Adding a WRT54G to an existing wired network.

[RnR]

This is something that I would have thought was a breeze, but I can't seem to get it to work.

We have an existing 100Mbit wired network. All the PC's are WinXP. The internet comes in via a wireless modem that connects to a one of the workstation via USB. So this W/S runs with a fixed IP address 192.168.0.1 and provides DHCP for the 8 or so other PCs that are connected via a 16-port switch. All pretty standard I would think and serves us well.

I want to add a LinkSys WTR54G so that we can provide WiFi connectivity for the occasional visitor tablet and laptop.

But how?

I set it up like so: The wireless internet modem thingy can connect via ethernet as well as USB, so I started by plugging it into the "5th" ethernet port of the WRT54G. I connected a PC to one of the 4 other ports on the WRT54G and set it up with the PPoE authentication details for our ISP. All fine, and I now had Internet access on the wireless network, and from the PC direct-connected to the WRT54G.

But how do I connect it to the rest of the wired network in such a way that the rest of the PCs have internet access, and the WRT is doing the DHCP job the PC that had the internet modem connected via USB?

EDIT. Just to clarify. It's not a repeater function I'm after. The connection to the ISP is over a proprietary cellular network - the problem I have would be the same if the ISP access was via ADSL for example.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Plug the switch into one of the LAN ports on the router.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

You really want it as a WAP if possible though, because using it as a repeater halves your bandwidth.

Connect the modem to the WAN port on the router, any other devices (including other WAPs) through the LAN ports (potentially through switches), and disable all other DHCP servers.

EDIT: Make sure you set the workstation back to DHCP-assigned addresses.

 

[RnR]

Have you considered flashing the router with DDWRT? You can set it up as a repeater. It will receive the signal via wireless and then send it out to the other devices through its 2nd antenna. Everything can be configured through 192.168.1.xxx

http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index

You can also set it up as a receiver and plug in devices via the ethernet ports.

Thanks for your reply.

The incoming wireless (from the ISP) is a cellular-type signal - not WiFi.

I had heard good things about DDWRT however, presumably there would be other benefits to flashing it.

R