I hate wireless networking changes. Help?

Post #387,835 by Another Scott 3/22/14 9:31:53 PM Reply	I hate wireless networking changes. Help? Hi, I need to add a wireless bridge + switch to a room I'm setting up. In the past this seemed to be reasonably trivial, but I'm having a terrible time now. I'm using a Buffalo N300 (WRZ-300HP). It's similar to a WRZ-HP-G300NH that I got a year or so earlier (I think). I can hook up the new bridge box to a laptop and configure it, changing the IP address to match the 192.168.0.x subnet we use here. I have the same security settings set everywhere, and I can keep talking to the new bridge box after making changes, but I can't get beyond it (not even to the main WAP by our cable modem). Am I thinking correctly that all of the wireless boxes that are bridged together have to explicitly have the MAC addresses listed in pairs? E.g. at the moment the MAC of the WAP by the cable modem (call it A) is explicitly listed as being paired to a bridge in the office (call it B) and vice versa. Do I need to do the same for all the other additional bridges (I'm trying to add C today and may add D in the future)? So if I want them all to bridge to A then A should have 3 MACs (or 4 in the future) listed in its settings? Should all of the bridges have A,B,and C listed? I guess that one of those seems sorta obvious, but the way the web software for these things has changed over the years, I'm not sure of much of anything any more... Is there anything else I could be missing? (I've tried using the Wizard to set the thing up, but it never gives me the opportunity to specify that I want to use it as a bridge, and the IP address is always in the wrong subnet, etc., so I'm trying to work my way through the hundreds of options for doing it manually...) Oh, I've also looked at the similar WRZ-HP-G300NH, but I seem to have changed and misplaced the login for it so I can only see a summary of some of the settings. Since it's nominally working (it does seem to lose connections easily) I don't want to reset it... :-/ Thanks. I'll report back if I get things figured out in the meantime... Cheers, Scott. (Who probably should just bite the bullet and run Ethernet to the office-like rooms...)
Post #387,836 by Another Scott 3/22/14 10:02:38 PM Reply	It looks like "Client" mode is what I want. http://www.dd-wrt.co...hp/Client_Bridged A pretty detailed example there - I'll try it in the AM. Cheers, Scott. (Who knew he should have googled some more before spending so many hours on this...)
Post #387,839 by scoenye 3/22/14 11:38:36 PM Reply	Ick... I tend to use dedicated bridges because they act as clients as far as the AP is concerned; i.e. all you need is the SSID + password. The Buffalo is really an AP, not a dedicated bridge, and generally, you would want the "Client Bridge" mode. In a pinch, I did set up a 3 way bridge with a set of identical Cisco WAP200 APs. Those did need the MAC addresses of the peers. Each peers only needs the MACs of the APs it will be talking to, so the primary has the MACs of both secondaries, each secondary the MAC of the primary.
Post #387,850 by Another Scott 3/23/14 11:15:38 AM Reply	Thanks. Options? I thought I was being clever by looking for a general purpose box that explicitly did bridging. And I seemingly didn't have much trouble in the past. :-( (Though it's never been as simple as it should be.) It looks like many of the cheap bridges are just that. There's no WiFi repeating/extending function. E.g. this for $29 - http://www.amazon.co...MB/dp/B004FMI3DA/ Would you recommend something like that for the bridge function and a dedicated WiFi repeater to just amp-up the wireless overall? Maybe something like this for $100 - http://www.amazon.co...00/dp/B005UBNGY6/ I could run Ethernet from the incoming WAP to a central location and install that box there. Our WiFi is presently 802.11g and some of our latest Mac gizmos may be 802.11n. Growth into 802.11ac would be nice, but we also have Panasonic DECT 6.0 phones - I don't know if they would interfere with each other. Any additional pointers you (or anyone else) can offer would be appreciated. I'm sure I will be able to get the existing bits working eventually, but time is flying by and I'm not as young as I used to be. ;-) Buying new boxes isn't a problem, but I'd prefer not to spend $200 each if I don't have to. :-) Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #387,863 by scoenye 3/24/14 12:32:35 AM Reply	Re: Thanks. Options? One other thing to contend with: some devices (like the WAP200) can not also provide client AP services when running in bridge mode. Not sure what that Buffalo unit can do in that respect. I've never used a repeater in practice but in a fixed location, it will probably be the easiest way out. (The bridges I have set up so far were in situations where mobility was needed for devices without wireless and a USB dongle was not possible.) A repeater would add an extra wireless hop and so introduces some extra latency. If running wire is an option, they that would be the most flexible way out. I.e. add regular APs with the desired radios in the satellite locations and give them all the same SSID.
