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How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

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Hi everyone, nice to have a forum dedicated to wireless technology

I have a nice robust 2Wire 1800HG Wireless DSL router that i have successfully setup at my home. I have it located on the second floor living room, and have been enjoying wireless broadband internet for almost a year with my laptop.

Now, i have a PC in my room that i want to connect, but i can’t be bothered to buy a wifi adapter. I do have a D-Link DI-624 Wireless router that’s laying around unused, and thought to myself “…hmm, that can be an adapter can it?…”.

Tech setup is as follows :

2Wire DSL
IP: 192.168.1.254 subnet 255.255.255.0
DHCP enabled with range from 192.168.1.64 to 192.168.1.253
SSID: BOGUS
WEP: 1234

Now, i realise the tricky part is how to setup the DI-624 as an ACCESS POINT when all setup on the firmware is actually for a router.

I tried to setup the DI-624 as follows:

D-LINK setup#1
IP: 192.168.1.1 subnet 255.255.255.0
DHCP disabled
SSID: BOGUS (same as 2Wire)
WEP: 1234 (also same as 2Wire)
Static PC IP: 192.168.1.2 subnet 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.1

The way i test is that once i can ping under the command prompt to the 2Wire router, then it works. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

I also tried the setting as follows:

D-LINK setup#2
IP: 192.168.1.63 subnet 255.255.255.0 (should be the same as above, but what the hey…)
DHCP disabled
SSID: BOGUS (same as 2Wire)
WEP: 1234 (also same as 2Wire)
Static PC IP: 192.168.1.2 subnet 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.63

I even tried to put the gateway as the 2Wire IP (192.168.1.254) but still to no avail.

My questions are:

1. Is there any other setup i can try other than the above? i might not get the IP’s and gateways right.
2. In order to have two wireless routers working on the same network, i assume that all wireless settings (SSID, channel, even WEP key) needs to be the same. Is this assumption correct?
3. Both routers have the latest OFFICIAL firmware. Is there any “custom” firmware available that can trick the DI-624 into believeing it’s an Access Point?
4. Am i doing EVERYTHING wrong? (in which case i plead to the members of this forum to PLEASE help me hehehe)

I know the easiest way is to connect a hardwire from the 2Wire router (regular LAN port i assume) to the DI-624 router (WAN port with dynamic IP setting for WAN i assume), then i can easily setup a completely new network for the DI-624 and get internet successfully. But i’m very VERY curious to make this work.

If i can pull this off, i have another wireless router just aching to be setup on the first floor. That’ll boost up the signal to every corner of my house!

Appreciate the support that anyone can offer.

Sincerely, Moose.

Topic

Clarifications

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

Clarifications

Question for setup option other than the above…

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

My goal is to actually setup the two routers as above, but so far my inquiries say that it’s impossible given the hardware available to me.

Another option is to make it as follows:

ADSL ISP <--wired--> 2wire Router <--wired--> DI-624 <--wired & wireless--> my pc

Note that i plan to have different wifi networks from each wireless routers, and will connect my pc to the DI-624 by normal wired connection.

This is so that all the users in my home can choose which wireless network that is stronger (implement roaming capabilities of their wifi adapters).

The 2wire router is working fine so far (as the existing network). The 2wire router does not have a wan output, only 4 lan ports. The 624 has a wan input, and 4 ports.

I have tried to setup the wan portion of the 624 to match the 2wire network and connecting there (using and unused ip address from the 2wire statically). Using this setup, i can’t ping the pc’s that are connected to the 2wire, (from my pc that is physically connected to the 624), but no internet.

I have also tried to use a bogus wan address (99.99.99.99 etc) and connecting the 2wire lan port to the 624 lan port (and matching the network). Using this setup, i can ping the pc’s that are connected to the 2wire (from my pc that is physically connected to the 624), but no internet.

On both setups above, DHCP is disabled. I don’t know if it’s actually possible to have the 2wire do all the DHCP task? I tried to point the gateway to the 2wire AND the 624, but no success as well.

Any thoughts? any help in this matter is very VERY appreciated.

