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

[Anne Wilson]

On Wednesday 10 Aug 2005 15:53, Jim Jackson wrote:
> 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.
>
Jim, I seem to have hit problems with this.  The four ports on the Acer 
router are being used by

Cable from D-Link (main) router
Cable from laptop
Cable from this workstation (which used the connection I stole for the 
router).

Both this workstation and the laptop can ping any box on the lan, including 
each other, but they are not visible on the lan, and shares cannot be 
mounted by samba (works OK on this box when connected directly to the 
lan).  I've reached the stage of circular thinking.  Any ideas?

Anne
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