Post #387,867 by Another Scott 3/24/14 6:29:38 AM Reply	You may be on to something... The cartoons that sometimes illustrate the various use scenarios don't show wireless connections at the secondary network. But surely the AP scenario is intended to work that way!?! I'll see what happens when I get a chance to flash the new firmware on the Buffalo box, and with the new gizmos. Maybe it's all user error, but if so I'd like to see someone do it with the instructions and software I have. (Yesterday I even tried the "wizard" interface again - still no go.) Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #387,877 by scoenye 3/24/14 6:11:42 PM Reply	Set up guide Not sure how far you went looking, but this is a step-by-step guide on how to set up that particular model in bridge mode. http://2oahu.com/net...ng/dd-wrt-bridge/ One thing that stood out is that the wizard only applies if you use it as a router so in that respect, the "no go" is normal.
Post #387,878 by Another Scott 3/24/14 7:25:33 PM Reply	Thanks! I had done a little googling during my adventure, but hadn't found that. I figured it had to be possible to puzzle it out. I note that those instructions talk about putting the bridge on the same WiFi channel as the original. No channel selection is available here... :-( I'll fight with it more later, but may try the new boxes first. Thanks again. Cheers, Scott.
Post #387,912 by scoenye 3/25/14 6:21:43 PM Reply	On the channel selector http://www.dd-wrt.co...opic.php?p=536917 It appears that if you have set the SSID first, then DD-WRT will scan for the primary and match the channel automatically.
Post #387,915 by Another Scott 3/25/14 7:52:08 PM Reply	Thanks. Maybe it's supposed to work that way, but... At times I was getting "Unknown" for the channel number. It looks like, from the last screenshot I saved that it actually found Channel 11 at least once. Hmm... But it's not a hold-up now. :-) See my next reply. Thanks a bunch. Cheers, Scott.
Post #387,842 by boxley 3/23/14 12:27:14 AM Reply	why a bridge? I have 4 wireless routers at home all set to the 192.168.0.x network in increments of x.50 turn off dhcp services, hardcode the static IP and point dns to the wan bridge at x.1 Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 58 years. meep
Post #387,849 by Another Scott 3/23/14 10:57:24 AM Reply	If you have a single device on each WAP, that would work... I think. I've got an old WiFi-to-Ethernet gizmo that lets me hook up a single Ethernet PC to a 802.11b WiFi network. (I suppose I could connect that to a switch and see if it works - I guess it should. But it'll be slow.) I want several devices in a room connected to a Ethernet network switch that has reasonably fast wireless as well. Several things in each room will be on the Ethernet, but connections back to the first WAP will be via WiFi. And if I walk in with a WiFi laptop or phone, I'd like a strong signal there. I'd like everything to be on a single network segment, and I'd like to easily be able to see all the machines from any location. These Buffalo boxes are supposed to be flexible enough to act as WAPs or Bridges or whatever. In doing some more reading, it looks like what I want is a "Repeater Bridge" - http://www.dd-wrt.co...p/Linking_Routers Alternatives Access Point / Switch Extend the Wireless access area using more routers, with WIRED connections between routers, or turn a wired port on an existing network into a Wireless Access Point. All computers will be on the same network segment, and will be able to see one another in Windows Network. * Wireless Access Point - Extend Wi-Fi & LAN (Requires physical ethernet connection between routers) * Switch - Similar config as WAP, but radio disabled (accepts only wired connections) Repeater / Repeater Bridge Extend the Wireless access area using a second router WIRELESSLY connected to the primary. * Repeater Bridge - A wireless repeater with DHCP & NAT disabled, clients on same subnet as host AP (primary router). That is, all computers can see one another in Windows Network. * Repeater - A wireless repeater