Routers, switches, and access points. Some weird behaviors.

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sram

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This is related to this:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1549245

Didn't get much replies there but it is fine, I figured most of it. However, there are some issues that are puzzling me. In one building, we have this draytek vigor 2930 router:

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&...=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&psj=1&fp=8d9c50a61d5b9175

and it can emit the signal so that it is working in as an access point. The draytek router was provided by the satellite internet provider. My technician wanted to run a cat5 cable from this router to an access point in another building so that people in the other building can connect to the internet. He actually connected the cable to another wireless router..........or so it seems. Is that doable? What was weird is that in the first building when you connect to the draytek, you get internet but it keeps dropping the connectivity to internet. NOT the wireless connection, that was always on and active, but internet goes away and comes back. And here is the killer, ipconfig says the default gateway is the usual 192.168.1.1. When I type that in my browser, I get into the draytek web interface, BUT NOT all times.........I get into another router the other times !! I was like ???@#%!@?

I'm connected wirelessly to the draytek, so how that happens, I don't know. Internet works when the result of inputting 192.168.1.1 is the draytek interface. When the other router page comes up(linksys), internet goes away. Is this a router conflict? I don't even know if such thing exists! The networking infrastructure was built before I come and tracing the cables is a bit hard. I went and disconnected the cat5 cable going to the other building and all is well.

That was one thing. similar issue is present in another building. We are using a linksys access point to transmit the signal throughout the building. When we connect to the access point, there will be no internet. However, if I take the cat5 cable from the access point and hook it directly to my laptop I'll be online in seconds. The cable is coming from a switch. I tried another access point. Same result. And when I'm connected via the access point and type 192.168.1.1 I can get into two different routers !!! Sounds like the source of internet that is going to the switch is a wireless router, and this router is connected to another router!

That is my reasoning, but I don't know as I'm a noob when it comes to networking.....Have you guys seen something like this?

And why would I get internet if I connect via cable, and not if this cable is hooked to an access point I can wirelessly connect to?

Thanks.
 
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Um.. how did he hook up the other router? Did he just plug it into the WAN port? Usually, when you want to convert a router into an AP, you shut off DHCP in it, and plug your connection to one of the LAN ports on it.

Also, you should be setting the IPs on the routers to different IPs then 1. Especially since the main router is a gateway, if you leave all the routers (that I assume you are trying to use as APs) on the same IP, yea, you are going to have problems.

Also, are these things all set to the same channel? If they are, you just have a mess over there. Are these consumer based routers? Sounds like you really need to get a Cisco wireless controller and a couple WAPs by how much coverage you need.

Can you give a topology of your network, especially what are the routers, switches, etc. and which ones you are having problems with?
 
From what I gathered, the reason your having problems with your internet is you have multiple devices on the network w/ a 192.168.1.1 ip address. So what's happening is when you try to get on the internet, your computer can't decide where to send it's data to get online. Like CiscoInside said, you need to clean up the devices on your network, and make sure you don't have any IP conflicts.
 
Okay I see. I think it is a bit clearer now. Guess I need to do some cleaning today!

Thanks guys, I'll tell you what happens.
 
CiscoInside, if I must tell you the topology, then I would say it is star topology. When you have your favorite wireless router at home providing internet to 3/4 computers via cat5 and to 10 laptops via wifi....isn't that a star? If the router is down, then the whole network is down. correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the best answer I could give right now. And remember please, this is all about distributing the internet, nothing else is intended.
 
sram said:
CiscoInside, if I must tell you the topology, then I would say it is star topology. When you have your favorite wireless router at home providing internet to 3/4 computers via cat5 and to 10 laptops via wifi....isn't that a star? If the router is down, then the whole network is down. correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the best answer I could give right now. And remember please, this is all about distributing the internet, nothing else is intended.
Click to expand...

Well what I meant was a topology showing us how all the devices are hooked up, what goes into what, that type of thing.

You should create one for yourself, it is very handy.
 
CiscoInside said:
Well what I meant was a topology showing us how all the devices are hooked up, what goes into what, that type of thing.

You should create one for yourself, it is very handy.
Click to expand...


Well, I went to the room containing the devices hooked to the dish and I can tell you this:

The modem (original source of internet) has a cable going to a linksys router(It turned out to be the wrt160n), this router has also cables going to the buildings I think. One cable is going to another TP-link device which I think is a switch/AP and from this TP-link cables are going to the buildings. The cables going to the buildings reach a xx ports switch(I think 16 ports) in each of the buildings. From the switch, you run a cable into an access point.

It is something like.....and I can now see why it is a mess. This is one system, and other systems are somewhat the same.

I didn't build it, but now I have to fix it.


Thanks.
 
CiscoInside said:
Well what I meant was a topology showing us how all the devices are hooked up, what goes into what, that type of thing.

You should create one for yourself, it is very handy.
Click to expand...

gliffy.com get an account its free! :) i use mine all the time.
 
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