[SOLVED] Need help on setting up connection for a TiVo requiring an Ethernet connection using old router as wireless bridge. Or is there a better option?

[Phantom74]

I am trying to use a TiVo in a room without a wired Ethernet connection. It is a TiVo premiere which requires an Ethernet connection or a TiVo specific wireless adapter. Which I do not have nor do I want to purchase. Is the best route to go the one I am currently trying to do? Which is turning my old router into a wireless bridge. Or is there a better way/option for me to go. I prefer not having to shell out any money, but I can spend a little if needed.

My main router is an ASUS RT-AC86U using Asuswrt-Merlin firmware version 384.14 and I have an old Netgear wndr3700 v1 that I loaded Firmware: DD-WRT v3.0-r43516 std (06/25/20) firmware onto and tried using it as a bridge. It seemed like it was connected. As I was able to access the second router's settings from another room not directly connected. When using the Ethernet on my TiVo it was unable to establish a connection. I also connected the Ethernet to my computer and was unable to connect to the internet. Now sure what is wrong. I did not change any settings on my main router. Here are the settings I read were important to use on the second router to be used as a bridge.

Setup;
Basic Setup: Network Setup - Set local IP address in range of the main router, subnet mask also the same, Gateway is set to the main router's IP, local DNS is also set to main router IP; Advanced routing: Operating Mode is set to Router

Wireless;
Basic Settings - Wireless mode is set to Client Bridge (routed) has the same SSID as the main router, Default GW Mode is set to auto (DHCP): Wireless Security - using the same security and information as the main router, Security Mode WPA, WPA2 Personal CCMP-128 (AES), the same passphrase as the main router. This is set on both the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands.

Security;
Firewall: SPI Firewall disabled, Block WAN requests only box checked is Filter Multicast.

If there is any other information I need to post let me know. If you need screenshots on my settings let me know. I have taken some but will need to edit identifying information out and find a place to upload and host the images. Though I did try to give all of the information I thought is relevant to this setup, but I could be missing things.

 

[bill001g]

dd-wrt can be overly complex sometimes. It should work as a simple client-bridge. Since you only have a single device I would run it in bridge mode rather than router.

When you run it in router mode you will want the lan ip on the dd-wrt to be different than the main router otherwise your wan and lan ip are the same subnet.

The reason you would run it in router mode would be if you were running mulitple devices behind the remote router and the main router did not support WDS.

 

[Phantom74]

It should work as a simple client-bridge. Since you only have a single device I would run it in bridge mode rather than router.

If you are referring to the Operating Mode in the Advanced Routing tab in the Setup, it gives me three options. Gateway, OLSR Router, or Router.

Now I do have it set to Client Bridged (Routed) in the Wireless Basic Settings.

 

[Phantom74]

I give up. I'm just going to order a cheap Powerline Ethernet adapter. Hopefully that will do the job, Though the house is old so the wiring may not be in great shape.