Wireless bridge hell

[27]

I'm having trouble getting two routers to talk to each other.
They are both CompUSA SKU#333628/Edimax br-6204WG.

One of them is upstairs (connected to the internet) and the other is downstairs. The idea is to connect my xbox and PlayStation 2 to the router downstairs via network cables and get them online. It used to work fine until someone tinkered with the settings.

I've tried this:

1. Reset both routers to factory default settings
2. Give each router a unique IP address
3. Disable DHCP on downstairs router
4. Set both routers to AP-Bridge WDS mode
5. Enter each router's MAC address into the other.

It's still not working.

Please help.

[27]

Anybody?

[nemowolf]

okay, im not very good with the wireless stuff ...

You need to set one as the DHCP router and the other as the AP to repeat the signal. I would set that up as needed and configure the downstairs one as the repeater. Now, as i said im not that good with multiple wireless so i have no idea how you would go about that, but it should work from there.

Making both be AP may have been why that particular change didnt work.

[KarmaKiller]

GZ3 would know..
Too bad he never gets on here anymore..
I myself have no idea. If your desperate, shoot GroundZero3 a PM, see if he responds..
Good luck

[RicheemxX]

Here's a quick east tutorial its for linksys wrt routers but it might help. The routers support WDS/Bridging so it should be fairly straight fwd.

[pabilo]

I just succeeded doing this with my Compusa 333628/Edimax 6402wg router. I connected the CUSA router as the client with a Trendnet 432 BRP as the primary router (it is a "plain Jane" router with no fancy features such as WDS or client mode).
I updated the CUSA router to version 1.51 firmware. Here is the link: http://www.edimax.co.uk/en/support_d..._id=1&pl2_id=2
1. Turn off security on both routers (I was able to re-connect with security on after setting things up).
2. Both routers had Universal Plug and Play turned on (I don't know if that mattered).
3. My primary router's IP: 192.168.2.1, SSID broadcast turned on. Use the same SSID on both routers.
I set up the client as follows:
1. I connected to the client with a Vista laptop via one of the client's LAN ports (wired). If you have trouble connecting to the client, change your computer's network adapter from DHCP to a fixed IP within the same range as your router (192.168.2.110 in my case). Then logon to the router.
2. WAN settings: WAN TYPE="Ethernet", Static IP, IP=0.0.0.0, Subnet=0.0.0.0, Gateway=192.168.2.1 (My primary router's LAN IP)
3. LAN settings: IP=192.168.2.2, Subnet=255.155.255.0, 802.1d spanning=off, DHCP disabled.
4. Wireless settings: Basic: Mode=Infrastructure, Band B+G, ESSID=same as on primary router
5. Advanced: "Open system"
6. Security: encryption=Disabled
7. Reboot router and check that all these settings are correct.
8. Under "Wireless", "Basic", choose "select site survey", "refresh". Your primary routers' SSID, channel, etc. should show up if you are in range. Choose "select" and then "Connect", and then "OK".
9. At this point I may have restarted the laptop. I am not sure....Vista is such a pain. I could see the other workgroup computers and the primary router but could not get on the Internet.....I had forgotten to reset my laptop's network adapter to "get IP address automatically" from the fixed address.
I did that and it worked. I could get on the Internet. I hooked up a wired print server to the client and was able to configure it from my desktop (attached to the primary router).
Then, I wanted to see if I could use the client router to extend the network range and connect the laptop via wireless.
1. I changed to WDS ("Wireless", "Basic", "Mode"=AP Bridge-WPS)
2. Added MAC Address 1 (primary router MAC), MAC Address 2 (laptop MAC)
3. Rebooted the router, then disconnected the ethernet cable from the client to laptop.
I was able to connect to the client wirelessly. The IP was assigned by the primary router but I know that the connection was via the client as the client was set up near the edge of the primary's range and my signal strength went from 1 or 2 bars to 5 and I could get online from areas in my house that were out of range before.
Hope that this helps.

