.... which docs consists of a User Manual and a Quick Installation guide
2 .pdf links at the above link. Naturally the device itself also comes
with a CD. All of that - those docs - says that the multifunction
device can be used as any: an access point, an access point client, an
AP repeater or a WDS bridge.
I've read the docs and looked at the pictures, but I don't understand
the configurations for some of the things I want to try to do with it.
Exercise 1: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port of a
computer and access a wireless network. I don't understand how to
configure the computer or exactly how to setup the device for it/ with
it. One concept would be to use one mode of the AP to stand in the
place of a wireless card for a computer with ethernet only, but that's
not all, see below.
Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
LAN) of a router2. I want the router2 to be the heart of a sub-network.
The AP (or Bridge) will be communicating wirelessly to the AP (or
router1 integrated AP) of the other network, and the computers connected
to the router2 wired or wirelessly will be getting their NAT IPs from
router2.
The general purpose of both of these exercises would be to allow me to
locate the Airlink AP431W physically somewhere different than where the
computer in Exercise 1 is located or all of the computers in Exercise 2.
I think I should configure the device's mode by ethernetting it to a
router or a switch so that I can establish its mode via the device's
webpage configuration. Then after that, I'm confused.
Say I configure it to be an AP client by connecting it to a switch or
router and then disconnect that and connect it to the ethernet of a
computer. How do I configure the computer, say a Windows OS Vista or
XP, to be able to use the AP client to connect to a wireless network and
get an IP and connectivity from that wireless network?
On 17/05/2010 01:59, Mike Easter wrote:
> I have an AirLink 101 AP431W multifunction AP whose docs are here
>
> http://www.airlink101.com/download/ap431w.php
>
> ... which docs consists of a User Manual and a Quick Installation guide
> 2 .pdf links at the above link. Naturally the device itself also comes
> with a CD. All of that - those docs - says that the multifunction device
> can be used as any: an access point, an access point client, an AP
> repeater or a WDS bridge.
>
> I've read the docs and looked at the pictures, but I don't understand
> the configurations for some of the things I want to try to do with it.
>
> Exercise 1: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port of a
> computer and access a wireless network. I don't understand how to
> configure the computer or exactly how to setup the device for it/ with
> it. One concept would be to use one mode of the AP to stand in the place
> of a wireless card for a computer with ethernet only, but that's not
> all, see below.
The manual seems straightforward on how to do the usual TCP/IP setup of
the computer in order to do the initial access of the AP in order to
configure it. Once the AP has been set to client mode you should be able
to revert your TCP/IP setting to "obtain an IP address automatically"
and it should get an IP address from the network you are connecting to.
> Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
> LAN) of a router2. I want the router2 to be the heart of a sub-network.
> The AP (or Bridge) will be communicating wirelessly to the AP (or
> router1 integrated AP) of the other network, and the computers connected
> to the router2 wired or wirelessly will be getting their NAT IPs from
> router2.
From Manual:-
WDS (Bridge)
The WDS mode converts the Access Point to a wireless bridge. It bridges
the network clients from physically separate LANs into one virtual LAN.
You will need to use ap431w access points throughout your network. This
mode will not work if you try to use them with any other brand of access
point.
>
> The general purpose of both of these exercises would be to allow me to
> locate the Airlink AP431W physically somewhere different than where the
> computer in Exercise 1 is located or all of the computers in Exercise 2.
>
> I think I should configure the device's mode by ethernetting it to a
> router or a switch so that I can establish its mode via the device's
> webpage configuration. Then after that, I'm confused.
>
> Say I configure it to be an AP client by connecting it to a switch or
> router and then disconnect that and connect it to the ethernet of a
> computer. How do I configure the computer, say a Windows OS Vista or XP,
> to be able to use the AP client to connect to a wireless network and get
> an IP and connectivity from that wireless network?
Once the AP has been set to client mode then as long as the computer
network cards are set to "obtain an IP address automatically" then it
should get an IP address from the DHCP server in the network.