Sincerely, Moose

No reason for subdomain WHY?

In reply to Question for setup option other than the above…

If you do as you say, you will connect to the WAN port of the Dlink from the 2wire thereby making a subnet. This is possible but why? There is no benefit to this and will only present more problems when using things such as SIP or file transfer services through two routers.

good luck

Two wireless access points

In reply to No reason for subdomain WHY?

First at all i dont use bridge, then i need a wire betwen this routers.

(Internet)–>2Wire….–>wire–>LinkSys Wireless Router

Then, configure the Linksys like another network. Example:

2Wire –> 192.168.1.XX –> DHCP Enabled
LinkSys-> 192.168.2.XX –> DHCP Enabled

This function like one big network, bud a difrent IPs on each sub-net.

Bud remember those (devices) are routers, they resolve the ips, each one know the IPs because are they function.

In others words you can PING from 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.2.12 and backwards

That all.

Ok, Ok i dont tells how the LinkSys must get the internet but are obius are like another PC take a DHCP IP from 2Wire.

This not that hard…

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

What you are referring to is called subnetting. However, there is no way that this can be done in commercial router such as 2wire or dlink. The easiest way to implement is as follows.

I have the exact same setup and to this day i have never had a problem. The way you set it up is let your 2wire router handle dhcp and dlink act as an access point.

So your setup should be like this
2Wire: DHCP Enabled
IP Add: 192.168.1.254
Mask: 255.255.255.0

Then disable the dhcp on Dlink first (this is important and you know it already so taht good)

Dlink: DHCP Disabled
IP Add: 2wire should automatically assign an ip address once you connect it or you can have static ip address so everytime you connect this router it get the same ip address 192.168.1.129 (this is to be done in 2wire)
mask: 255.255.255.0

Once that is done any pc connected through wired ethernet or wifi should automatically get ip address from the 2wire router. Now you should be able to ping even with a static ip address.

Advice: Assign static ip address in your 2wire router configuration and not through windows. If you assign static ip addr through windows make sure your gateway is 192.168.1.254 (your 2wire router and not your dlink router).

ONE Network 2 Access Points

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

in your case I recommend the following:

Turn off DHCP server on Dlink

Set Dlink touter LAN IP to an IP that is outside of the DHCP range of the 2wire, but within same subnet. For instance if 2 wire begins DHCP IP addresses to your PCs at 192.168.1.100, then you could safely set the DLINK LAN IP to 192.168.1.99

Conform the SSID and encryption settings on the Dlink to those of the 2 wire. I

am not clear on whether you should use a different channel for each, or the same, as I have read conflicting information on this!

cable from 2 wire LAN port to Dlink LAN Port (yes you read this right! LAN to LAN). You may need a crossover cable tor this to work.

You now have ONE network that has two access points on the same subnet, and with the same SSID, which means you can roam freely between the two access points , without reestablishing the wireless connection! You will not use subnets, nor would I recommend it!

It will work but you miss the point

In reply to ONE Network 2 Access Points

The question was can you do it wirelessly, not with a cable between the 2 routers.

I currently have to do the same at my home.

The only circumstance this can work is if the DLink will route devices connected to it, VIA its WIRELESS interface to the other gateway. I expect this to be impossible as I think it assumes that it only routes via the WAN interface…

As to why the not-cable connected setup…

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

I too have a setup where we have one internet connection, a Qwest DSL. The Qwest modem has an added-on wireless connector. My computers in the back of the house are connected to that modem through a Linksys WRT54GS which has the default of being a LAN with a wireless access point to that LAN. Not that it matters but these are Linux OS on PC. My landlady has a Mac G5 and we purchased a Belkin version of what is basically the same thing as the WRT54GS, same functionality. She purchased it, wants it to work without a connecting cat5 cable. Yes, connecting both routers or simply the ethernet port on her Mac to the WRT54GS would be the simplest solution but she doesn’t want that.

(this might seem to be off the topic of THIS thread but there’s another TechRepublic forum thread where the answers being given are rather pedantic insistence that connecting through cat5 hardwire would be the better solution. That would require, however, drilling holes in the walls or floor.)

