connecting two wireless routers within same network....problem!!

[ddaarrkkoo]

Hi...newbie alert!

I have a home network consisting of the following:

Router A - Linksys WRT54GL with broadband Internet for LAN clients, located in my bedroom, connected by ethernet cable to Primary PC, DHCP enabled
Primary PC - obtains dynamic IP from Router A, also exclusive broadband connection ONLY for this PC using 2nd network adapter
Router B - Linksys WRT54GS, located in my den on the ground floor, obtains static IP from Router A through ethernet cable, DHCP disabled
Laptop I - located in den, connects wirelessly to Router B, obtains IP through DHCP

The issue is:
Laptop I doesn't seem to be able to ping Primary PC, despite the fact that (1) they are on the same IP regime (2) same subnet (3) same workgroup. I need to transfer files from Primary PC to Laptop I but they just don't detect each other in Network Places, despite enabling Shared Folders.

What am I doing wrong? Is it the connection between the two routers? Should I enable DHCP in Router B?

[YeOldeStonecat]

How is router B connected to router A? Which ports on each? What is LAN IP of each?

[ddaarrkkoo]

Router A and Router B are connected through ethernet cable, with Router B aving a satic IP and the cable connects from one of the four ports of Router A to the Internet port of Router B.

Router A - 192.168.1.1
Router B - 192.168.1.30 ( static, configured in Internet Setup in router configuration)

Subnet is 255.255.255.0
Gateway is 192.168.1.1

The strange thing is that Primary PC is able to ping Router B (192.168.1.30) but not the Laptop that is wirelessly connected to Router B, and vice versa.

[YeOldeStonecat]

There is your issue. Router B connects to router A using it's WAN port. A router must "route" between 2x networks. You have 192.168.1.xxx on both sides of router B..so it doesn't know which way to go. "Which way do I go George?" as the Warner Bros cartoon said...

You want to uplink router B to router A using a LAN port on each. Thus you're basically using router B as an access point...not a router. You will not use the Internet/WAN port of router B. Also make sure the LAN IP of router B is not the default 192.168.1.1....make it something like 192.168.1.245 (.245 is a common IP for access points). And ensure DHCP is disabled on router B. Leave the WAN info blank..you don't want that populated with 192.168.1.xxx numbers.

[ddaarrkkoo]

Thanks a lot for your help....but I guess I'm not doing something right. It is now as you say it should be, but Laptop I and Primary PC still don't see each other.

I'm at a loss.

[ddaarrkkoo]

Ok tell me if this would work:

Router A - 192.168.2.1, subnet 255.255.255.0
Router B - 192.168.3.1, subnet 255.255.255.0

Will clients connected to both be able to see each other? Or do I have to set both to xxx.xxx.2.x?

The reason I can't use 192.168.1.1 for Router A now is because my broadband provider asked me to change their ADSL modem setting, and that is now 192.168.1.1, so I changed Router A to 192.168.2.1 to help me remember which is which.

[Spazo]

with that you might have to set up a route. Go ahead and try it that way but if that fails i suggest this.

Router A=192.168.2.1
Router B=192.168.2.2

Router A=DHCP Range of 192.168.2.3 to "what ever you desire"
Router B=DHCP Off

And you should be set

[YeOldeStonecat]

Ok tell me if this would work:

Router A - 192.168.2.1, subnet 255.255.255.0
Router B - 192.168.3.1, subnet 255.255.255.0

Will clients connected to both be able to see each other? Or do I have to set both to xxx.xxx.2.x?

The reason I can't use 192.168.1.1 for Router A now is because my broadband provider asked me to change their ADSL modem setting, and that is now 192.168.1.1, so I changed Router A to 192.168.2.1 to help me remember which is which.

You're still double NAT'ng that way, your DSL modem is really a router. If you keep your other two routers at different IP ranges, and use the WAN port, their NAT will still separate your networks when in "gateway" mode.

For your setup, I'd recommend sticking with setup I illustrated above.

[ddaarrkkoo]

I made a little network scheme so maybe it would all make a little more sense:



What I need is for Laptop II, Media Streamer and the PS3 to have access to all of the devices on the upper floor (Primary and Secondary PC, Network HDD) and vice versa.

That is NOT happening under the current config. I do not know what I am doing wrong.

I took YeOldeStoneat's advice but that still does not work. I also tried to access shared folders on Secondary PC from Primary PC, but the shared folders don't even show up. Even the Secondary PC does not show up in Networked PC's, and yes they all share the same workgroup, i.e. WORKGROUP.

Confused!