Linksys WRT54G & ?Bridging?

I think "bridge" is the term I am looking for...

Here is the setup I desire:

I have two Linksys WRT54G routers. One is downstairs with a cable modem
and ReplayTV, and I want one to go upstairs with my PC, Playstation2,
and another ReplayTV. I want the router downstairs to act as the
gateway to the Internet and the router upstairs to act as a bridge for
the ethernet devices (ReplayTV and Playstation2).

I read in the WRT54G manual before buying it that you can put it into a
"router" mode instead of a "gateway" mode, and the description seemed to
indicate that this setup is possible. I have not, however, been able to
get this setup to work. The manual was sketchy on the details, so I am
not sure what exactly I need to do.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

"Randy Widell" <(E-Mail Removed)_MAPSON> wrote in
message news:jHwNd.34396$EG1.32142@lakeread04...
> I think "bridge" is the term I am looking for...
>
> Here is the setup I desire:
>
> I have two Linksys WRT54G routers. One is downstairs with a cable
modem
> and ReplayTV, and I want one to go upstairs with my PC,
Playstation2,
> and another ReplayTV. I want the router downstairs to act as the
> gateway to the Internet and the router upstairs to act as a bridge
for
> the ethernet devices (ReplayTV and Playstation2).
>
> I read in the WRT54G manual before buying it that you can put it
into a
> "router" mode instead of a "gateway" mode, and the description
seemed to
> indicate that this setup is possible. I have not, however, been
able to
> get this setup to work. The manual was sketchy on the details, so I
am
> not sure what exactly I need to do.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wrt54Gs are not bridges, they are APs that wont discuss things among
each other.
There is some firmware out there that you can use such as sveasoft
that can give
you added functionallity for $.

Actually they are wireless routers with a 4 port swith that can be placed in
AP mode. inorder to do what you want you would have to have on of them set
as your router then connect the second AP via ethernet to the router.

Robert....


"Airhead" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:42069c46$0$22518$(E-Mail Removed) m...
>
> "Randy Widell" <(E-Mail Removed)_MAPSON> wrote in
> message news:jHwNd.34396$EG1.32142@lakeread04...
>> I think "bridge" is the term I am looking for...
>>
>> Here is the setup I desire:
>>
>> I have two Linksys WRT54G routers. One is downstairs with a cable
> modem
>> and ReplayTV, and I want one to go upstairs with my PC,
> Playstation2,
>> and another ReplayTV. I want the router downstairs to act as the
>> gateway to the Internet and the router upstairs to act as a bridge
> for
>> the ethernet devices (ReplayTV and Playstation2).
>>
>> I read in the WRT54G manual before buying it that you can put it
> into a
>> "router" mode instead of a "gateway" mode, and the description
> seemed to
>> indicate that this setup is possible. I have not, however, been
> able to
>> get this setup to work. The manual was sketchy on the details, so I
> am
>> not sure what exactly I need to do.
>>
>> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Wrt54Gs are not bridges, they are APs that wont discuss things among
> each other.
> There is some firmware out there that you can use such as sveasoft
> that can give
> you added functionallity for $.
>
>

"Randy Widell" <(E-Mail Removed)_MAPSON> wrote in message
news:jHwNd.34396$EG1.32142@lakeread04...
>I think "bridge" is the term I am looking for...
>
> Here is the setup I desire:
>
> I have two Linksys WRT54G routers. One is downstairs with a cable modem
> and ReplayTV, and I want one to go upstairs with my PC, Playstation2, and
> another ReplayTV. I want the router downstairs to act as the gateway to
> the Internet and the router upstairs to act as a bridge for the ethernet
> devices (ReplayTV and Playstation2).
>
> I read in the WRT54G manual before buying it that you can put it into a
> "router" mode instead of a "gateway" mode, and the description seemed to
> indicate that this setup is possible. I have not, however, been able to
> get this setup to work. The manual was sketchy on the details, so I am
> not sure what exactly I need to do.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.

For upstairs, you want a WAP54G or a WET54G, both of which will bridge to a
WRT54G. Return the second WRT54G and get one of the others.

Tom

"Robert Jacobs" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Actually they are wireless routers with a 4 port swith that can
>be placed in AP mode. inorder to do what you want you would
>have to have on of them set as your router then connect the
>second AP via ethernet to the router.
>
>Robert....

Airhead got it almost entirely right:

>"Airhead" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Wrt54Gs are not bridges, they are APs that wont discuss
>> things among each other. There is some firmware out there
>> that you can use such as sveasoft that can give you added
>> functionallity for $.

However, you don't need to spend the $ for it. Sveasoft
distributes Satori firmware freely, and it will do exactly what
is desired, in three different ways.

In the first two cases one unit has to be an AP. The second
unit can be either a repeater or a client. If it is a repeater
then the connection to it must be via a wireless client. If it
is a client, then no other wireless connection can be made with
it, and an ethernet link is required (but the AP can still make
multiple connections).

Another way to do it is to run both units as clients in an
Ad-Hoc mode, which is essentially a point-to-point link for both
ends and allows no other wireless connections to either unit.

