Help with two WRT54G on one WLAN

Hi,

I have cable broadband into the front of my property, with the cable modem
and 1st WRT54G router (DHCP enabled) in the front room. This creates my
WLAN, which a desktop upstairs and a roaming laptop downstairs both
connected wirelessly (802.11g) to it. Both machines are XP-Home SP2. At
the back of the house, I have a PS2 that I want to network.

Q1: Can I connect this to a second WRT54G (DHCP disabled), and use this as
an ethernet bridge? If so, does the PS2 plug into the WAN port?

Q2: Can I instead use a second WRT54G as a repeater, so that I can connect
the PS2, but also extend the wireless coverage in my property? If I do this
though, would the two PCs want to switch AP and thus keep dropping
connections?

(FYI, I do not want to run CAT5 the length of the property.)

Many thanks for any help.

"__spc__" <s p a m t i m e @ n t l w o r l d . c o m> hath wroth:

>I have cable broadband into the front of my property, with the cable modem
>and 1st WRT54G router (DHCP enabled) in the front room. This creates my
>WLAN, which a desktop upstairs and a roaming laptop downstairs both
>connected wirelessly (802.11g) to it. Both machines are XP-Home SP2. At
>the back of the house, I have a PS2 that I want to network.
>
>Q1: Can I connect this to a second WRT54G (DHCP disabled), and use this as
>an ethernet bridge? If so, does the PS2 plug into the WAN port?

Sorta. To make this work, you would need to:
1. Disable DHCP on the 2nd WRT54G.
2. Setup the IP address of the 2nd WRT54G so that it does NOT
conflict with the IP address of the main WRT54G. If the main is
192.168.1.1, use 192.168.1.2 for the 2nd WRT54G.
3. Ignore the WAN port.
4. Run a CAT5 cable between the *LAN* ports on the two WRT54G boxes.

The PS2 and the XP Home machine would plug into the LAN ports on the
back of the 2nd WRT54G. In effect, you've turned the WRT54G into a
dumb ethernet switch. If you don't need wireless in the back end of
the property, this can also be done with a $20 ethernet switch.

>Q2: Can I instead use a second WRT54G as a repeater, so that I can connect
>the PS2, but also extend the wireless coverage in my property?

Yes. Use the WDS feature of the WRT54G. This is exactly the same as
the aformentioned setup (turning your wireless router into a wireless
access point), except that there's no cable between the two boxes. You
do lose half your thruput going wireless through the 2nd WRT54G, but
the PS2 and PC plugged into the ethernet ports go at the full speed of
the wireless link between WRT54G boxes. See:
http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.p...showpage&pid=7
for the general WDS setup.

>If I do this
>though, would the two PCs want to switch AP and thus keep dropping
>connections?

Are the two PC's connected via wireless? If so, yes, they might. WDS
requires that all wireless devices use the same SSID. There's a
chance that the client will select the wrong access point. It's
really up to the client adapter software to make that decision. A bit
of antenna juggling should reduce that potential problem.

>(FYI, I do not want to run CAT5 the length of the property.)

CAT5 between switched ports works up to at least 900ft. I've done it
several times.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "__spc__" <s p a m t i m e @ n t l w o r l d . c o m> hath wroth:
>
>>I have cable broadband into the front of my property, with the cable modem
>>and 1st WRT54G router (DHCP enabled) in the front room. This creates my
>>WLAN, which a desktop upstairs and a roaming laptop downstairs both
>>connected wirelessly (802.11g) to it. Both machines are XP-Home SP2. At
>>the back of the house, I have a PS2 that I want to network.
>>

[snip]

>>Q2: Can I instead use a second WRT54G as a repeater, so that I can connect
>>the PS2, but also extend the wireless coverage in my property?
>
> Yes. Use the WDS feature of the WRT54G. This is exactly the same as
> the aformentioned setup (turning your wireless router into a wireless
> access point), except that there's no cable between the two boxes. You
> do lose half your thruput going wireless through the 2nd WRT54G, but
> the PS2 and PC plugged into the ethernet ports go at the full speed of
> the wireless link between WRT54G boxes. See:
> http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.p...showpage&pid=7
> for the general WDS setup.

Many thanks for this information, Jeff; this is what I am after, as I don't
want to connect the two linksys boxes together with CAT5:

PS2 <wire> WRT54G #2 <<wireless>> WRT54G #1 <wire> cable modem

....and two PCs connect to either AP wirelessly throughout the property.

>>If I do this
>>though, would the two PCs want to switch AP and thus keep dropping
>>connections?
>
> Are the two PC's connected via wireless? If so, yes, they might. WDS
> requires that all wireless devices use the same SSID. There's a
> chance that the client will select the wrong access point. It's
> really up to the client adapter software to make that decision. A bit
> of antenna juggling should reduce that potential problem.

Another question:
Is it fair to say that two WRT54Gs could/would maintain a stronger
connection between themselves than, say, one WRT54G and a laptop with built
in WiFi , placed in the same location as the other WRT54G. Is the
connection between the two WRT54G likely to be more stable, all other
factors being considered equal?


>>(FYI, I do not want to run CAT5 the length of the property.)
>
> CAT5 between switched ports works up to at least 900ft. I've done it
> several times.

For practical/aesthetic reasons, the cable won't get laid!

"Jeff Liebermann" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "__spc__" <s p a m t i m e @ n t l w o r l d . c o m> hath wroth:

[snip]

> Yes. Use the WDS feature of the WRT54G. This is exactly the same as
> the aformentioned setup (turning your wireless router into a wireless
> access point), except that there's no cable between the two boxes. You
> do lose half your thruput going wireless through the 2nd WRT54G, but
> the PS2 and PC plugged into the ethernet ports go at the full speed of
> the wireless link between WRT54G boxes. See:
> http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.p...showpage&pid=7
> for the general WDS setup.

