time and test if you feel your /24 network is correct.

 

[Kartajan]

I think my biggest problem is my need for transparency. if i only wanted internet, i could just slap them in place. Any good place to read on how routing tables and the like actually work??

 

[JackMDS]

You have more than one Routing agent on the network.

Router "Job" is to create and mitigated different Networks, so it is Not your Devices that are "Demented", its the way they are configured.

Assuming that your cable Modem is not a Modem Router/Combo, first take Temp. the Vonage thingy out of the equation.

Use the Dir655 as the main and the only Router on the Network.

Any additional device that has Routing in it should be configured this way.

Using a Wireless Router as a switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

Then it depends on the Vonage unit and its flexibility.

If it is Not really configurable, use it only for the Phones (thus its subnet would not be important), otherwise do not use it for anything else, unless you want it to be your main router and use the 655 as an Access Point.

 

[Kartajan]

Jack- as of post #7 here, that is how I am set up. Where I am stuck now is the random loss of internet connectivity that ends up requiring a reboot of the DIR. According to your linked document, all should be working great. The vonage has all of it's non- telephone settings turned off, antenna removed, nothing connected behind it. WGT is running as a dumb AP, with no DHCP, routing, etc turned on and running a seperate SSID of the G only wireless devices (Kids and Printer). The DIR is my only router running as a router, and connected via the WAN port to the cable modem.

I am still stymied by the fact that I can lose internet, but retain local network. It may be noteable that in that state, I cannot access the router's page, and "my network places" shows the DIR as a switch and gateway instead of as iteslf with the WGT as a switch...

 

[JackMDS]

I am not familiar with the Vonage device.

As I said before, try the Network for a while without it and see how the Computers and their connection works.

Maintaining LAN and loosing Internet is in many cases an issue of the DNS/Gateway configuration of the Network devices.

 

[Kartajan]

I cannot run without the vonage, as the wife would kill me (only phone at home). FYI, it is a WRPT54G, which is basically a Linksys WRT54G with the vonage device shoved inside.

I am going to check firmware on the DIR when I get home, as I read elsewhere that the newest version of firmware does not properly report when checking via the DIR status page itself, and that this may resolve my internet dropout issue...

(fingers crossed)

 

[gsaldivar]

Try disabling uPnP on the routers.

 

[Kartajan]

firmware was 1.21; updated to 1.35.... looks good for now, but I will wait and see if issues pop up again.......

(You would think the built in check would have worked poperly, but hey...)


Firmware update did the trick. Apparently if I had updated the firmware from the MFR's website vice just checking via the router's "check for updates" function, I would have been good at post #7......