Bob wrote:
> Mike Easter wrote:
>
>> Exercise 1: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port of a
>> computer and access a wireless network. I
> The manual seems straightforward on how to do the usual TCP/IP setup of
> the computer in order to do the initial access of the AP in order to
> configure it. Once the AP has been set to client mode you should be able
> to revert your TCP/IP setting to "obtain an IP address automatically"
> and it should get an IP address from the network you are connecting to.
Thanks for looking at the docs.
This wireless adapter part isn't working. I can configure the 431w as
an AP client and configure it to connect to a wireless network by SSID
and MAC with configuration for the security.
<for my next experimental stage I'm going to turn off the security for
the wireless network's AP and 431>
When I then ethernet the 431 to the computer, I do not get assigned an IP.
One of the problems with this attempt is that when the 431 is
ethernetted to the computer, I cannot access it with its webpage address
(which I changed to http://192.168.1.251 because I have another
device/AP in the LAN with the 431's default page http://192.168.1.250)
For a little background; this network is Airlink AR325W router, D-Link
DES-1105 5-port switch, Airlink AP421W access point (as an access
point), with the router and the a/p using WPA security.
The only way I can see the 431 to tinker with changing anything is to
take down the ethernet to the computer and put the 431 (back) on the
switch. Then tinker and then take it back down again to 're-ethernet'
to the computer.
That router requirement is going to be a problem in a few days when I
travel to the place where I want to try this 'for real' -- because I
wasn't planning on taking a router with me if I could make this
experiment 1 work.
<OT> Speaking of routers; Fry's has that cute dd-wrt configurable
wireless G router on sale now for $12. If it was a good deal at $20, it
must really be a good deal at $12.
On 17/05/2010 17:18, Mike Easter wrote:
> Bob wrote:
>> Mike Easter wrote:
>>
>>> Exercise 1: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port of a
>>> computer and access a wireless network. I
>
>> The manual seems straightforward on how to do the usual TCP/IP setup
>> of the computer in order to do the initial access of the AP in order
>> to configure it. Once the AP has been set to client mode you should be
>> able to revert your TCP/IP setting to "obtain an IP address
>> automatically" and it should get an IP address from the network you
>> are connecting to.
>
> Thanks for looking at the docs.
>
> This wireless adapter part isn't working. I can configure the 431w as an
> AP client and configure it to connect to a wireless network by SSID and
> MAC with configuration for the security.
>
> <for my next experimental stage I'm going to turn off the security for
> the wireless network's AP and 431>
>
> When I then ethernet the 431 to the computer, I do not get assigned an IP.
It's possible that only the AP in client mode is assigned an IP address,
as your normal ethernet card would be.
Did you reboot the AP?
Step 4
Once the Access Point has restarted, you may disconnect it from the
wireless router and connect it to the Ethernet port of your computer or
game console, and reboot the Access Point.
>
> One of the problems with this attempt is that when the 431 is
> ethernetted to the computer, I cannot access it with its webpage address
> (which I changed to http://192.168.1.251 because I have another
> device/AP in the LAN with the 431's default page http://192.168.1.250)
>
> For a little background; this network is Airlink AR325W router, D-Link
> DES-1105 5-port switch, Airlink AP421W access point (as an access
> point), with the router and the a/p using WPA security.
>
> The only way I can see the 431 to tinker with changing anything is to
> take down the ethernet to the computer and put the 431 (back) on the
> switch. Then tinker and then take it back down again to 're-ethernet' to
> the computer.
>
> That router requirement is going to be a problem in a few days when I
> travel to the place where I want to try this 'for real' -- because I
> wasn't planning on taking a router with me if I could make this
> experiment 1 work.
>
>
> <OT> Speaking of routers; Fry's has that cute dd-wrt configurable
> wireless G router on sale now for $12. If it was a good deal at $20, it
> must really be a good deal at $12.
