Still unable to create bridge or access point on network. NEED HELP BAD.

[Matt_Stevens]

Gang, I have been trying to do this on and off for 14 months now. Yes, actually 14 months. I am no closer to success. PLEASE someone give me some attentive detail because I am really starting to lose it.

When I visit the parents down in NC they have no wifi. They have Suddenlink for Internet/Cable/Phone. The house has a smart box (not built by Suddenlink), where cat5 cable snakes out to a few places in the house.

Inside that smart box sits the Cable modem and also a Linksys BEFSR41. That router has no wireless.

I'd like to create wireless by plugging a Netgear N600 WNDR3400 into one of the wall Cat5 ports upstairs in their home (those Cat5 ports are access points connected to that Linksys router). That Netgear was once used as my own Router and is in mint condition. It always performed perfectly. It needs to be changed to a bridge or access point (I still don't understand the difference).

If only I can figure out how to do it. But I can't. All the directions I try fail. I have spent countless hours on this.

I am now stuck working down here for a few months and without wireless I will blow past my phone's data plan in no time flat. I'm stuck upstairs with my damn laptop plugged into the wall.

Every set of instructions I try makes no sense. For instance, here is from Netgear's pages...
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/d...uter-as-an-access-point-on-a-network-that-has

Connect a Computer to the Netgear router, launch a web browser and enter www.routerlogin.com. Yeah sure, but connecting the PC to the Netgear means there is no net access so "page cannot be found." WTF are they talking about?! What do those instructions actually mean because clearly I don't get it.

I really am starting to lose it. I don't normally lose my temper or raise my voice, but I have read anything and everything and have not even come close to figuring this out. Dammit I built so many computers with my bare hands and while it was never easy, I always did it. THIS... I cannot even begin to get it right.

I am begging for help here!

Important to note: Suddenlink refuses to change the router they provide. They also will not supply any technical support if we remove it and replace it.

Also, when inquiring about wireless they want $40 more a month to "support" that service!! Py parents refuse to pay (and I do not blame them). This area is like the dark ages. Their speed barely hits 200k on a good day and upload speed is as bad as dialup. But it's all that is available. Suddenlink has a complete monopoly here. DSL cannot be dropped (too far).

Those are the facts. For the love of God, someone with more knowledge than I please give me some detailed help. Saying "You just need to change your router to a bridge" isn't going to help me.

Many thanks

 

[JackMDS]

Bridge is a Wireless Router that connect to another Wireless Router with is Not the case in your story.

Any Wireless Router can be configured-as an Access Point.

Using Wireless Cable/DSL Routers (or Modem/Wireless Router) as a Switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

That said, using Linksys BEFSR41 is like currently using a Donkey and a Cart to transport Interstate goods.

May be you should try replacing the Linksys with the Netgear and use it as the Main Router and Wireless.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Bridge is a Wireless Router that connect to another Wireless Router with is Not the case in your story.

Any Wireless Router can be configured-as an Access Point.

Using Wireless Cable/DSL Routers (or Modem/Wireless Router) as a Switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

That said, using Linksys BEFSR41 is like currently using a Donkey and a Cart to transport Interstate goods.

May be you should try replacing the Linksys with the Netgear and use it as the Main Router and Wireless.

Yep, I know. That router is OLD. But that's what they gave us and they refuse to do a damn thing about it. I'm going to try what you recommend and see if I can make it work. If it does work the only issue I'll have is Suddenlink will refuse to provide technical support if they find out. They are royal f*****!

 

[smitbret]

If it works, that router should be fine for setting up a shared internet connection.

You want to setup an Access Point, not an Bridge.

Quite simply, connect the WNDR3400 to your laptop via ethernet cable and login to the routers interface with web browser. Most likely, you can just type 192.168.1.1 into the address bar of your web browser. You'll need to know the login name and password for that device.

Once inside the interface, set up your wireless network settings.
Assing a LAN IP address to the WNDR34300 that is just outside if the DHCP range of the Linksys (i.e if the range in the Linksys is 192.168.0.1-192.168.0.199, then assign 192.168.0.200).

Then and then simply disable DHCP and NAT in the WNDR3400. Save the new settings. If you lose the connection, don't worry about it.

Pull the power plug on the WNDR3400 and then plug the ethernet cable into a jack that is connected to the Linksys Router. Reboot the Linksys and wait for it to come back online. Then plug the power cord into the WNDR3400.

If that doesn't work, you've got hardware issues.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Update... I gave up, yanked everything out of their smart box and just used my router for their network. So-long old router and if Suddenlink doesn't like it, there is nothing I can do about it.