The Satori firmware has a great deal of other functionality, and
is well worth downloading. Sveasoft's aggressive marketing of a
beta version may or may not be distasteful to any given
individual, and if it is not perhaps purchasing the latest
release if worth doing, or not; and if Sveasoft is indeed deemed
distasteful in their business practices, perhaps downloading and
using their free version is an appropriate way to thumb your
nose at the practices you don't like!

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)

"Tom Scales" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>For upstairs, you want a WAP54G or a WET54G, both of which will bridge to a
>WRT54G. Return the second WRT54G and get one of the others.

A waste of time and good money. Get the Satori software for free,
and having working in a few minutes.

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)

Floyd L. Davidson wrote:
> "Tom Scales" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>For upstairs, you want a WAP54G or a WET54G, both of which will bridge to a
>>WRT54G. Return the second WRT54G and get one of the others.
>
>
> A waste of time and good money. Get the Satori software for free,
> and having working in a few minutes.
>

Yeah, I had a hard time justifying buying a single-purpose WAP54G that
did not even have a switch built in...yet cost more than the WRT54G.

I don't know, it just seems to me that this would be a common scenario
for people with multi-floor homes that the router should be able to handle.

I'll look into the third-party firmwares... Thanks for the suggestion...

So, out of curiosity... what impact does the Gateway / Router mode
have? Given the description of these modes in the manual, it seemed to
me that I just needed to have the one downstairs connected to my cable
modem in Gateway mode and the one upstairs in Router mode with a static
route to the one downstairs.

No, the Gateway/Router mode for your cable modem and AP for upstairs. But I
would use a repeater instead of a AP personally.....

"Randy Widell" <(E-Mail Removed)_MAPSON> wrote in message
news:cnCNd.34433$EG1.26643@lakeread04...
> Floyd L. Davidson wrote:
>> "Tom Scales" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>For upstairs, you want a WAP54G or a WET54G, both of which will bridge
>>>to a
>>>WRT54G. Return the second WRT54G and get one of the others.
>>
>>
>> A waste of time and good money. Get the Satori software for free,
>> and having working in a few minutes.
>>
>
> Yeah, I had a hard time justifying buying a single-purpose WAP54G that did
> not even have a switch built in...yet cost more than the WRT54G.
>
> I don't know, it just seems to me that this would be a common scenario for
> people with multi-floor homes that the router should be able to handle.
>
> I'll look into the third-party firmwares... Thanks for the suggestion...
>
> So, out of curiosity... what impact does the Gateway / Router mode have?
> Given the description of these modes in the manual, it seemed to me that I
> just needed to have the one downstairs connected to my cable modem in
> Gateway mode and the one upstairs in Router mode with a static route to
> the one downstairs.

Randy Widell <(E-Mail Removed)_MAPSON> wrote:
>Floyd L. Davidson wrote:
>> "Tom Scales" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>For upstairs, you want a WAP54G or a WET54G, both of which will bridge to a
>>>WRT54G. Return the second WRT54G and get one of the others.
>> A waste of time and good money. Get the Satori software for
>> free,
>> and having working in a few minutes.
>>
>
>Yeah, I had a hard time justifying buying a single-purpose
>WAP54G that did not even have a switch built in...yet cost more
>than the WRT54G.
>
>I don't know, it just seems to me that this would be a common
>scenario for people with multi-floor homes that the router
>should be able to handle.
>
>I'll look into the third-party firmwares... Thanks for the suggestion...

Yep. Or you could also use a CAT5 wired ethernet connection between
the two WRT54G units.

The one downstairs can use either the WAN/Internet port to connect
to the modem, or could also be configured to use one of the LAN/Ethernet
ports. Whatever, you can connect 4 ethernet devices to it, plus
the WAN/Internet port.

If you use a wired ethernet connection to the upstairs WRT54G, then
you don't need the third party firmware (though it is still nice,
and you might want to use it anyway).

>So, out of curiosity... what impact does the Gateway / Router
>mode have? Given the description of these modes in the manual,
>it seemed to me that I just needed to have the one downstairs
>connected to my cable modem in Gateway mode and the one upstairs
>in Router mode with a static route to the one downstairs.

Yep. That pretty much sums it up. I have a couple of them
doing essentially the same thing, except I use have both of them
in router mode. I have a dialup Internet connection which runs
off of a dedicated Linux firewall, so the WRT54G's are just used
to provide a wireless AP. I use the second one as a repeater,
plus a WRE54G repeater, which gives me 3 each AP sites.

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)

Unfortunately, the Satori firmware is not going to work. I have v2.2 of
the WRT54G. I guess that means paying the $20 for the Alchemy firmware.

Floyd L. Davidson wrote:
> "Tom Scales" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>For upstairs, you want a WAP54G or a WET54G, both of which will bridge to a
>>WRT54G. Return the second WRT54G and get one of the others.
>
>
> A waste of time and good money. Get the Satori software for free,
> and having working in a few minutes.
>