>
>
>>>> Exercise 1: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port of a
>>>> computer and access a wireless network. I
>> <for my next experimental stage I'm going to turn off the security for
>> the wireless network's AP and 431>
OK I got it working as an open insecure system. Unfortunately, I
believe that is the condition of the system that I'm going to be trying
it on in a few days.
Now I'm going to work on getting WEP working.
> Did you reboot the AP?
Yes. Because of the (somewhat awkward) way I am doing this, whenever I
change something such as putting the 431 from the computer to the switch
and then back to the computer again, I powerdown the switch and the 431
and the computer, ethernet the 431 to the switch instead of the
computer, powerup the switch then the 431, open the 431 configuration
page with another computer on the network, make the changes, powerdown
the switch and the 431, move the 431's ethernet to the computer instead
of the switch, powerup the switch then the 431 then the computer.
Just to make things a little more complicated, the computer I'm using
with the 431 has wireless which I haven't reconfigred to be disabled on
startup, so whenever it gets powered up again, its integrated wireless
is connected with an IP - so then I disable that to prevent confusion on
my part and on such as a browser's part about which connectivity to use
- local connection (to the 431) instead of the integrated wireless.
> Step 4
> Once the Access Point has restarted, you may disconnect it from the
> wireless router and connect it to the Ethernet port of your computer or
> game console, and reboot the Access Point.
From my perspective, those Airlink instructions are very skimpy for
anything besides a default access point.
Once when I was doing some 431 'configuring' by trying to take a
shortcut and not use the switch, I accidentally accessed the other
airlink a/p (part AP421W) and when I tried to configure it as a access
point client with security, I got the message that WPA security wasn't
available on the AP client mode of that a/p.
I haven't gotten that message from the 431, but maybe it has the same
problem/condition just without the alert.
>> Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
>> LAN) of a router2. I want the router2 to be the heart of a sub-network.
>> The AP (or Bridge) will be communicating wirelessly to the AP (or
>> router1 integrated AP) of the other network, and the computers connected
>> to the router2 wired or wirelessly will be getting their NAT IPs from
>> router2.
> From Manual:-
> WDS (Bridge)
> The WDS mode converts the Access Point to a wireless bridge. It bridges
> the network clients from physically separate LANs into one virtual LAN.
> You will need to use ap431w access points throughout your network. This
> mode will not work if you try to use them with any other brand of access
> point.
I don't 'accept' that statement about WDS not working except between two
431s. I don't understand why that would be (with my limited networking
tech level of understanding) and I don't know what would be so 'unique'
about a wireless signal that would make an airlink AP431W not be able to
talk to an airlink AP421W, for example, or any of a number of other
a/ps, such as an Airlink AR325W; to say nothing of some other brands
which might have the same wireless chipsets and other characteristics.
On 17/05/2010 18:37, Mike Easter wrote:
> Bob wrote:
>> Mike Easter wrote:
>
>>> Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
>>> LAN) of a router2. I want the router2 to be the heart of a sub-network.
>>> The AP (or Bridge) will be communicating wirelessly to the AP (or
>>> router1 integrated AP) of the other network, and the computers connected
>>> to the router2 wired or wirelessly will be getting their NAT IPs from
>>> router2.
>> From Manual:-
>> WDS (Bridge)
>> The WDS mode converts the Access Point to a wireless bridge. It
>> bridges the network clients from physically separate LANs into one
>> virtual LAN. You will need to use ap431w access points throughout your
>> network. This mode will not work if you try to use them with any other
>> brand of access point.
>
> I don't 'accept' that statement about WDS not working except between two
> 431s. I don't understand why that would be (with my limited networking
> tech level of understanding) and I don't know what would be so 'unique'
> about a wireless signal that would make an airlink AP431W not be able to
> talk to an airlink AP421W, for example, or any of a number of other
> a/ps, such as an Airlink AR325W; to say nothing of some other brands
> which might have the same wireless chipsets and other characteristics.