At the present time I am up and running, but I can only get the most simple of passwords to work. When I try something longer and more complicated, my iphones etc. cannot log in. Strange.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Ditch trying to use consumer routers for Wifi APs, it makes things more complicated for nothing.

Get a 3 pack of Unifis, read up on how to set them up, and it will be a dream. You may even just need one depending on how big the house is but if you do need more than one AP it's 10x easier than trying to use separate consumer routers then having all these different NATs going on.

Setup the management software on a PC and you can manage it from there. The software does not always have to be running if you don't want to, but it does have various administrative features.

In simple terms the APs will act as one network so no matter where you walk as long as you are within range of an AP you will be connected. You can do separate networks/vlans etc but that's probably beyond what you're trying to do. A single AP can be setup in about 10 minutes, maybe an hour if you are not good with that stuff. Then you never have to touch it again.

Best of all, these arn't that expensive. I think I paid around 200 bucks for my 3 pack. I only used 1 though.

 

[VirtualLarry]

You sound like you have trouble following directions, OP. No offense.

www.routerlogin.com routerlogin.net , etc. are local domain names (for the router itself). Assuming that DHCP and DNS are enable in the router, and a PC is connected to it (wired!), and that PC is running Windows and configured for auto-setting network settings (IP / DNS / default gateway, etc.), then it should just work.

If it doesn't, then you may need to reset the router's settings using the reset button for 30 seconds, wait for it to reboot, then attempt to login. If you have internet access otherwise, try looking up the default IP address, and put that into your web browser. Common IPs are 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, and 192.168.10.1.

If DHCP isn't working, or your PC connected (wired!) can't pull an IP from the router, then you may have to go into your NIC properties and set an IP address and gateway manually. Set the IP to be on the same subnet as the router, but a few IPs up.

Also look up the default username / password online too. Once you have the default IP, and the default username / password, you should be able to login.

To set it up as an Access Point (what you want, a bridge is something else), follow the instruction's in Jack's link.

The general idea, is to set a static LAN IP for the access point, that is outside of the DHCP IP pool of the main router, but on the same subnet. Then disable DHCP (and NAT, if necessary) on the Access point.

Then set up the wireless security. You can use the same SSID (if the main router is wireless too) and same password to enable roaming, or you can make them different, so that you have to manually switch networks.

 

[silicon]

Ditch trying to use consumer routers for Wifi APs, it makes things more complicated for nothing.

Get a 3 pack of Unifis, read up on how to set them up, and it will be a dream. You may even just need one depending on how big the house is but if you do need more than one AP it's 10x easier than trying to use separate consumer routers then having all these different NATs going on.

Setup the management software on a PC and you can manage it from there. The software does not always have to be running if you don't want to, but it does have various administrative features.

In simple terms the APs will act as one network so no matter where you walk as long as you are within range of an AP you will be connected. You can do separate networks/vlans etc but that's probably beyond what you're trying to do. A single AP can be setup in about 10 minutes, maybe an hour if you are not good with that stuff. Then you never have to touch it again.

Best of all, these arn't that expensive. I think I paid around 200 bucks for my 3 pack. I only used 1 though.

not trying to hijack this thread but why is UniFi so much better than the typical consumer grade wi-fi router?

 

[smitbret]

not trying to hijack this thread but why is UniFi so much better than the typical consumer grade wi-fi router?

I've wondered the same thing. I've been of the mind to get some and find out, but I have enough old wirless routers lying around that I can use as APs that it doesn't make much sense for me. On my last network upgrade, it was to wireless AC, but they were still behind a few other manufacturers and there was a huge price gap between a new AC router as an Access Point and getting a Unifi setup.

They seem to get great reviews, though.

 

[kevnich2]

Unifi is a dedicated enterprise class WAP. I only recommend these to individuals with larger houses where a wireless router's wifi signal won't reach or they have so many wireless devices that the router can't quite keep up. People that can afford >3,000 SF houses usually want their devices to work no matter where they are and don't want to play techy later on if something doesn't work correctly.

For the typical house, stick with your wireless router. Personally, I love ubiquity products and my unifi AP in the middle of my house works great. Never needs a reboot or anything.

 

[Red Squirrel]

not trying to hijack this thread but why is UniFi so much better than the typical consumer grade wi-fi router?

It's a dedicated access point so you don't have to deal with NAT and stuff while trying to use a consumer router just to add wifi to an area. Trying to double or even triple NAT just to get wireless is just dirty and can be more complicated to setup than a proper AP. An AP will basically act the same way as a switch, but for wireless. The range is also better than consumer routers so you probably will only need one. Some routers may be able to act as an AP but that's hit and miss and depends on if it can or not. Easier to get the real tool for the job.