Using Router as Switch and Repeater

[icecappacino]

Hello,


I have an old Linksys WRT300N router and I want to use it as both a switch(for Wired) and a repeater( for wireless) to extend the range of the wireless for my main router( NOT a LINKSYS).

I configured the Linksys WRT300N, disabling DHCP and giving the Wireless settings the same as the main routers wireless settings. I then plugged the Linksys to the main router using a LAN-LAN connection. Then plugged a Computer into a LAN in the Linksys.

Everything seems to be working and when I access the network I don't see the linksys( which is good right? I don't want two networks) However is the Linksys Repeating the wireless connectivity from the main router with this technique?

I cannot tell....the light switch is on and it "appears to have activity" but are the wireless devices recognizing the linksys as the WAP? or not?

 

[boosted1g]

What you are doing is making it an access point, not a repeater.

You should have the Linksys IP set to an IP address outside of the dhcp addresses of your primary router.
Lets say primary router is 192.168.1.1 with dhcp from 192.168.1.100-.254
You would give the linksys access point an ip of 192.168.1.2, subnet 255.255.255.0, and gateway ip of 192.168.1.1, and set dns to 192.168.1.1 as well.

You can set it to use a different ssid as your primary router or the same, do note though that many android devices and even windows laptops may try dissconnect and reconnect often if you use the same ssid.

If all of this is setup correctly then the linksys should be providing wireless internet.

 

[icecappacino]

What you are doing is making it an access point, not a repeater.

You should have the Linksys IP set to an IP address outside of the dhcp addresses of your primary router.
Lets say primary router is 192.168.1.1 with dhcp from 192.168.1.100-.254
You would give the linksys access point an ip of 192.168.1.2, subnet 255.255.255.0, and gateway ip of 192.168.1.1, and set dns to 192.168.1.1 as well.

You can set it to use a different ssid as your primary router or the same, do note though that many android devices and even windows laptops may try dissconnect and reconnect often if you use the same ssid.

If all of this is setup correctly then the linksys should be providing wireless internet.

Are you sure about this?

Ok my main router has an ip 192.168.0.1
the main routers DHCP server is 192.168.0.2 - .25

The linksys is on Static IP with the following:
internet ip 192.169.0.30
the default gateway is 192.168.0.1
the subnet mask 255...0
the dns is 192.168.0.1
the DHCP is disabled
I left the wireless as the same as the main routers wireless settings

the linksys and main router is connect LAN-LAN

 

[bill001g]

Your setup is correct . You can easily test it works by changing the SSID on the second router so you can force your PC to use that one rather than let it pick which it "thinks" is a better connection. You want to run the second router on different channels than the first to avoid radio interference even if you use the same SSID.

 

[boosted1g]

Yes I was just going to suggest using a different ssid to test.

you can use a program called ssider for windows or wifi analyzer for android to see what channels your neighbor is saturating. Your primary channels are 1, 6, and 11 so if your neighbors are primarly on one chanel (anything bellow -80 dbm wont effect you much) then have your routers on the other channels. If they are on the same channel they will interfer with each other.