[FAQ] Using two routers together/ Extending Wi-Fi

mickevh

It's not affecting your problem, but you have your Belkin's IP address within the DHCP range of the HH. You probably won't fall over it for years (if ever) but it really should be outside the DHCP range. Or change the DHCP range so that it ends before the Belkin IP - for example, make the DHCP End address 192.168.1.250 (changing the DHCP end will probably be less painful than changing the Belkin LAN IP again.)

To test whether your homeplugs are the culprits, you could temporarily connect the two routers together with a cable and see if the problem goes away.

mickevh

By "access it" do you mean access the admin screens or something else...?

Did you connect the two together using their "LAN" not their WAN/Internet ports...?

Can you ping both routers from a PC connected to each with a cable...?

deejayo

Hi

I've been lookling everywhere for some clear (read idiot-proof) instructions for the above and those in post #1 seem the best so far. But just to make sure:

I am with BT Infinity and consequently have a Home Hub situated in the living room. At present there are a PS3 (in the same room but on the other side) and a PC (upstairs) wirelessly connected to it. In general the signal to both is fine though last night watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on Lovefilm on the PS3 was so painful I had to give up and my stepson does sometimes insist on moving the homehub nearer the door to improve his signal upstairs on the computer.

However, I digress. The reason for the post is that I have a Humax Freesat PVR and a new Samsung Blu-Ray Smart player that I also want connect to wirelessly to the internet. I realise I could buy homeplugs or wi-fi dongles for both to achieve this but as I a) want to save money and b) have a Belkin G Router left over from my previous ISP I thought there may be an alternative. My intention is have the Belkin on the same side of the room with the Blu-Ray and Freesat connected via ethernet cables. The Belkin would then need to connect wirelessly to the Homehub. (We have recently had a laminate floor laid and while cables behind the TV cabinet and sofa are ok, visible trailing wires across the room are a no-no (btw that's me talking and not the wife).

Would the instuctions in post #1 (with due consideration to those in post #7) work in my particular situation?

mickevh

You are looking for somthing different to that described in this thread.

What you are looking for is something that functions as a wi-fi client and then forwards data to/from it's connected wired devices. This is often called a wi-fi "bridge" (though personally I don't much like the term,)

Some routers/AP's offer this function, some don't - you'll need to check your Belkin's manual. Look for something like "wi-fi bridging" or "client mode" amongst the wi-fi settings.

deejayo

Thanks Mickevh, I have definitely seen that in my Belkin's settings. Is there anything in particular that I ought to be looking out for when I start changing things?

The Belkin is an ADSL modem with highspeed mode wireless G router 2.4GHz, model number FSD7633uk4A

mickevh

I can't comment in detail as it's not something I've ever done. I'd imagine it's about as difficult as enabling bridge/client mode, the joining it to your WLAN as you would any other wi-fi client.

If you post the exact make/model of your Belkin, maybe there's someone who can hep you.

djcla

hi, i have a netgear DGN3500 as primary and a Dlink router as secondary.  I connected the dlink to the netgear via a reservered IP address and setup accordingly on the Dlink.  the problem im having is that after a reboot i can connect to the wireless on the Dlink no probs but if i flick over to the netgear and back again i can no longer connect to the dlink.  I just get obtaining IP address and it sits there.  If i try the netgear again connects no issues seems very odd any ideas?

djcla

managed to fix my issue now, i unreserved the secondary router on my primary router.  I changed the ip range and reduced by one then allocated / setup .254  address onto the secondary router.  I then set the wireless SSID the same but on a different channel and it seems tobe working

dUnKle

Since doing this, despite my wireless signal being much more stable and strong, my ipad browsing seems to have slowed by half.

mickevh

What wi-fi channels have you got the routers tuned to...?