Can I use my WRT54G2 as a wireless access point?

N

nowwhatnapster

Limp Gawd
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Aug 9, 2009
Messages
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We are making some network changes here at work. Were getting a second ISP provider and a firewall with dual WAN.

So essentially the Firewall is taking the place of the WRT54G2, however, the firewall does not have wireless capability. (costs too much)

I was planning on hooking an access point into the firewall, but I thought it might be possible to configure the WRT54G2 as an access point instead of going out and buying new hardware.

Any thoughts? Is this possible? Can someone tell me how to do it?
 
Hook up a WAP to a firewall appliance? Why? What's the point of this? Shouldn't you be connecting such a device to a switch -> firewall? Or are you guys using the "firewall" for everything?

Which makes me wonder: what is the make/model of your "firewall"?
 
Fairly sure you could install DDWRT or Tomato on it and set it up as an AP. Read their respective wikis to confirm compatibility and for the actual instructions on how to do it. Make sure you know what you're doing going in or you could brick the thing.

Also, how many users are we talking about here? If it's more than say 10, 20 max, light usage, I'd look at a professional solution (or at least something more modern than a WRT54G variant).
 
CiscoInside said:
Sounds like it is acting as a router as well.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it does. I wonder how many tasks this "firewall" is taking though. Sounds like it might be a single point of failure :(

I don't even know what kind of subscriber's line the OP got going :(
 
Yea, agreed. Well, we need to know more information any how. Are we talking about a business grade router/firewall, or a simple soho router.
 
Sorry for the delay in posting, our internet started crapping out again.

Heres the layout

DSL (1.1mbit SDSL)
WRT54G2
GS116
~11 nodes

The layout is changing to

DSL(1.1mbit SDSL)
DSL(1.5/.5mbit ADSL) For fail-over
Firewall/Router Firebox x20e Edge
GS116
WAP
~11 nodes

I dug around in storage and found a WAP. So the subject is mute, however, it is good to know that the WRT54G2 is capable when running DDWRT. I personally have a WRT54G at home that I flashed with DDWRT. Might have been the best decision I ever made.

Curious, what do you guys think of the setup I described above? I have no experience with Firewalls.
 
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Confused a little bit, does that firebox offer dual wan fail-over? I guess it might depending on the licensing? I don't know too much about the watchguard program itself, considering I take the fireboxes and throw pfsense on them, which does have the ability for dual wan failover, and acts as my main router/firewall.
 
Yes it does have the capability of dual-wan fail over. It is the primary reason we picked up the device, it was recommended by the IT company I worked for. IMO its a bit of overkill considering we were using a WRT54G2 in its stead...
 
Also, if you don't want to install DD-WRT on that WRT54G2, you can easily make it an access point by just disabling DHCP on it and plugging in a cable from one of it's LAN ports to one of your switch/firewall's LAN ports. Disabling the DHCP will essentially just make it not conflict with your other box's DHCP, and clients won't be getting DHCP info to use your WRT54G2 as their gateway. So since no one is asking it to route, it doesn't route. It'll just sit there as an AP. No need for loading up DDWRT. But you can if you want tons of features =P
 
Ahh... there we go. Thats the answer I was searching for. I could have sworn I had seen it done before.
 
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