Connecting two wireless routers via powerline network

[browneyedcub78]

my goal is to share my cable modem signal over my two story house using two wireless routers. The delima is that the routers don't support wireless bridging and if they did, the signal is too weak to make it worth while.

The remedy I came up with... buy a pair of powerline network adapters and connect one router to the other so I could have a good signal upstairs and then a good signal downstairs.

Downstairs, I have the cable modem connected to the Linksys WRT54G router, which has a line out to my blu ray player, wirelessly feeds a PC downstairs and then has a cable run to the powerline adapter.

Upstairs, I have a cat5 connecting the powerline adapter (which was tested and works with laptop) to the data input port on my second wireless router, the netgear wndr3400.

I can't get the netgear upstairs to pull an IP address from the linksys router downstairs over the powerline network.

HELP!

 

[jlandi]

my goal is to share my cable modem signal over my two story house using two wireless routers. The delima is that the routers don't support wireless bridging and if they did, the signal is too weak to make it worth while.

The remedy I came up with... buy a pair of powerline network adapters and connect one router to the other so I could have a good signal upstairs and then a good signal downstairs.

Downstairs, I have the cable modem connected to the Linksys WRT54G router, which has a line out to my blu ray player, wirelessly feeds a PC downstairs and then has a cable run to the powerline adapter.

Upstairs, I have a cat5 connecting the powerline adapter (which was tested and works with laptop) to the data input port on my second wireless router, the netgear wndr3400.

I can't get the netgear upstairs to pull an IP address from the linksys router downstairs over the powerline network.

HELP!

A quick question, what device/model are you using to do the connection to the power lines? Have you tried moving the router to a closer plug and seeing if it detects an IP then, that would eliminate the chance of a line issue.

 

[RealBeast]

The connection on the powerline to the second wireless access point should not attach to the second wireless access point WAN port, but to a LAN port. On the second AP use the same SSID (network name), same WPA/2 passphrase, and different radio channels to avoid interference with the first AP.

Also the second AP should have its DHCP disabled, use gateway address that is the address of the main router. Assign the second AP an address on the network that is in the network but outside the DHCP assignment range of main router. Example: main router gateway 192.168.1.1, make second AP 192.168.1.2, and allow the main router DHCP an address assignment range of 192.168.1.3 to 192.168.1.254 -- make the specific network whatever you want but in this pattern.

You won't get a screaming fast connection over powerline, but you should be able to get a connection over 15mbps. Also make sure that neither of the powerline connectors are on a ground fault interrupt circuit (GFI, or RCBO in Europe for residual current breaker with overload) as these are problems for powerline.

If you need more detail on any of this, just ask for more details on whatever you need.

 

[ITired]

Realbeast, I was having a problem similar to browneyedcub78 and after Googling around a little I found your post. Those instructions got my network up, running, and stable. Thanks a million!

 

[tgillespie45]

The connection on the powerline to the second wireless access point should not attach to the second wireless access point WAN port, but to a LAN port. On the second AP use the same SSID (network name), same WPA/2 passphrase, and different radio channels to avoid interference with the first AP.

Also the second AP should have its DHCP disabled, use gateway address that is the address of the main router. Assign the second AP an address on the network that is in the network but outside the DHCP assignment range of main router. Example: main router gateway 192.168.1.1, make second AP 192.168.1.2, and allow the main router DHCP an address assignment range of 192.168.1.3 to 192.168.1.254 -- make the specific network whatever you want but in this pattern.

You won't get a screaming fast connection over powerline, but you should be able to get a connection over 15mbps. Also make sure that neither of the powerline connectors are on a ground fault interrupt circuit (GFI, or RCBO in Europe for residual current breaker with overload) as these are problems for powerline.

If you need more detail on any of this, just ask for more details on whatever you need.

------------
Further questions:
-would you expect that bridging multiple routers with powerline adapter would get better connection speeds than bridging via wireless (assume the router software is DD-WRT)?
-all powerline enet connections go the the lan ports on the routers, not the wan port, correct?

 

[eibgrad]

------------
Further questions:
-would you expect that bridging multiple routers with powerline adapter would get better connection speeds than bridging via wireless (assume the router software is DD-WRT)?

Impossible to say since there are too many variables. Both technologies depend on things that can vary widely as to reliability and consistency. That's why they can never compare w/ good ol' ethernet cabling. And it depends on whether we're talking about wireless G or N, powerline 200Mbps, 500Mbps, 1000Mbps, etc. You just have to try them both and see.

-all powerline enet connections go the the lan ports on the routers, not the wan port, correct?

Correct. Of course, you *could* use the WAN port if you had a reason to create a separate network, but that's rather unusual for a home user.

 

[mlondon]

The connection on the powerline to the second wireless access point should not attach to the second wireless access point WAN port, but to a LAN port. On the second AP use the same SSID (network name), same WPA/2 passphrase, and different radio channels to avoid interference with the first AP.

Also the second AP should have its DHCP disabled, use gateway address that is the address of the main router. Assign the second AP an address on the network that is in the network but outside the DHCP assignment range of main router. Example: main router gateway 192.168.1.1, make second AP 192.168.1.2, and allow the main router DHCP an address assignment range of 192.168.1.3 to 192.168.1.254 -- make the specific network whatever you want but in this pattern.

You won't get a screaming fast connection over powerline, but you should be able to get a connection over 15mbps. Also make sure that neither of the powerline connectors are on a ground fault interrupt circuit (GFI, or RCBO in Europe for residual current breaker with overload) as these are problems for powerline.

If you need more detail on any of this, just ask for more details on whatever you need.

I am connecting a mac airport express to a powerline outlet, trying to extend my wireless capacity. I'm using an ethernet cable from the power line unit to the express. Everytime I make the ethernet connection it crashes my home wireless. Any advice?