[27]

1. I connected to the client with a Vista laptop via one of the client's LAN ports (wired). If you have trouble connecting to the client, change your computer's network adapter from DHCP to a fixed IP within the same range as your router (192.168.2.110 in my case). Then logon to the router.
2. WAN settings: WAN TYPE="Ethernet", Static IP, IP=0.0.0.0, Subnet=0.0.0.0, Gateway=192.168.2.1 (My primary router's LAN IP)
3. LAN settings: IP=192.168.2.2, Subnet=255.155.255.0, 802.1d spanning=off, DHCP disabled.
4. Wireless settings: Basic: Mode=Infrastructure, Band B+G, ESSID=same as on primary router
5. Advanced: "Open system"
6. Security: encryption=Disabled
7. Reboot router and check that all these settings are correct.
8. Under "Wireless", "Basic", choose "select site survey", "refresh". Your primary routers' SSID, channel, etc. should show up if you are in range. Choose "select" and then "Connect", and then "OK".

I've got this far successfully.
The client router does the site survey and connects.
I can use a wired connection to the client and access the internet and network resources connected to the primary router.

However, when I turn on security for the network primary router, I can no longer connect successfully.

If I use the same password on the client router, the routers connect successfully but I still can't access the internet or resources on the primary router.

[pabilo]

I am not sure that I fully understand what is going on as I have no trouble connecting. Thus, many questions. I hope that this helps.

1. What level of security are you trying to use? I can get WEP and WPA to work but not WPA2.
2. Also, how do you know that you connect successfully with security on? Is it because the client router reports "connect successful"? Have you tried pinging the primary router from the computer attached to the client?
3. What operating system are you using on the client computer?
4. Are you using the same Compusa router (333628) at both ends? If so, remember that you have to reset the wireless security to be identical on both routers...under "Advanced" you have to select "shared key" and under "Security settings" both have to match. Under "security settings", I select "WPA-pre-shared key", WPK-TKIP, Passphrase (have not tried "hex") and I use the same password on both. No trouble connecting again, though you do have to go back to "select site survey", rescan and reconnect after you change the security settings. Reboot the primary first so it will be ready by the time you reconfigure the client and try to connect.
5. Is your network adapter (on the client computer) set to DHCP or did you have to give it a fixed IP address in order to see the client? If it has a fixed IP, change it back to DHCP after you connect the routers and see if you can get on the Internet.
Good Luck!

[27]

I'm using WEP security.

The router does report "connect successfully".

I'm using Windows XP on both computers.

I'm using the same router on both ends, yes. I've set both to use the same password on both ends.

The adapter on the client computer is set to DHCP.

[pabilo]

1. Can you confirm connection by pinging your primary router or its' attached computer/or by using the browser on the client computer to view the primary router's setup menu/or by seeing the other computers and router in Network Neighborhood?
2. If you can "see" the rest of your network, try getting a new IP lease on the client computer ("ipconfig /release", then "ipconfig /renew" in a command prompt window or via the "run" box. That should get you onto the Internet.

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

I've got a similar issue, I'm using a Belkin DG834G (V3) ADSL router as the WAN access, and a ZyXEL P662HW-D ADSL router as an additional AP. I can't run a cable between them (for another week or two) so I want to set them to be able to connect.

I've given them different (LAN) IPs, using 192.168.1.0 network and on the same subnet, and I'm able to connect wirelessly to either using my LT, but I can't seem to find where there are any settings to enable one to connect (wirelessly) to the other...

I know that I could just connect them together using some wires, but this isn't really that feasible as it would mean cables trailing across the living room. I'll be connecting them with a network cable when I have the carpets fitted next weekend, but I'd like to get this sorted before the w/end is out....

Anyone have any ideas...?

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

Ok, I've found a menu on the Belkin that allows the other router to act as a bridge, but I can't seem to find what the ZyXEL's wireless MAC is....

I'm now confused as to whether I should do this. I think this would stop my LT accessing through the Belkin, and I don't really want to do that as the Zyxel doesn't have the settings I want, and I can't really be arsed to set it up - esp as it doesn't have a very good aerial. Don't get me wrong, it's good enough to get across the room, but when I move the LT into a different room, then I can't get a very good signal.....


FYI:
In the Advanced section of the Belkin, click into Advanced Wireless Settings. In here is the option to Enable Wireless Bridging and Repeating, and below there are three possibubble options (as can be seen in the screenie....)



EDIT:
Oh, I just realised that I also don't know where I would be able to set the ZyXEL up to connect over the wireless to the Belkin...

[27]

I am not sure that I fully understand what is going on as I have no trouble connecting. Thus, many questions. I hope that this helps.

Thanks very much for your help.
I tried it again (about 30 minutes ago) and got it to work after months of ignoring it.

I had to put the password in on the Security screen before attempting to connect to the password protected network.

[Prince Lalijama]

I edited!