I'm guessing I need 3rd party firmware, like Alchemy, for WDS?

"__spc__" <s p a m t i m e @ n t l w o r l d . c o m> hath wroth:

>Is it fair to say that two WRT54Gs could/would maintain a stronger
>connection between themselves than, say, one WRT54G and a laptop with built
>in WiFi , placed in the same location as the other WRT54G. Is the
>connection between the two WRT54G likely to be more stable, all other
>factors being considered equal?

I have no idea. The "strength" of the connection is totally based
upon signal strength. The more signal, the better. If the wireless
path between the two WRT54G boxes is full of obstructions and infested
with reflections, the reliability of ANY connection, whether from
another WRT54G or from a laptop will be questionable. You either have
a good RF path, or you have a problem.

In this case, you can't just attach a highly directional antenna to
the 2nd WRT54G and point it at the main WRT54G. If you did that, your
ability to connect to the 2nd WRT54G from the laptop will depend on
where you are located in the antenna pattern. I don't know what will
happen if you attach a highly directional antenna to one antenna
connector, and the stock omnidirectional antenna to the other. The
link to the main WRT54G is via the directional antenna. The laptop
connects via the omnidirectional antenna. I've had performance
problems with this arrangement in the distant past, but suspect it
might work with todays hardware.

>>>(FYI, I do not want to run CAT5 the length of the property.)
>> CAT5 between switched ports works up to at least 900ft. I've done it
>> several times.

>For practical/aesthetic reasons, the cable won't get laid!

Don't forget that there's also power line connected wireless access
points. For example:
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WGXB102.php

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"__spc__" <s p a m t i m e @ n t l w o r l d . c o m> hath wroth:

>
>"Jeff Liebermann" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>> "__spc__" <s p a m t i m e @ n t l w o r l d . c o m> hath wroth:
>
>[snip]
>
>> Yes. Use the WDS feature of the WRT54G. This is exactly the same as
>> the aformentioned setup (turning your wireless router into a wireless
>> access point), except that there's no cable between the two boxes. You
>> do lose half your thruput going wireless through the 2nd WRT54G, but
>> the PS2 and PC plugged into the ethernet ports go at the full speed of
>> the wireless link between WRT54G boxes. See:
>> http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.p...showpage&pid=7
>> for the general WDS setup.

>I'm guessing I need 3rd party firmware, like Alchemy, for WDS?

Yep. The stock Linksys WRT54G firmware doesn't do WDS. My favorite
(of the week) is DD-WRT at:
http://www.dd-wrt.com
WDS instructions and complications are at:
http://wrt-wiki.bsr-clan.de/index.ph...router_network
DD-WRT will work with any WRT54G hardware version *EXCEPT* v5, which
does not run Linux and has substantially different hardware. V5 can
be recognized by the serial number which starts with CDFB.

Please note that there is one alternative that you didn't consider.
You can setup the 2nd WRT54G in "client mode" (wireless bridge mode)
and use it to connect to the main WRT54G. The PS2 and the PC will
require CAT5 cables to connect to the WRT54G. You'll need to use
alternative firmware for the 2nd WRT54G, but the main one can remain
the stock Linksys firmware. This does NOT allow for wireless client
connections to the 2nd WRT54G (as it does in the WDS method).


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "__spc__" <s p a m t i m e @ n t l w o r l d . c o m> hath wroth:

[snip]

>>I'm guessing I need 3rd party firmware, like Alchemy, for WDS?
>
> Yep. The stock Linksys WRT54G firmware doesn't do WDS. My favorite
> (of the week) is DD-WRT at:
> http://www.dd-wrt.com
> WDS instructions and complications are at:
> http://wrt-wiki.bsr-clan.de/index.ph...router_network
> DD-WRT will work with any WRT54G hardware version *EXCEPT* v5, which
> does not run Linux and has substantially different hardware. V5 can
> be recognized by the serial number which starts with CDFB.
>
> Please note that there is one alternative that you didn't consider.
> You can setup the 2nd WRT54G in "client mode" (wireless bridge mode)
> and use it to connect to the main WRT54G. The PS2 and the PC will
> require CAT5 cables to connect to the WRT54G. You'll need to use
> alternative firmware for the 2nd WRT54G, but the main one can remain
> the stock Linksys firmware. This does NOT allow for wireless client
> connections to the 2nd WRT54G (as it does in the WDS method).

Once again, thank you for your information and insights, Jeff.

I prefer the WDS option, as the position of the second WRT54G should provide
a strong connection I think, to the PC I have upstairs (which is currently
reliant on connecting to the existing WRT54G which is poorly sighted for
it).

The reason I asked about WRT54G to WRT54G connection strength is because I
was thinking that the strength of its transmit/receive RF is more powerful
than that of a stock internal WiFi receiver in my laptop (Broadcom chipset,
generic hardware)... Dumb supposition - I should read the specs!

In short and to summarise, WRT54G1 is sited at the front of the house on the
ground floor, next to the cable connection/modem. The second WRT54G would
be sighted at the rear of the house, also on the ground floor. This will
provide wired access to the PS2, and a better WiFi connection to the PC
upstairs (fewer walls, more glass in the path etc.). It will be interesting
to see what the roaming latop makes of the two routers, as it will spend
most of its time on a desk in the middle of the two!

> --
> Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
> 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
> Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
> Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558