>
>
The problem is that WDS is not a "standard" and is not necessarily
implemented the same way in devices. I can't be bothered to trawl all
the manufacturers but for instance take belkin:-
"Note: The WDS feature is not completely specified in IEEE or WiFi
standards. Therefore interoperability between 802.11 products of
different Vendors is not guaranteed.We can only recommend and advise on
setting up a Wireless Bridge between the Belkin Devices listed on the
following page. Please take care to note the Version of the Hardware as
well as the Model Number as this may change the nature of the devices
compatibility with WDS. The WPA encryption type is not supported over a
Wireless Bridge and in such instances WEP is the compatible encryption
type."
<http://www.belkin.com/uk/old-support/tech/f5d8230/a%20guide%20to%20wireless%20bridging%20(wds).pdf>
On Mon, 17 May 2010 10:32:57 -0700, Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid>
wrote:
>Yes. Because of the (somewhat awkward) way I am doing this, whenever I
>change something such as putting the 431 from the computer to the switch
>and then back to the computer again, I powerdown the switch and the 431
>and the computer, ethernet the 431 to the switch instead of the
>computer, powerup the switch then the 431, open the 431 configuration
>page with another computer on the network, make the changes, powerdown
>the switch and the 431, move the 431's ethernet to the computer instead
>of the switch, powerup the switch then the 431 then the computer.
In the ~23 years that I've been playing with networking, I haven't
bothered to power down any equipment when I make cabling changes.
Perhaps I've been lucky, I don't know.
>Just to make things a little more complicated, the computer I'm using
>with the 431 has wireless which I haven't reconfigred to be disabled on
>startup, so whenever it gets powered up again, its integrated wireless
>is connected with an IP - so then I disable that to prevent confusion on
>my part and on such as a browser's part about which connectivity to use
>- local connection (to the 431) instead of the integrated wireless.
No question, you aren't making this easy for yourself.
I've done (and am doing) everything you're trying to do, but I'm using
multiple Linksys WRT54GL's so my experience probably doesn't apply, at
least from a step by step perspective. Hang in there, you'll get it.
> Exercise 1: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port of a
> computer and access a wireless network.
I was only able to do that open, no security. I could not successfully
configure for WPA or WEP. That is, I could configure for that, but I
could not achieve connectivity.
> Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
> LAN) of a router2.
I was not able to do this at all. I used the WAN port on the router to
ethernet the 431 and a computer to a LAN port. That situation is very
difficult to troubleshoot, because the 431 is 'invisible' in the middle,
so none of the troubleshooting tools I was using did any good.
The troubleshooting only went as far as from the computer to the router,
which was working just fine. That is, the computer had a local
connection to the router and the computer which was wirelessly equipped
could also see the router's wireless. It seemed that the router had an
IP which I assumed came from the 431 which was connect to the other
network's AP, but maybe it didn't.
In any case, the computer couldn't get 'past' the router to see the
internet. Or the 431 which was ethernetted to the router's WAN.
In the configuration of the 431, one option was to configure it as a WDS
or as a WDS with accesspoint. I configured it 'just' as a WDS.
> In the ~23 years that I've been playing with networking, I haven't
> bothered to power down any equipment when I make cabling changes.
> Perhaps I've been lucky, I don't know.
The other day I was trying to find out something in the wikipedia about
keyboard and mouse connections and I learned that there was potential
'danger' to the mobo from the PS/2 hot swap. The risk factor isn't
high, but it isn't zero either.
I have never been sure about hotswapping ethernets. I have made changes
hot, but in this case, the switch I was using to configure the 431 was
the same switch that was connecting for the access point which was
(also) being reconfigured for open vs wep vs wpa. I wanted to be sure
that the switch was 'straight' with the network so that there wasn't one
more source of confusion when I couldn't get connectivity.
So, I figured I might as well powercycle the switch and since it was
being power cycled, the poweroff stage might as well be the part when I
was switching cables.
The other 'normal' AP in the mix, the 421, would sometimes 'act up' when
it would be rebooted by software saving a new configuration, and it
would also then need to be powercycled because its lights would go
whacky and its webpage become unaccessible.
> No question, you aren't making this easy for yourself.
