Adding wired router to a wireless bridge

Hi,
I have a wireless network set up in my home running on a Linksys WRT54G (v
2) with 3 wired devices and several wireless devices attached to it. My
desktop PC is hardwired to this router.
I recently added a wireless bridge to a building on my property to set up a
home office for the wife. Hardwired her work laptop to this and it's been
running fine.

However my wife will have 2 people coming to work with her that also have
company laptops, same as hers. The laptops are locked down to not allow them
to work on anyone's wireless network except for the corporate offices, but
work fine hardwired to my network.

I'd like to add a Linksys BEFSR41 (v 2) I have laying around to the wireless
bridge to give me 4 ports to plug in these locked-down laptops, but I'm not
sure how to set up the wired router. Do I need to set it up to the same ssid
as my wireless network? Turn off DHCP? Assign an IP address to the router?

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance,
Jon




Zeppo

On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 10:23:24 -0500, "Zeppo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
in <(E-Mail Removed)>:

>I have a wireless network set up in my home running on a Linksys WRT54G (v
>2) with 3 wired devices and several wireless devices attached to it. My
>desktop PC is hardwired to this router.
>I recently added a wireless bridge to a building on my property to set up a
>home office for the wife. Hardwired her work laptop to this and it's been
>running fine.
>
>However my wife will have 2 people coming to work with her that also have
>company laptops, same as hers. The laptops are locked down to not allow them
>to work on anyone's wireless network except for the corporate offices, but
>work fine hardwired to my network.
>
>I'd like to add a Linksys BEFSR41 (v 2) I have laying around to the wireless
>bridge to give me 4 ports to plug in these locked-down laptops, but I'm not
>sure how to set up the wired router. Do I need to set it up to the same ssid
>as my wireless network? Turn off DHCP? Assign an IP address to the router?

If your wireless bridge supports more than one client (some bridges
don't), then all you need is a switch or hub. To use the BEFSR41 for
that, turn off DHCP and just use the LAN ports.

Otherwise you'll have to use "double NAT" with the BEFSR41 setup as a
router, with the WAN port connected to the bridge, and all computers
(including your wife) connected to the LAN ports. Be warned that
"double NAT" can cause problems in some cases.

Yet another alternative is to replace the bridge with one that has
multiple LAN ports. The WRT54Gv2 could do that with DD-WRT firmware if
you got another router to replace it.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

"John Navas" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 10:23:24 -0500, "Zeppo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
> in <(E-Mail Removed)>:
>
>>I have a wireless network set up in my home running on a Linksys WRT54G (v
>>2) with 3 wired devices and several wireless devices attached to it. My
>>desktop PC is hardwired to this router.
>>I recently added a wireless bridge to a building on my property to set up
>>a
>>home office for the wife. Hardwired her work laptop to this and it's been
>>running fine.
>>
>>However my wife will have 2 people coming to work with her that also have
>>company laptops, same as hers. The laptops are locked down to not allow
>>them
>>to work on anyone's wireless network except for the corporate offices, but
>>work fine hardwired to my network.
>>
>>I'd like to add a Linksys BEFSR41 (v 2) I have laying around to the
>>wireless
>>bridge to give me 4 ports to plug in these locked-down laptops, but I'm
>>not
>>sure how to set up the wired router. Do I need to set it up to the same
>>ssid
>>as my wireless network? Turn off DHCP? Assign an IP address to the
>>router?
>
> If your wireless bridge supports more than one client (some bridges
> don't), then all you need is a switch or hub. To use the BEFSR41 for
> that, turn off DHCP and just use the LAN ports.
>
> Otherwise you'll have to use "double NAT" with the BEFSR41 setup as a
> router, with the WAN port connected to the bridge, and all computers
> (including your wife) connected to the LAN ports. Be warned that
> "double NAT" can cause problems in some cases.
>
> Yet another alternative is to replace the bridge with one that has
> multiple LAN ports. The WRT54Gv2 could do that with DD-WRT firmware if
> you got another router to replace it.
>
> --
> Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
> John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
> Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
> Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

John,
Thanks so much for the reply. The bridge is a Linksys WET54G V3. It looks
like it should support multiple clients as the user guide shows it being
used that way.

So, if I turn off DHCP on the BEFSR41 there should be no other setup
required on it? Does it need an IP address to just use the LAN ports? Will
it get that from my wireless router?

Forgive my ignorance but while I'm great on PC stuff I'm still a networking
novice.

Regards,
Jon

On Mon, 5 Mar 2007 09:37:12 -0500, "Zeppo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
in <(E-Mail Removed)>:

>"John Navas" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .

>> If your wireless bridge supports more than one client (some bridges
>> don't), then all you need is a switch or hub. To use the BEFSR41 for
>> that, turn off DHCP and just use the LAN ports.

>So, if I turn off DHCP on the BEFSR41 there should be no other setup
>required on it?

Isn't that what I said?

>Does it need an IP address to just use the LAN ports? ...

No.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

"John Navas" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Mon, 5 Mar 2007 09:37:12 -0500, "Zeppo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
> in <(E-Mail Removed)>:
>
>>"John Navas" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
>
>>> If your wireless bridge supports more than one client (some bridges
>>> don't), then all you need is a switch or hub. To use the BEFSR41 for
>>> that, turn off DHCP and just use the LAN ports.
>
>>So, if I turn off DHCP on the BEFSR41 there should be no other setup
>>required on it?
>
> Isn't that what I said?
>
>>Does it need an IP address to just use the LAN ports? ...
>
> No.
>
> --
> Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
> John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
> Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
> Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>
John,
Great! Thanks for all your help.

Jon