Wireless setup on home LAN

[Don Levey]

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Daniel Feenberg wrote:
> 
> This has gotten very complicated, but in my experience any home wifi
> router can be used as an access point, provided
> 
>   1) The wan port is NOT used
>   2) DHCP is turned off
> 
> The switch/wireless functions of the router don't do anything to the
> packets, so they won't interfere with forwarding dhcp packets to the
> other router. Getting the device to forward dhcp packets through the wan
> interface would be a challenge, I expect.
> 
Ah, that may be my problem.  I had this working perhaps a year or two
ago with a different unit, but it toasted and we've been wired since. I
can't remember how I had the thing configured. It may well be that just
disconnecting the WAN port will help me.

> Since wifi routers now cost about $20 less than access points, this is
> an attractive substitute for an access point.
> 
> Daniel Feenberg
> 
Indeed - this one was one that came from my mother, who doesn't need
hers anymore (her FIOS modem has a WAP built in).  Free is good.

> On Wed, 8 Oct 2008, Ben Eisenbraun wrote:
> 
>> Hello Don,
>>
>>> I've got the WRT54G set up in "Router" mode
>>
>> I think you need to step back and think about the overall network plan a
>> bit more.  If you're trying to build a routed network, I think it will
>> need to look something like the diagram below.  ASCII art network diagram
>> follows; fixed-width font required:
><snip>
>
I'm considering that as a fallback.  It seems more complicated than
necessary, though, unless there are good reasons for using two segments.


>>
>>> and have set up WEP in the wireless section of the on-line config.
>>
>> You should use WPA, not WEP.  Ask TJ Maxx.
>>

**embarrassed**.
I couldn't remember which one was good and which bad; I knew the good
one had a W and a P, but that's not helpful.  I'll change that.

>>> The main setup is for receiving network information via DHCP on the WAN
>>> interface, and I've set up a static IP for the internal interface.  I've
>>> disabled DHCP on this router, as the BEFSR41 is running DHCP and I don't
>>> want conflicts.  I may be mistaken, but this should still provide
>>> clients
>>> connecting via wireless with the ability to configure via DHCP.
>>
>> You are mistaken.  I doubt the WRT54G will not forward DHCP requests to
>> machines out through its WAN interface.
>>
I'm confused - do you mean that you doubt that it will forward?


>>
>> I think you're making this more difficult than necessary.  My suggestion
>> would be to just connect the WRT54G to your internet connection and
>> use it
>> for routing the wired and wireless clients.  If you really like having
>> the
>> BEFSR41 as the router on your internet connection, then I would
>> investigate
>> putting the WRT54G into bridging mode.
>>
It's quite likely that I'm making this more difficult than necessary.
I'll see (perhaps late Thursday night) if I can get Daniel's suggestion
to work properly, as that seems simplest.  If not, I'll work on your
suggestions.  One reason I want to keep the BEFSR41 is that right now it
*works* and I want things to keep working.  I want to mess with as
little as possible.  I was hoping just to add something.

>> If you're doing this as a goal to learn a lot more about networking, I'd
>> start by reading the Wikipedia pages on routers/routing,
>> bridges/bridging,
>> and IP network addressing.  Learning how to use tcpdump or wireshark will
>> also serve you in good stead.
>>

The depressing thing is that I used to know all this stuff, but I've not
done real networking (even on this level) for 7-8 years.  Feh.

 -Don
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