At each step, I thought I was 'just about thru' so I didn't bother
killing the integrated wireless on the test laptop.
> I've done (and am doing) everything you're trying to do, but I'm using
> multiple Linksys WRT54GL's so my experience probably doesn't apply, at
> least from a step by step perspective. Hang in there, you'll get it.
Actually I would like to hear about what you've done with the linksys,
because I'm getting ready to dd-wrt (or some other firmware mod) the
little Fry's router. Maybe it could have more capability than what I'm
trying with this airlink multifunction + trendnet router. I'm not
actually so very happy with all I've accomplished so far.
I could use the 431 as a remote AP in the particular situation I'll be
in the next week or so because I believe that wireless is just open, but
I was hoping to be able to make a subnet off that AP as a bridge.
On Mon, 17 May 2010 12:53:29 -0700, Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid>
wrote:
>Mike Easter wrote:
>
>> Exercise 1: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port of a
>> computer and access a wireless network.
>
>I was only able to do that open, no security. I could not successfully
>configure for WPA or WEP. That is, I could configure for that, but I
>could not achieve connectivity.
I've done that with an open connection and a WEP-encrypted connection.
I haven't tried anything more secure than that.
>> Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
>> LAN) of a router2.
I'd probably have to go back to your OP to see what you're trying to
accomplish here. This brief description doesn't make any sense to me.
>I was not able to do this at all. I used the WAN port on the router to
>ethernet the 431 and a computer to a LAN port. That situation is very
>difficult to troubleshoot, because the 431 is 'invisible' in the middle,
>so none of the troubleshooting tools I was using did any good.
I wasn't able to follow what you're trying to do here.
>The troubleshooting only went as far as from the computer to the router,
>which was working just fine. That is, the computer had a local
>connection to the router and the computer which was wirelessly equipped
>could also see the router's wireless. It seemed that the router had an
>IP which I assumed came from the 431 which was connect to the other
>network's AP, but maybe it didn't.
There should be only one DHCP server per subnet, (if you use DHCP at
all), thereby not only eliminating IP conflicts but also eliminating
all doubt as to where IP address assignments are coming from.
>In any case, the computer couldn't get 'past' the router to see the
>internet. Or the 431 which was ethernetted to the router's WAN.
I thought the 431 was the AP, but since it's cabled to the router's
WAN port it's obviously not configured as an AP. I'm easily confused.
>In the configuration of the 431, one option was to configure it as a WDS
>or as a WDS with accesspoint. I configured it 'just' as a WDS.
I very briefly played with WDS quite awhile back but was not impressed
with its performance at all. I'm sure there are situations where it's
well suited, but it wasn't what I needed.
On Mon, 17 May 2010 13:56:19 -0700, Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid>
wrote:
>Char Jackson wrote:
>
>> In the ~23 years that I've been playing with networking, I haven't
>> bothered to power down any equipment when I make cabling changes.
>> Perhaps I've been lucky, I don't know.
>
>The other day I was trying to find out something in the wikipedia about
>keyboard and mouse connections and I learned that there was potential
>'danger' to the mobo from the PS/2 hot swap. The risk factor isn't
>high, but it isn't zero either.
>
>I have never been sure about hotswapping ethernets. I have made changes
>hot, but in this case, the switch I was using to configure the 431 was
>the same switch that was connecting for the access point which was
>(also) being reconfigured for open vs wep vs wpa. I wanted to be sure
>that the switch was 'straight' with the network so that there wasn't one
>more source of confusion when I couldn't get connectivity.
My switches get rebooted whenever we lose power here, which I believe
has happened 2 or 3 times since 2001. When I shuffle cables on a
switch, it seems to recover within a second or two.
>So, I figured I might as well powercycle the switch and since it was
>being power cycled, the poweroff stage might as well be the part when I
>was switching cables.
>
>The other 'normal' AP in the mix, the 421, would sometimes 'act up' when
>it would be rebooted by software saving a new configuration, and it
>would also then need to be powercycled because its lights would go
>whacky and its webpage become unaccessible.
