Need help with bridging! (or AP)

[pgfreak]

The best way for you to know my problem is to read here - http://boardsus.playstation.com/playsta...id=29454&view=by_date_ascending&page=1
the relevant messages are from PointGod and SmokeNMirrors.

I'll try to sum it up by pasting certain parts from there using the problem and suggestions from the other forum.

problem- "my problem is, this modem in basement, connected to my main router, ethernet to basement pc, ethernet to upstairs pc, now my ps3 is in a farther room upstairs and i have to unplug my upstairs pc's ethernet each time to use the ps3 online (with a coupler and ethernet cord) im wondering if i can put ANOTHER router upstairs so instead of the ethernet going to my upstairs pc, it goes to an upstairs router which then has a small ethernet to upstairs pc and another going to ps3"

suggestion - "Just add a switch upstairs (pull the cable from the PC there and plug it into the switch) then run ethernet to everythig upstairs.

If you want wireless upstairs you really need an access point as opposed to a router (the Linksys WRT54G's router can work this way). So:

-Your cable comes into your basement and goes to your current router (not wireless) and it's got a switch in the back and all the cabling and config on it stays the same
-Add a wireless router upstairs and plug that PC into it's switch.
-The cable that was in your upstairs PC should go to the wireless router upstairs, but instead of plugging it into the WAN/Internet port - plug it into a regular switch port (along with the PC), It's WAN/Internet port will be unused

You'll need some minor config on the wireless router so that it'll get along with your current router (do this 1st with just a PC and nothing else plugged in):

-Give it a LAN IP address 1 higher than your current router (so if your current router is 192.168.1.1 then assign the new one as 192.168.1.2)
-Disable the DHCP on it or it could conflict with the one on the downstairs router.

So your router downstairs will still be doing your network routing. The wireless router upstairs will be configured just as a wireless access point and just extend your network by adding more ports on it's switch as well as adding a wireless access. You could just buy a wireless access point (Linksys makes these too) but believe it or not, they actually cost MORE than a wireless router.

Hope this helps!"

I'm buying the linksys wrt54g router today.

extra question about the problem - "Alright, thanks for the quick reply, I'm probably going to get that soon then. You mentioned not plugging the thernet cable into its WAN port but plug it into its switch port... what would the switch port be? As for as i know from the current Linksys router I have, there is a port apart from the others that says WAN above it and I think its the same shape as the other ports and then the other ports are all beside each other... are you talking about one of those ones? If so, how does that work because you usually plug an ethernet cable in there if you want to connect something into the internet..."

reply - "All of the ports on the router are ethernet ports. The one that goes to the internet is the WAN port (wide area network). When I say "switch port" I mean one of the 4 others or LAN (local area network) ports. As you already have a router hooked up to the internet you'll be extending your network to the new router by plugging a cable from your 1st router's LAN switch ports to your new router's LAN swich ports. You dont' want the new router to perform routing (as it's already being done) and that's why it's WAN port will be left open. This is called "bridging" or "stacking" the switches on the same network and the new wireless router will be used in the role of a wireless access point."

So is that really all I have to do in order to get this to work?? and when he says this -
"You'll need some minor config on the wireless router so that it'll get along with your current router (do this 1st with just a PC and nothing else plugged in):
Give it a LAN IP address 1 higher than your current router (so if your current router is 192.168.1.1 then assign the new one as 192.168.1.2)
Disable the DHCP on it or it could conflict with the one on the downstairs router"

how EXACTLY do i do that? give me steps please

 

[pgfreak]

since noone is replying I'll state this now in my own words.

My main router is downstairs, its an older linksys wired router. Its connected to my downstairs pc (pc A) and a long ethernet is going upstairs through walls and things to my upstairs pc (pc B). I have a gaming console in the next room beside pc B and the only way I can get it online is to take out the ethernet from pc B and use a coupler to connect another ethernet cable to the console.

