Question on connecting 2 wireless routers together

[Jeraden]

Here's the deal. I have a 4 port wireless-b router right now. I just got a 5th wired computer to hook up, so I'm out of ports. I have 2 wireless clients right now (both at B since I only have a B router, although one of the clients has a G network card).

Now, normally I'd think I'd just need to buy a switch and hook that up to the router and I'd move my wired connections over to the switch. But I'd like to get a wireless G router since one of the wireless clients has a wireless G card thats going to waste. So... lets say I buy a wireless G router. So I have the wireless G router as the "main" router, and the wireless B router off that acting as an access point. I've heard mixing G and B on the same network drops the entire network down to B transfer speeds.

If I configure it so the wireless B client connects to the Wireless B router, and the wireless G client connects to the Wireless G router, will I be ok since the wirless-g router isn't directly handling the wireless-b traffic? Or will my network still drop down to wireless-b speeds since they're all connected together in the end?

 

[rainypickles]

my question is: do you need G speeds? dsl/cable is 1.5mbps, and B is 10mbps. G is 54mbps and LAN is 100mbps. if you just need internet, then you dont really need the G router, except for maybe future super broadband. if you transfer large files around the network, i would suggest using the wired LAN connections as those are FAST. if your G card is in a laptop, or a computer that is easily plugged in, i dont think its worth it to have a G exclusive router.

although since G routers are getting cheaper, you might buy one anyway for future needs, and just run them at B speeds anyway.

btw, i would guess that the separate B and G access points would work. =)

 

[Jeraden]

My existing G card is in a laptop that has a wireless-g thing built into it. Presently there is no need for me to have G speeds, but I'm just thinking ahead. I do have a media server on my one pc, but its only distributed to wired clients. However, I was thinking of eventually hooking up a wireless-g client for that as well.

I'm just wondering about the mixing of speeds really, I've never seen the issue address on the basis of separate speed routers.

 

[Jeraden]

Well, I went to actually do this tonight and I can't get it to work. I have both the wireless-g and b routers active and connected (g is the main one, b is connected to the g). My wireless-b laptop can see both devices, but it can only connect to the G one. I have them as different SSIDs and different channels. Its like the G router is interfering/overriding the B router. The laptop just refuses to connect to the B one. I have both routers sitting right next to each other.

So I just connected it to the G one and disabled wireless access on the B router. I'll just buy a wireless-g card for it instead I guess.

 

[rainypickles]

what happens if you enable security or MAC filtering on the G router? will the laptop give up on the G router and try to connect to the B router? good luck!