>
>> No question, you aren't making this easy for yourself.
>
>At each step, I thought I was 'just about thru' so I didn't bother
>killing the integrated wireless on the test laptop.
>
>> I've done (and am doing) everything you're trying to do, but I'm using
>> multiple Linksys WRT54GL's so my experience probably doesn't apply, at
>> least from a step by step perspective. Hang in there, you'll get it.
>
>Actually I would like to hear about what you've done with the linksys,
>because I'm getting ready to dd-wrt (or some other firmware mod) the
>little Fry's router. Maybe it could have more capability than what I'm
>trying with this airlink multifunction + trendnet router. I'm not
>actually so very happy with all I've accomplished so far.
I'm currently using several Linksys WRT54GL's + dd-wrt as an access
point (open, WEP, WPA, and WPA2), as a wireless client (open, WEP),
and as a wireless client bridge (open, WEP). The wireless client
bridge didn't work until I upgraded to a newer beta version of the
firmware.
>I could use the 431 as a remote AP in the particular situation I'll be
>in the next week or so because I believe that wireless is just open, but
>I was hoping to be able to make a subnet off that AP as a bridge.
I'm not able to parse your last line above. An AP is already a bridge,
and it will be a member of whichever subnet it's attached to, so if
you want the AP to be on a new subnet you'd create that new subnet on
the device to which the AP is attached, right?
>>> Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
>>> LAN) of a router2.
>
> I'd probably have to go back to your OP to see what you're trying to
> accomplish here. This brief description doesn't make any sense to me.
Here's the rest
Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
LAN) of a router2. I want the router2 to be the heart of a sub-network.
The AP (or Bridge) will be communicating wirelessly to the AP (or
router1 integrated AP) of the other network, and the computers connected
to the router2 wired or wirelessly will be getting their NAT IPs from
router2.
>> I was not able to do this at all. I used the WAN port on the router to
>> ethernet the 431 and a computer to a LAN port. That situation is very
>> difficult to troubleshoot, because the 431 is 'invisible' in the middle,
>> so none of the troubleshooting tools I was using did any good.
>
> I wasn't able to follow what you're trying to do here.
What I'm calling using the 431 as a 'bridge' is that the network which
is NATed from the airlink router1 is connected AP to AP - wirelessly -
so that the other router2 is able to NAT for the computers connected to
it wired and wirelessly. In this case, the router2 is a Trendnet.
> There should be only one DHCP server per subnet, (if you use DHCP at
> all), thereby not only eliminating IP conflicts but also eliminating
> all doubt as to where IP address assignments are coming from.
I'll pay closer attention to the DHCP configuration. I assumed that I
would be using the trendnet router2's dhcp for the subnetwork.
> I thought the 431 was the AP, but since it's cabled to the router's
> WAN port it's obviously not configured as an AP. I'm easily confused.
The airlink docs were very scanty about how to configure the 431 as a
bridge.
The reason I thought I should connect it to the trendnet router2's WAN
is because that is where the trendnet and its 'family' would be getting
their connectivity from.
But I think I recall that the airlink people said I should connect it to
the LAN of a router, but that didn't make any sense to me in my
configuration. Then the router2's WAN port would be empty. Is that the
way it is supposed to be when there is a subnet situation?
>> I could use the 431 as a remote AP in the particular situation I'll be
>> in the next week or so because I believe that wireless is just open, but
>> I was hoping to be able to make a subnet off that AP as a bridge.
>
> I'm not able to parse your last line above. An AP is already a bridge,
> and it will be a member of whichever subnet it's attached to, so if
> you want the AP to be on a new subnet you'd create that new subnet on
> the device to which the AP is attached, right?
>
Here's what I mean when I say AP in the 'primary' sense of both of these
multifunction devices 421 (functioning for me as a AP proper) and 431 -
functioning as a AP client in experiment 1 and as a bridge in experiment 2.
