Home LAN Setup

[jessnew]

I have decided to setup a home(soho) LAN with a couple of cavets and was wondering if what I'm thinking would work. I would like to link 2-3 computers and a printer. I have internet access but I do not have access to the modem (landlord). My question is; can I use a router to hard wire the computers and printer and then create a wireless network through the internet service I already have? Or would I have to have access to the modem?

I am trying to setup HP's ePrint and I need the printer on a network for it work. So I don't think it has to necessarily be a wireless network. I am a little confused, any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Urumiko]

I have decided to setup a home(soho) LAN with a couple of cavets and was wondering if what I'm thinking would work. I would like to link 2-3 computers and a printer. I have internet access but I do not have access to the modem (landlord). My question is; can I use a router to hard wire the computers and printer and then create a wireless network through the internet service I already have? Or would I have to have access to the modem?

I am trying to setup HP's ePrint and I need the printer on a network for it work. So I don't think it has to necessarily be a wireless network. I am a little confused, any help greatly appreciated.

HI, you have 2 options, 1 is a basic switch (with or without a wireless access point built in),
this should allow you to connect all the devices to each other.

However you could use a typical all in one "cable" router to this effect and give you control.
You could connect the WAN (internet facing) port on the router to your wall port and configure it to receive an address from DHCP. You would have full control on your own internal network as if you had a normal internet setup.
This is probably the better option as it will allow you to assign a static IP for your printer (which I would recommend), I'm not familiar with E-print as such but these HP printing utilities tend to loose track of your network printers if they keep changing IP.
Something like this would do
http://www.tp-link.us/products/details/?categoryid=238&model=TL-WR1043ND


Hope this helps.

 

[jessnew]

Thanks for your response. When you say 'connect the WAN (internet facing) port on the router to your wall port' what is the wall port? Is that the firewall? I am connected wirelessly to a router I don't have access to.

The router you have suggested is actually the one I was considering. I will go ahead and purchase on your recommendation.

 

[Urumiko]

Woah hold on a sec I thought you were connected via an ethernet cable not wireless. This device (at least on its own) my not be what you want. hang on i'll look for you.

 

[jessnew]

Ok, will do. Had it in the basket, whew! There must be some way to do this. I don't think the LAN has to be wireless I believe the printer just needs to be on a network (wired or wireless). I guess my question is; how do I setup a local network without the internet? Thanks again.

 

[Urumiko]

The routers we've been looking at generally serve as an access point for other devices to connect to but usually are not able to join another wireless network themselves, What you need is a wireless bridge. A wireless bridge acts like a stand alone network card you can use to connect to the landlords network, it then gives you an ethernet connection out of the back which you can connect other devices to.

Some of these routers do have a wireless bringing mode, but you need to be careful of the Terminology they are using, Often they are acting as a wireless repeater, rather than a bridge in the sense i described. If they are connecting to the landlords access point in bridging mode, I'm not sure whether you will have much control over DHCP etc. Also I think it's a bit vendor specific as to whether or not it will work.

Theres a fairly reasonable guide here http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57529336-285/reuse-an-old-router-to-bridge-devices-to-your-wireless-network/

Finding out what wireless router model your landlord is using might be a good start.
Come to think of it if you are connected to it i wonder if he's changed the default adming password for it to stop you poking round?

If it were me id:
1 - See what the capabilities of the landlords AP are,
2 - If his AP will support bridging as described in that guide, try purchasing a compatible router to bridge them and see if you can get it working as desired.
3 - If its not working as desired try a propper wireless bridge, and then connect this to the wan port on the router you have already purchased.

 

[Urumiko]

I should also point out im fairly confident in what im saying but have never used a wireless bridge myself, please consult other sources and do your research before spending cold hard cash

 

[bill001g]

What you want is normally marketed as a "extender" or a "repeater". Be nice if there was a nice standard to all this like 802.11n or something but there is not.

If you only had a single device then life is easy you buy a gaming adapter or a device used to put wireless on tv that only have ethernet. Once you have multiple devices there is no real standard.

The problem is the wireless connection between you and the wireless router can only have a single MAC address for the security to work properly. This means a single device which is why the old gaming adapters work and why you can easily make this work with just 1 device.

To get around this problem they use field in the wireless data stream called WDS. This is where there is no standard. What they commonly do is use the mac address of wireless device to create the session between the router and the "extender". They then put the real mac address of the end device in the WDS field. Problem is both ends have to use a similar system for this to work. So all "extenders" do not work with all routers.

The other way they get around this is to run the "extender" as a router. In this case there really is only a single mac address that of the router. It hides all the mac and end users using a NAT configuration. This in general will work with all routers but you now have dual nat. There are only a small handful of devices that can run in this mode. This is in effect how people that are using their PC as a routing running ICS get this to work.

Your biggest issue will be finding a extender that can work with your landlords router without having to make configuration on the router. Most require some changes on the router since WDS is a huge security exposure if implemented incorrectly

 

[jessnew]

Thank you all for the great help. Looks like I have some research to do. That or just get an internet connection of my own

 

[Urumiko]

Thank you all for the great help. Looks like I have some research to do. That or just get an internet connection of my own

Haha yeah forgot to mention that option

 

[jessnew]

I went ahead and ordered an Engenius ERB300H bridge. I'm hoping it will solve at least some of the issues. When/if I get it up and running I'll post back again to let everyone know how it went. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[jessnew]

The Engenius ERB300H range extender/ media bridge is working (so far) well. It was a little finicky installing but works a charm. I am using it in client bridge mode and it's performing its main purpose, putting a printer onto a wireless network, well. My guess is any type of bridge/media bridge would work.

Thanks for everyone's help and hope this helps someone in the future.