I started out trying to use a Linksys WRT54G as an Access Point. I read about it, it seems fairly common and my original plan seemed to match what all the articles online were suggesting.
First of All, a bit about the network
-There is a SonicWall TZ 170 which is the firewall and does the routing. It also does DHCP. NOT our server. So our Verizon DSL connection goes into the WAN port on the SonicWall.
-The SonicWall is connected to a Dell Switch (so ethernet goes from one of the numbered ports on the SonicWall, to a Dell managed switch.)
-There is a Dell Small Business server running Windows 2003. But as noted above, DHCP is done by the SonicWall not the server. So the server is connected to the switch.
-Now, I took a Linksys WRT54G, and first configured it by connecting it to a desktop pc, then I brought it into the wirecloset and connected it to the Dell switch.
Ok. So I started by assigning the linksys a name, password, SSID, turned on WEP security, turned off the DHCP server, assigned it an IP outside the SonicWall's dhcp range. (so, say if the sonicwall assigns ip addresses in the 192.168.1.50 - 192.168.1.100 range, then I gave the linksys an ip of 192.168.1.101. Note these are not the actual numbers I used.) I also switched it from "gateway" to "router" mode. Then I connected the linksys to the dell switch (via a LAN port on the linksys, not the WAN port).
I took a laptop to test it, and it saw the wifi connection, connected, typed in the key for WEP, and got online! Ten minutes later the connection dropped for no discernible reason and from then on I have been pulling my hair out!!! Tried with two other laptops, they cannot see the connection either. It just ... disappeared! But I can still get into the linksys by going to its IP address in a web browser.
I took a working DI-524 router and set it up in the same fashion, with an ip 1 higher than the linksys's ip, the only difference being that the DI-524 does not have an option to switch "modes" as I did from gateway to router mode in the Linksys. But several online articles describe easily setting up the DI-524 to be a WAP.
I tried changing the security to none, WPA, no luck. Tried restarting them both, updating firmware, powering on and off, nothing can seem to make either one show up in any of the laptops wifi connections!
ANY IDEAS WHY THIS ISN'T WORKING??? PLEASE HELP THANKS!!!
First of All, a bit about the network
-There is a SonicWall TZ 170 which is the firewall and does the routing. It also does DHCP. NOT our server. So our Verizon DSL connection goes into the WAN port on the SonicWall.
-The SonicWall is connected to a Dell Switch (so ethernet goes from one of the numbered ports on the SonicWall, to a Dell managed switch.)
-There is a Dell Small Business server running Windows 2003. But as noted above, DHCP is done by the SonicWall not the server. So the server is connected to the switch.
-Now, I took a Linksys WRT54G, and first configured it by connecting it to a desktop pc, then I brought it into the wirecloset and connected it to the Dell switch.
Ok. So I started by assigning the linksys a name, password, SSID, turned on WEP security, turned off the DHCP server, assigned it an IP outside the SonicWall's dhcp range. (so, say if the sonicwall assigns ip addresses in the 192.168.1.50 - 192.168.1.100 range, then I gave the linksys an ip of 192.168.1.101. Note these are not the actual numbers I used.) I also switched it from "gateway" to "router" mode. Then I connected the linksys to the dell switch (via a LAN port on the linksys, not the WAN port).
I took a laptop to test it, and it saw the wifi connection, connected, typed in the key for WEP, and got online! Ten minutes later the connection dropped for no discernible reason and from then on I have been pulling my hair out!!! Tried with two other laptops, they cannot see the connection either. It just ... disappeared! But I can still get into the linksys by going to its IP address in a web browser.
I took a working DI-524 router and set it up in the same fashion, with an ip 1 higher than the linksys's ip, the only difference being that the DI-524 does not have an option to switch "modes" as I did from gateway to router mode in the Linksys. But several online articles describe easily setting up the DI-524 to be a WAP.
I tried changing the security to none, WPA, no luck. Tried restarting them both, updating firmware, powering on and off, nothing can seem to make either one show up in any of the laptops wifi connections!
ANY IDEAS WHY THIS ISN'T WORKING??? PLEASE HELP THANKS!!!