To me, an AP proper is serving as a way - a radio-antenna access point -
for devices like wireless nics to connect to. To me, that proper AP is
just like the - or another - antenna/radio on a wireless router. The
wireless nics which connect to the network via the AP or the router's
antenna are just trying to get connected to the router - the router that
the AP proper is ethernetted to.
Then, in these other functions, the AP client is instead acting like a
radio/antenna extension of a ethernet nic, and/but the AP bridge
function is not exactly like either.
The AP bridge is trying to act like a radio/antenna to connect
wirelessly with a 'wireless' IP which is connected to the wired
WAN/internet of LAN network1. Its 'backend' - the ethernet part is
connected to the LAN of network2 via a connection to router2.
The reason I'm expressing myself in so many words is because it isn't
working for me. Maybe I'm trying to get this hardware to do something
it can't do.
On Mon, 17 May 2010 15:38:42 -0700, Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid>
wrote:
>Char Jackson wrote:
>> Mike Easter
>
>>>> Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
>>>> LAN) of a router2.
>>
>> I'd probably have to go back to your OP to see what you're trying to
>> accomplish here. This brief description doesn't make any sense to me.
>
>Here's the rest
>
>Exercise 2: I want to attach the device via the ethernet port (WAN or
>LAN) of a router2. I want the router2 to be the heart of a sub-network.
> The AP (or Bridge) will be communicating wirelessly to the AP (or
>router1 integrated AP) of the other network, and the computers connected
>to the router2 wired or wirelessly will be getting their NAT IPs from
>router2.
One way to accomplish that is to configure the 431 as a "wireless
client bridge", in dd-wrt terms. The 431 will connect wirelessly to
the existing router1/AP. Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the
431's LAN ports to Router2's WAN port. Connecting the 431 to a LAN
port on Router2 would simply extend the existing subnet rather than
creating a new subnet. The new subnet will be isolated from the
existing subnet, which seems to be what you want. The WAN port on the
431 will be unused.
Using a device with dd-wrt, I believe you can use a single network
device to accomplish the role of the 431 and router2. Wireless Client
mode should do it, or Wireless Client Bridge mode if you need to keep
router2 in the mix.
>>> I was not able to do this at all. I used the WAN port on the router to
>>> ethernet the 431 and a computer to a LAN port. That situation is very
>>> difficult to troubleshoot, because the 431 is 'invisible' in the middle,
>>> so none of the troubleshooting tools I was using did any good.
>>
>> I wasn't able to follow what you're trying to do here.
>
>What I'm calling using the 431 as a 'bridge' is that the network which
>is NATed from the airlink router1 is connected AP to AP - wirelessly -
>so that the other router2 is able to NAT for the computers connected to
>it wired and wirelessly. In this case, the router2 is a Trendnet.
>
>> There should be only one DHCP server per subnet, (if you use DHCP at
>> all), thereby not only eliminating IP conflicts but also eliminating
>> all doubt as to where IP address assignments are coming from.
>
>I'll pay closer attention to the DHCP configuration. I assumed that I
>would be using the trendnet router2's dhcp for the subnetwork.
>
>> I thought the 431 was the AP, but since it's cabled to the router's
>> WAN port it's obviously not configured as an AP. I'm easily confused.
>
>The airlink docs were very scanty about how to configure the 431 as a
>bridge.
>
>The reason I thought I should connect it to the trendnet router2's WAN
>is because that is where the trendnet and its 'family' would be getting
>their connectivity from.
>
>But I think I recall that the airlink people said I should connect it to
>the LAN of a router, but that didn't make any sense to me in my
>configuration. Then the router2's WAN port would be empty. Is that the
>way it is supposed to be when there is a subnet situation?
If you're simply extending an existing subnet, then you'd connect to a
LAN port on router2 and leave the WAN port unused, but if you're
trying to create a new subnet under router2 you'd use its WAN port.
There's a lot more information on this topic in the Wireless Wiki, to
which a link is posted in this group pretty often. I just don't happen
to have it handy at the moment, unfortunately.
