[Wylug-discuss] Semi-OT - Extending the LAN

[Jim Jackson]

On Wed, 10 Aug 2005, Anne Wilson wrote:
>>>
>>> proposed addition would look like this:
>>>      |  ADSL line
>>>
>>>     ___
>>>
>>>     | |   Router/WAP (D-Link)
>>>
>>>     ---
>>>
>>>     |\ \
>>>     | \ \
>>>     |  \ \ Other workstations
>>>
>>>     ___
>>>
>>>     | |   Second router/WAP (Acer)
>>>
>>>     ---
>>
>> Anne, make this just an ethernet switch and there is zilch configuration
>> to do - jusr plug it all together. You can buy 5 port 10/100 Ethernet
>> switches very cheaply.
>>
> Perhaps I would have been better to do this from the start - maybe I was
> badly advised.  For a start, it doesn't look as though I can just ignore
> the WAN page, even though I'm not going to use it.
>
>> You then only have one Wireless access point to configure.
>>
>> Do you actually need a second WAP to get wireless coverage?
>>
> Yes.  The D-Link router is in the room where the ADSL line comes in - and
> it would be hard to move it.  Between it and me there are two walls around
> 30" thick and two more internal walls.  The signal is totally gone by the
> time you get here.  It's there, but extremely weak in the room upstairs,
> which is one wall less from the router.  I could settle for a switch and
> cable the laptop to the switch, I suppose, but it would have been nice to
> have the freedom to move around, so perhaps I should look for a switch
> with WAP?.

Actually you may be ok with what you've got. I'm assuming the new box has
the wireless, 4 Ethernet ports and an ADSL port?

If so just forget about the ADSL port, and consider the box as a switch 
and WAP combined.

Here's what I'd do.....

1) configure the new box
    Give it a unique IP address on your LAN etc
    Disable any DHCP server, or DNS server/proxy it might want.

2) plug one of the 4 ethernet ports on the new box onto the end
    of the wire from the main router.
    Now  connect a wired machine into another port on the new box and the
    it should work just fine - it should be able to browase the internet
    etc and see everything on your network.

3) then configure the wireless side of the new box - configure it
    to use the same SSID[1] as the main WAP. Set up the same WEP key if you
    are using WEP, and/or register whcih MAC addresses you are going to
    let thru.

I don't think anything else is needed.

cheers
Jim



[1] This allows "roaming". You should be able to move around with your
     laptop and the laptop will seamless switch from accessing one WAP to
     the other as you move out of range of one into the range of the other.
     You may have to play with the Wireless channels the WAPS use - make
     sure the difference between the channel numbers is 2 or more.