Adding a wireless router to a wired home network

Ottman

n00b
Joined
May 21, 2005
Messages
62
Hi guys,
My son bought a trendnet wireless router to connect his psp for his enjoyment.
Currently our setup in the house is hardwired with cat5.

cable modem-->linksys sr41 router-->2-cpu'ss-->linksys switch--2cpu's, x-box and tivo.

I think he should have purchased a wireless switch, access point or something other than a wireless router. Are we able to utilize this wireless router behind my current setup? If we can use it ...how would I set it up?

Thanks for the noobie help!
 
The docs might have a section on how to configure the router as an access point.

If not, the principles are simple, although the details vary:

1. Set it up so that the new router's IP is consistent with your existing router.
2. Disable its DHCP / NAT / etc.
3. Connect it with a LAN port to your existing network
4. Enable its wireless and wireless security as per your needs (WPA security with a long randomized passkey if possible).
 
A wireless access point would have been better, but for some reason they typically cost more than a full blown router does. All you have to do to make it work it plug the uplink on the new wireless router into a port on the old one, you shouldn't need crossover cables or anything since it is a router. Keep in mind that this makes a layered setup, and the devices that connect to the new router are not necessarily going to communicate properly with the ones on the old router, but internet access should be fine.
 
If it's the Trendnet router from the recent CopmpUSA deals, it should work (well, pretty much any router should work), because that's the same router that I bought a few weeks ago and set it up the same way (as an access point for my wired network).

I used this guide, which pretty much goes over the same steps that Madwand shared:

http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html
 
Thanks for all the info...... I'll give it a try when I go home for lunch.
 
Seriously..even though it's really not difficult to reconfigure a wireless router as just as wireless access point...why even spend 3 minutes doing that and complicating your network...just remove the Linksys befsr, and completely replace it with your newer Trendnet....leaving the trendnet as a wireless router. That way you have just 1x device on your network..the old KISS theory.
 
Seriously..even though it's really not difficult to reconfigure a wireless router as just as wireless access point...why even spend 3 minutes doing that and complicating your network...just remove the Linksys befsr, and completely replace it with your newer Trendnet....leaving the trendnet as a wireless router. That way you have just 1x device on your network..the old KISS theory.

I don't know if Ottman has a similar situation, but in my case, I already had 4 computers that were on the wired network, and I plan to add a 5th one this week. Using two routers in the configurations listed above would mean that you gain two additional wired ports and don't have to mess with your current network in case you have some special settings or configuration.

But yeah, if that's not the case, it's just personal preference.
 
Thanks to all for the help.....

Everything is working great and have additional ports for our other gaming systems in the house.

Question: Regarding security with the wireless... what is needed to ensure neighbors or walk-bys are unable to connect to network?

Authentication: currently set to WPA (Disable/WEP/WPA/WPA2)
PSK/EAP: set to PSK (PSK/EAP)
Cipher Type: set to TKIP (TKIP/AES/Auto)

- Ottman
 
Thanks to all for the help.....

Everything is working great and have additional ports for our other gaming systems in the house.

Question: Regarding security with the wireless... what is needed to ensure neighbors or walk-bys are unable to connect to network?

Authentication: currently set to WPA (Disable/WEP/WPA/WPA2)
PSK/EAP: set to PSK (PSK/EAP)
Cipher Type: set to TKIP (TKIP/AES/Auto)

- Ottman

You're pretty much there already. Just ensure that you use a long randomized passkey for the encryption, not something that's short and susceptible to dictionary attacks, and for the time being at least, you should be secure enough for even somewhat determined attackers.

WPA2/AES would be better if all your devices support it, but if you're hitting that level of paranoia, you might want to shut off your wireless altogether and introduce additional measures (sorry, ATM only tinfoil comes to mind somehow).
 
Back
Top