Using Linksys Router with a Netgear router?

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sonnyrizo

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I have a new VoIP service, and because of that, I use a Linksys Broadband RT31P2 router, included with the service. The computer which is connected to this router works perfectly fine, and so does the phone. Everything works fine, but I now want that router (Linksys) to provide wireless access to a laptop.

The problem is that the laptop is not picking up a signal from the router, and the router configuration page has no option to "send" a signal for wireless connection. I am starting to think that the Linksys Broadband RT31P2 router is not meant for wireless access, or it would have this option, and make a mention of wireless access.

Here's the product page for the router: http://www.linksys.com/products/pro...rid=652&scid=29

I also have a Netgear WGR614v4 router, and wondering if there's something I should do with this router. I thought of connecting the Netgear router to Linksys using an Ethernet cable. Therefore, the Linksys router would be the main router, and I'd use the Netgear router as some sort of a secondary router that would give a wireless signal to the laptop. I also tried it the other way around, having the Linksys router connect to the Netgear router.

Its a bit confusing. I don't know where to go from here. If I make Netgear the main router, the computer will work, and eventhough the laptop receives the signal, it will not connect to the Internet. If I use Linksys as the main router, the computer will work, but the laptop picks up no signal from the Netgear router.

Any ideas?
 
That linksys router isn't a wireless router. I've never tried hooking up two routers in serial so I can't help you there, but linksys does have a wireless router that supports VoIP that would eliminate the two router problem. The linksys model number is WRT54GP2.
 
Unless you want to set up a DMZ you don't want to have more than one internet gateway (router) on your home network.

You can use a wireless access point that doesn't have any routing capabilities with your current linksys router. If you can find one, this is the cheapest and easiest way to go.

The only way that you'd want to use the netgear router as a wireless AP is if you can turn off all but the wireless access. This eliminates the need to have more than one subnet.

I think you should really look for just a wireless AP, and not a router.

Check this link

Remember security when you set up a wireless AP.
 
HoopaJoop said:
Unless you want to set up a DMZ you don't want to have more than one internet gateway (router) on your home network.

It doesn't bother me much. More wires, but its not a big problem.

You can use a wireless access point that doesn't have any routing capabilities with your current linksys router. If you can find one, this is the cheapest and easiest way to go.

I've heard from everyone that this specific Linksys router does not have wireless capability. Even the Linksys website makes no mention of wireless capabilities.

The only way that you'd want to use the netgear router as a wireless AP is if you can turn off all but the wireless access.

I've done that.

I think you should really look for just a wireless AP, and not a router.

I already had the Netgear router, so its not a hassle or something.


Thanks for the link, but I already have the Netgear router, which can be used as WAP.

Remember security when you set up a wireless AP.

I'll worry about that at the end.
 
Have you ever successfully used the wireless function on your netgear?

With your netgear acting as an AP only, do you have dhcp services enable?

Is the netgear on the same subnet as the linksys?
 
HoopaJoop said:
Have you ever successfully used the wireless function on your netgear?

Not on this specific laptop, but another one, yes.

With your netgear acting as an AP only, do you have dhcp services enable?

DHCP is disabled.

Is the netgear on the same subnet as the linksys?

Yes.

Keep in mind I am not done. I'll get to work at another time, and reply with how things went.
 
The question "are you on the same subnet?" was critical for my part of the solution.

I have a linksys wireless as my main router, and an FR114P as the secondary router... mostly because I was able to get a better deal on it than I could a stand alone print server... go figure.

Anyway, the Linksys WRT54G is hooked to my cable modem via the "internet" port on the back of the router.

(1) The Netgear FR114P is hooked from "Port 1"... not "Internet" of the Netgear, to any one of the (4) open ports on the Linksys.

(2) I changed the Netgear IP address from it's factory default 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.1.2.

(The Linksys default subnet is '1'... 192.168.1.x)

This put it on the same subnet as the Linksys.

Once I did that I had visibility to the Linksys via 192.168.1.1 or to the Netgear via 192.168.1.2

Note : when setting up the printer server portion of the netgear I used the following steps...
1) create a new port LPR port

(You may need to first install LPR Print Services.)
Control Panel->Add Remove Windows Components->Other Network File and Print Services->Details->Print Services for Unix

Second... Go to add new printer
Select "Local Printer" and hit next

Select Create New Port, and select "LPR" as the type of port to create,
A popup window will prompt you for the IP address of the print server and the name of the printer attached to it.

I used the new IP defined address for the netgear router 192.168.1.2, you can type any text you want for the printer name.
 
+1

Right on the money.

The only thing to add is that you *may* need to use a cross-over cable to connect the two routers. Depends on whether either router has MDI/MDIx auto switching.
 
Cascading Routers

Making a second router work in unison with another router is called Cascading.

Power down your router & computer that you will configure the routers with, and plug an ethernet cable from computer to any of your 1-4 ports on your "secondary" router. Then power on your router, let it cycle, and then power up the computer that you will configure with.


Access your routers setup page via web browser (e.g. 192.168.1.1)

When the initial page loads:

Locate the Local IP Address, and assign your "secondary" (wireless) router a new address of "192.168.1.2".

Locate the DHCP Server, and set it to "disable".

Save Settings


Now you are going to change pages to Advanced Routing:

Locate the Operating Mode, and set it to "Router".

Save Settings


Now you are going to connect your "primary" and "secondary" routers:

Connect your broadband modem to the Wan Port (Uplink/Intranet) of your "primary" router.

Connect your "primary" router to your "secondary" via any of the numbered ports that are open on both routers.

Lastly, shut down, and reconnect the ethernet cables of any computers that are left to connect to your network. Boot them up, and Viola! You should have internet, and file-sharing capability amongst all computers on your network.




If you were to connect to the Wan Port on your "secondary" router, it would require a little different configuration.

Locate Local IP Address when configuring your "secondary" router, and assign it the IP address of "192.168.2.1", and plug in all systems, and ethernet cables, except you would plug into the "secondary's" Wan Port.

The difference between this setup, and the one I explained first is essentially this:

Computers plugged into the separate routers will be on different LAN Segments, thus being unable to share resources, though it makes it easier to identify which computers are on each router.

I recommend the top setup through the numbered ports.
 
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