2 wireless routers in the house, how can my wireless connection be handed off?

[LegendNH]

I basically have a wireless router upstairs and downstairs. I would like to SECURELY be able to allow the computer to hand off its signal to one or the other router depending on where it is.

Any suggestions on how to theoretically accomplish this? One is a motorolla 802.11g router and the other is a versalink (verizon) router. I know this can be done, I just need to know how.

Thanks

 

[Crashsector]

Just configure each AP with the appropriate security (I like WPA but WEP would be fine), configure both in Windows (I assume you're using XP SP2). Windows will handle the transfer just fine. You will probably have a few seconds of downtime, but nothing more.

I do this all the time at work. Our store is really long and narrow, so I have an AP at each end.

 

[LegendNH]

thanks

2 notebooks are XP SP2 and one is W2K with SP4

 

[ktwebb]

You won't have a few seconds of downtime. Not if Roamin is working properly anyway. When roaming and switching AP's the change should be inperceptible. In some instances a download would not even be broken. Roming however is not without it's problems. SOmetimes it simply doesn't work too well but it won't be a "seconds" difference in AP association. The problem is your client will stay connected to the poor signal AP when a better signal is available. No way to tell if you'll experience that until you try it out. You don't need the second router right? Just the second AP I would assume and unless your second device is repeater or WDS capable (your parent AP would need to be WDS capable as well) then you'll be cabling to the second AP/Router combo. Just omit the WAN port and disable DHCP on the second device.

 

[LegendNH]

Basically, I started off with 1 router and had to expand slowly as more computers were needed in the house.

My PC, My Spare PC
Server, HTPC,
Brothers PC
Sisters PC
Parents PCs

then the notebooks which are brought to and from school. In order to be able to access files over the network, I was told I couldn't do a setup like this with regular home equipment. After playing around with it for a few hours, I basically attached routers using one of the ethernet ports so I could have the full 100mbps link (instead of the 10mbps uplink). I also have to use static IP's or else I'm not able to connect to other PCs and share files (I believe I have to be under the same subnet to do this with Windows).

Now the notebooks roam. They go from floors 1 to 2 and back many times per week. I want to set it up so that when moving from the ground floor to the second floor, the hand off is made when the signal becomes stronger then the current signal.

I don't think I have done a very good job with the wireless setup. I'm not sure... do I need to assign the same SSID to both routers and disable their announcements (broadcasts)? This is kind of where I am confused. Do I filter by MAC address and use WEP or WPA, etc...

I want it so that my family doesnt have to do anything. I basically want them to know everything is taken care of and they won't have to worry about anything once I do the initial setup.