On Mon, 17 May 2010 15:52:01 -0700, Mike Easter <MikeE@ster.invalid>
wrote:
<snip>
>The reason I'm expressing myself in so many words is because it isn't
>working for me. Maybe I'm trying to get this hardware to do something
>it can't do.
I think I understand a little better now. It doesn't seem like you
want anything unusual, but I don't know anything about your specific
hardware or its capabilities.
> One way to accomplish that is to configure the 431 as a "wireless
> client bridge", in dd-wrt terms. The 431 will connect wirelessly to
> the existing router1/AP. Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the
> 431's LAN ports to Router2's WAN port.
> Using a device with dd-wrt, I believe you can use a single network
> device to accomplish the role of the 431 and router2. Wireless Client
> mode should do it, or Wireless Client Bridge mode if you need to keep
> router2 in the mix.
>
> If you're simply extending an existing subnet, then you'd connect to a
> LAN port on router2 and leave the WAN port unused, but if you're
> trying to create a new subnet under router2 you'd use its WAN port.
>
> There's a lot more information on this topic in the Wireless Wiki, to
> which a link is posted in this group pretty often. I just don't happen
> to have it handy at the moment, unfortunately.
Thanks.
John Navas and Jeff Liebermann
http://wireless.navas.us/wiki/Contents Navas Wireless Wiki is a
practical, comprehensive, and objective resource for wireless
communications, particularly wireless access to the Internet, and
related wireless technologies (e.g., cellular). Founded by John Navas
and Jeff Liebermann.
My target situation after the experimentation is most like WiFi on a
boat and lan on a boat in the wiki -- except the big problem with the
comparison of the wiki and reality is that the wiki assumes a level of
competence and consistency at the 'shore-based DHCP server' which in my
actual situation needs much better oversight and tech competence than
exists at the site on my trip. And that part is out of my control.
I won't know how good or bad it is until I get there.
The layers of access are: professionally managed and installed fiber to
the edge of the project, out of sight; non-tech-savvy amateurish
distribution of wireless toward something similar to metal boats or
manufactured homes; (I think) the back end/deck of the boat-like metal
enclosure is within easy line of sight of a wireless router or antenna
or something.
I want to have a wired/wireless lan inside that metal enclosure while
I'm there.
Mike Easter wrote:
> Char Jackson wrote:
>> Mike Easter
>
>>>>>> Exercise 2:
>
>> One way to accomplish that is to configure the 431 as a "wireless
>> client bridge", in dd-wrt terms. The 431 will connect wirelessly to
>> the existing router1/AP. Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the
>> 431's LAN ports to Router2's WAN port.
>
> My target situation after the experimentation is most like WiFi on a
> boat and lan on a boat in the wiki -
> I want to have a wired/wireless lan inside that metal enclosure while
> I'm there.
>
I got this exercise 2 working just fine now by configuring the 431 as a
AP client ethernetted to the WAN port of the router and not configured
as a WDS bridge in the 431 config section, that bridge config didn't work.
I'm glad that it works that way - as AP client, because that will allow
me to do exercise 1 and exercise 2 at the target facility without having
to reconfigure the 431.
What I want to do is assess the signal 'here and there' at the facility
and also with and without 2 mods to the 431.
In exercise 1, I'll evaluate the signal off the back deck of the
'houseboat' metal enclosure compared to that signal internal to the
houseboat. Then I'll evaluate the back deck signal with the first 431
mod which is a tall 14" rubber ducky boost for the 431 - replacing the
normal little omni antenna with the big tall omni one.
Then I also have a freeantennas reflector mod which is an enlarged
version of their ez-12 parabolic for the 14" ducky. The reflector isn't
14" tall, but it is about 7" high and the curved part was about 10"
before it curved. It fits 'nicely in the middle section of the 14" ducky.
I'll see if there is useful improvement to the signal strength with
those mods by connecting the AP client directly up to a laptop. That
will also allow me to aim the reflector if there is benefit in that mod.
Then I'll 'convert' the AP client into the 'receiver' for the router
inside the houseboat.
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