Question about bridge to WAP11

Hello all,

I have posted about my troubles creating a bridge between a cable modem
in one room and my wired network in another room before and I've tried
another solution that did not work. I have a WRT54G v.5 Linksys router
connected to the cable modem and a Linksys WAP11 connected to the wired
network. I have tried every combination of configuration and they do
not communicate to each other. Is the problem the WRT54G v.5? How
does one go about getting a v.3 or earlier of that device? Will
another WAP11 enable me to link the modem to the wired network
wirelessly? Or is the only solution to invest several hundred dollars
in equipment that will be obsolete in a couple of years?

I also find it mind-boggling that my situation is not typical. Maybe
it is and I just don't know how to search newsgroups...

Thanks in advance for any response,
Buck
(E-Mail Removed)

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I have posted about my troubles creating a bridge between a cable modem
> in one room and my wired network in another room before and I've tried
> another solution that did not work. I have a WRT54G v.5 Linksys router
> connected to the cable modem and a Linksys WAP11 connected to the wired
> network. I have tried every combination of configuration and they do
> not communicate to each other. Is the problem the WRT54G v.5? How
> does one go about getting a v.3 or earlier of that device? Will
> another WAP11 enable me to link the modem to the wired network
> wirelessly? Or is the only solution to invest several hundred dollars
> in equipment that will be obsolete in a couple of years?
>
> I also find it mind-boggling that my situation is not typical. Maybe
> it is and I just don't know how to search newsgroups...
>
> Thanks in advance for any response,
> Buck
> (E-Mail Removed)


You might try this site it explains how to bridge a westell modem with a
linksys wireless modem..

http://members.verizon.net/~res08lyg/6100.htm

Hope this helps
Rich
--
"you can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

On 8 Nov 2005 14:02:47 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>I have posted about my troubles creating a bridge between a cable modem
>in one room and my wired network in another room before and I've tried
>another solution that did not work. I have a WRT54G v.5 Linksys router
>connected to the cable modem and a Linksys WAP11 connected to the wired
>network.

I currently have 3 assorted WAP11 mutations:
http://www.vallstedt-networks.de/?vendors/GST_Vendors
running to a WRT54G v3 running as an access point in our neighborhood
WLAN. Other than the initial setup and finding a path through the
forest, no real problems. I had a hell of a time with lockups on the
original Atmel based WAP11 (1.0 and 1.1) but that was apparently cured
in the later versions.

>I have tried every combination of configuration and they do
>not communicate to each other.

Have you tried the WAP11 "client mode"? The catch is that you either
must know the MAC address of the wireless port on your WRT54G in
advance, or use the site survey tool that's buried somewhere in the
menus on the WAP11. When you run the WAP11 site survey tool, does it
show the WRT54G?

>Is the problem the WRT54G v.5?

No. Any chance you have it set for 802.11g only? If so, the 802.11b
only WAP11 will never connect.

>How
>does one go about getting a v.3 or earlier of that device?

Ebay. 142 items found. $50 to $60 for buy it now. Most sellers are
beginning to list the hardware versions.

If you happen to talk to Linksys, be sure to thank them for killing
the golden goose and shooting themselves in the foot.

>Will
>another WAP11 enable me to link the modem to the wired network
>wirelessly?

Yes. You may have to do that anyway. The WAP11 will only bridge
exactly one MAC address. That means you can connect exactly one
computah to the WAP11 and have it cruise the internet. If you want
more, you'll need to do it with what's called a "transparent bridge".
Sometimes "game adapters" such as the WET11 will also bridge more than
one MAC address. Good luck finding out which ones will do this from
the manufacturers data sheets. Support usually doesn't know either.

Two WPA11's talking to each other in bridge mode (or point to
multipoint mode) will bridge exactly 30 MAC addresses.

>Or is the only solution to invest several hundred dollars
>in equipment that will be obsolete in a couple of years?

Want to buy my obsolescence insurance? For several hundred dollars,
I'll insure that what you buy today will not be a doorstop tomorrow.
Think of it as paying for your upgrades in advance.

>I also find it mind-boggling that my situation is not typical. Maybe
>it is and I just don't know how to search newsgroups...

Naw, methinks you've only made a simple mistake somewhere. The
problem is that I can't tell what you've done, how you've done it, or
what's wrong. Keep trying.

--
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

Thanks for the reply, Jeff. Sorry I didn't supply any details. It
seemed like I tried so many variations that it would take too long to
recount. So let me go back and start over using your suggestion of the
AP Client mode. I set that up on the WAP11, set the WRT54G to router
mode connected to the cable modem. I can't find any Site Survey menu
selection in the WAP11 browser interface. I am using the Linksys
firmware for that v2.05. Is there some other firmware I should try? I
DO see that on the wireless status packets are being sent and received.
But none of the wired machines can get internet access.

Maybe it is some DHCP problem? My wired router is the DHCP server
currently and on the WRT54G I have disabled it. Should the WRT54G be
the DHCP server?

Thanks,
Buck

On 9 Nov 2005 10:43:08 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>So let me go back and start over using your suggestion of the
>AP Client mode.

That should work. Start with no encryption.

>I set that up on the WAP11, set the WRT54G to router
>mode connected to the cable modem. I can't find any Site Survey menu
>selection in the WAP11 browser interface.

There is none on the WAP11. I just checked. The similar DWL-900AP+
has a site survey tool. Bummer. You'll need to get the MAC address
of the WRT54G from either the serial number label, or using
Netstumbler. Don't forget to turn on the 802.11b compatibility mode
on the WRT54G.

>I am using the Linksys
>firmware for that v2.05. Is there some other firmware I should try?

I have no idea because I don't know the hardware version of your
WAP11. I also can't tell what country you're in. Firmware versions
vary by country.

>I DO see that on the wireless status packets are being sent and received.
> But none of the wired machines can get internet access.

More than one machine? Reminder: The WAP11 running in client mode
will only pass one MAC address. That means only one connected machine
will be able to access the internet.

>Maybe it is some DHCP problem?

Dunno. I haven't seen any IP addresses disclosed, or the results of
any ping tests.

>My wired router is the DHCP server
>currently and on the WRT54G I have disabled it. Should the WRT54G be
>the DHCP server?

Stop. Am I correct that you have two routers in series? That's
generally a bad idea but can be made to work. Please note that you
also haven't bothered to mention the nature of your broadband
connection and the make and model of the hardware between the
broadband connection and the WRT54G.

If you insist on running the DHCP server in your unspecified cable or
DSL modem/router, then setup the WRT54G as an access point. That
means:
1. Setup the IP address to something in the same class C IP block as
the unspecified modem/router. If it's 192.168.1.1, then setup your
WRT54G as 192.168.1.2.
2. Turn OFF the DHCP server in the WRT54G.
3. Do not plug anything into the WAN port.
4. Connect a CAT5 cable between the unspecified modem/router and one
of the WRT54G LAN ports. Check the lights on the front panel to make
sure you have the proper polarity CAT5 cable.

That should allow the DHCP server to deliver an IP address through the
WRT54G.

Reminder:
1. What are you trying to accomplish?
2. What do you have to work with? (Hardware and software)
3. What have you done so far and what happened?

--
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