with DHCP & NAT enabled, clients on different subnet from host AP (primary router). Computers connected to one router can not see computers connected to other routers in Windows Network. * Universal Wireless Repeater - Uses a program/script called AutoAP to keep a connection to the nearest/best host AP. Client / Client Bridge Connect two wired networks using a WiFi link (WIRELESS connection between two routers). * Client Bridged - Join two wired networks by two Wireless routers building a bridge. All computers can see one another in Windows Network. * Client Mode - Join two wired networks by two Wireless routers (unbridged). Computers on one wired network can not see computers on other wired network in Windows Network. WDS Extend the Wireless access area using more routers connected WIRELESSLY. WDS is a mesh network. * WDS Linked router network * WDS Point To Point (P2P) OLSR Extend the Wireless access area using more routers. Extra routers do not need any wired connections to each other. Use several ISP (Internet) connections. OLSR is a mesh network. * Mesh Networking with OLSR *[+ OLSR] Or a "Client Bridged" setup may work (but that sounds like it was designed for the case when the two WAPs were possibly on different subnets. The Buffalo software on the new box wants to set up WDS, but it's terribly opaque to me. I've tried following their instructions, but ended up being unable to talk to the box afterward (let alone get past it to 192.168.0.1). I'll fight with it more later today. Thanks. Cheers, Scott. (Who may simply need to flash the latest version of DD-WRT on the boxes to take care of the problems...)
Post #387,858 by boxley 3/23/14 7:02:49 PM Reply	I have daisy chained 4 wireless receivers turn off dhcp services on 2,3,and 4. My laptops and phones know about all of them, when they connect they are issued an IP from unit1 which acts as a dns server as well. It works just fine. They are all on the same network segment Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 58 years. meep
Post #387,859 by Another Scott 3/23/14 10:45:23 PM Reply	Thanks. Something seems amiss with the DD-WRT software version on this thing. In the WiFi settings there's supposed to be a "Channel" field to pick a WiFi channel to use, but no Channel label or entry field exists. Maybe that's why it seems as if there's no WiFi out of it. :-/ I tried all of the various configuration options - AP/Client/Client-Bridge/etc./etc. There's a newer version of DD-WRT that I've downloaded, but I don't have time to fight with it now. Maybe next weekend... In the meantime, I've ordered some dual-band bare bridges (that seem to have some better reviews than the cheapie listed earlier). It's a bit more money, but I'm hoping it'll have less aggravation - http://www.amazon.co...oduct/B0062K5JAI/ . I also ordered a dual-band repeater - http://www.amazon.co...oduct/B0084ZYI88/ Here's hoping these bits are plug-and-play... All of these things seem to be a crapshoot. Apple (and/or Google) would make a new fortune if they decided to go into home wireless networking business and made stuff that really was plug-and-play for most everyone. I'll report back with any success. Thanks again. Cheers, Scott.
Post #387,861 by boxley 3/24/14 12:09:38 AM Reply	1 new 3 < $5 at garage sales, all do 10mb Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 58 years. meep
Post #387,917 by Another Scott 3/25/14 8:05:45 PM Reply	The TRENDnet bridge works great. http://www.amazon.co...oduct/B0062K5JAI/ I unboxed it, let it warm up to room temperature, turned off WiFi on this laptop, hooked up the Ethernet cable to it and the laptop, plugged the bridge in to its power wart and let it boot up. Open IE, go to "http://tew-680mb.trendnet" and follow the trivial instructions. Save the settings. Done. (The only thing else I had to do was enter the URL again (there's no ".com" at the end), and set the Ethernet card to use DHCP rather than its Static IP.) It's working great at the moment - dunno how often it will need to be reset, etc., but so far so good. Cheers, Scott.

Welcome to IWETHEY!