Thus, through reasons of Social Engineering rather than merely “the most expedient technical solution, hardwiring” the two routers HAVE to be networked over wireless.

It’s supposed to be easy. The advertising uses the words “easy” and “simple” quite a few times, in the case of the Qwest modem, and the Linksys and the Belkin all three.

IF somebody who works at the Technical Division of any of those three entities could please answer the technical aspects of how to do it, using preferably the Setup Utilities within each of the devices, that would be a major breakthrough in communication.
Adding such a how-to on their respective websites would also be a huge improvement.
Asking WHY do it that way rather than a simple cat5 connection is unnecessary and
really counterproductive.

It lends to the stereotype that Techies tend to think of ourselves as a Priestly Order, ordained to be the Keepers of Arcane Tech Knowledge.
I’m a fairly skilled Techie myself, but this problem is kicking my gluteus maximus, hard fast and repeatedly.

re my last post

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

Also buying yet another wireless transceiver is kind of out of the question as well. The existing hardware is supposedly compatible one with another.

Reponse To Answer

In reply to re my last post

have you called technical support?

another 2 wireless router when they should have bought AP question

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

Must be that Access Points often are almost in the same price range as routers, so those that buy 2 wireless routers think their getting more bang for the buck.

A router is a router is a router regardless of wired or wireless. A router is used to break up a large network into smaller networks [creates a broadcast domain].

the wireless portion of the route simply allows hosts to connect to the router just like wired hosts do [but without the wire].

If one needs to provide wireless access in another location that has poor wireless reception, buy an Access Point. take the fraking wireless router back, and buy an access point. use the KISS method.

Reponse To Answer

In reply to another 2 wireless router when they should have bought AP question

Just like that! Gee, mister or ma’am, you must be psychic or something!
It’s wonderful to meet a clairvoyant, you know. Can you tell me what I’m thinking right about now?
Also, while it must be lovely for you to breathe the rarified air of a position with a budget where a price difference of 30-40 dollars is “roughly the same price range” however, it should be pointed out that the last three steady jobs I had only paid $30 a day, and for some reason, perhaps realizing that substantially more than three quarters of the people in the World make a lot less, I felt lucky to have even that.
But congratulations on being in a position where you can not only consider it to be “chump change” but you can make snotty comments about people who don’t consider it “chump change”.

Before continuing this lightly covered Political Rant, I should also point out that all three devices, the Belkin, the Linksys and the Motorola (the one provided by Qwest) advertise the exact range of utility we’ve described ie, to be used as BOTH an AP and a router. They even mention in their rather limited documentation .pdf files provided on the “Setup” CDs that they can be used as both APs and Routers.
Also that those of us who have asked for clarification actually do intend to use them to create a subnet.

Back to the political rant, more than half the people of the world, oh, did I lower the number from 3/4? would probably make up a gigantic market of consumers providing that the products were at a more reasonable price. Such as the Used Parts market. I’ve seen many USED devices including dedicated AP devices selling for under ten dollars USD at thrift stores. My landlady, from whom I sublet, bought into the notion that a New, Improved device would have a better chance of working.

Now, I realize that when you make your elitist comments that you have no idea as to whom you are speaking/writing. That perhaps the people to whom you direct your scorn might be a disabled ex-construction worker and a VietNam War Widow both living on pensions.That wouldn’t excuse rudeness because you also have no way to know that the people you so address aren’t, and would instead be in that rarified air where they COULD easily afford the difference in price.

Further if the Belkin, Cisco (who bought LinkSys) and Motorola companies are going to advertise that functionality perhaps a really good business investment for them would be to tell the people HOW to get that advertised “more bang for the buck”.

What you need to do is check for Wireless Distribution Support (WDS)

In reply to How to combine 2 wireless routers on one home network? (2Wire & D-Link)

on the two routers. I googled and pretty sure neither of the devices you listed support WDS. Read more here –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_distribution_system

You could check DD-WRT or Tomato and see if there is a router firmware replacement for the D-Link/2Wire. I know DD-WRT supports WDS.

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