Now what I want to do is put a wireless router upstairs ontop of pc B. So instead of the ethernet going from the first router into my computer, it would go into the wireless router, and then I would have a smaller ethernet going from the wireless router to pc B and a ethernet going from the wireless router to the gaming console. (I want it to be a WIRELESS router because my brother also has a laptop). The wireless router I am going to buy is the linksys wrt54g.

I was advised "The cable that was in your upstairs PC should go to the wireless router upstairs, but instead of plugging it into the WAN/Internet port - plug it into a regular switch port (along with the PC), It's WAN/Internet port will be unused " and also "You'll need some minor config on the wireless router so that it'll get along with your current router (do this 1st with just a PC and nothing else plugged in):

-Give it a LAN IP address 1 higher than your current router (so if your current router is 192.168.1.1 then assign the new one as 192.168.1.2)
-Disable the DHCP on it or it could conflict with the one on the downstairs router. "

will it work? and how EXACTLY do i give the LAN ip 1 higher number and how do I disable DHCP?

(*the distance from the router downstairs to the game console is wayyy to far to bring up another ethernet cable.)

 

[jlazzaro]

wow...WAAAYYY too much info and explaination for such a simple scenario. no need to post suggestions from other forums, thats why we're here also, 2 hours is not long enough to expect a reply...it took almost that long to read your original post

take a pc set to recieve an address from dhcp and plug it into one of the wrt54g switchports (any ethernet port that isnt the wan / uplink port). go to internet explorer and type in 192.168.1.1.

login into the router (default password is "admin") and change its local ip address to 192.168.1.2. below that, click the option to disable the DHCP server. click apply and end your session.

finally, take the cable coming from the downstairs router and plug it into one of the wrt54g switchports. plug your ps3 into a switchport as well, and your done. after all is said and done, it would be a good idea to change the default admin password and update the firmware as well...

 

[JackMDS]

Thanks jlazzaro, I could Not read the post since it appears with ugly Black Hi Lite that make it impossible to read on my computer.

The short answer is, Wireless Router as an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

 

[pgfreak]

jack- i searched this forum many times and found you posted that many times and it was kind of confusing, with crossover cables and such
by the way, I only put the highlight on because I wanted to make the quotes stand out, sorry

jlazzaro- thanks alot and SORRY for the long description lol. ok... when you say
--take a pc set to recieve an address from dhcp and plug it into one of the wrt54g switchports--
do you mean just take an ethernet cable and connect the two or something?

 

[pgfreak]

DOUBLE POST, DELETE

 

[jlazzaro]

Originally posted by: pgfreak
do you mean just take an ethernet cable and connect the two or something?

indeed.

 

[pgfreak]

now im curious... only change it to 192.168.1.2 if the downstairs one is 192.168.1.1 right... well how do I find out what exactly the IP is on the downstairs one?

edit: "login into the router (default password is "admin") and change its local ip address to 192.168.1.2. below that, click the option to disable the DHCP server. click apply and end your session. "

what is the username?

 

[pgfreak]

alright, it SEEMS i've got it working!

now how do i protect my wireless connection? maybe how do I add a password for anyone that tries to connect wirelessly? So when i use my laptop i can just enter the password or something... some way of protecting it

 

[JackMDS]

From the weakest to the strongest, Wireless security capacity is.

No Security
MAC
WEP
WPA-PSK
WPA-AES
WPA2

The documentation of your Wireless devices (Wireless Router, and Wireless Computers Card) should state the type of security that is available with your Wireless hardware.
All devices MUST be set to the same security level using the same pass phrase.
Therefore the security must be set according what ever is the best possible of one of the Wireless devices.
I.e. even if most of your system might be capable to be configured to the max. with WPA2, but one device is only capable to be configured to max . of WEP, to whole system must be configured to WEP.
If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the device with a better one.

Wireless Security - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html

WEP, WPA, and the Future - http://www.ezlan.net/wpa_wep.html