Can I hook a computer router to another computer router?

[Scott Shepherd]

I just upgraded our router and switch at work to a Gigabit router and switch and I have the extra stuff left over.

I need to install one more computer on the line and right now, everything is full, with all the computers, network drives, and network printers.

My question is, can I take that wireless router I was using, put it next to the computer I'm trying to get access to the network to, and just connect that old router to the new router, wirelessly? Then just plug the new location into the old router and we're all set? If so, anything special I need to know?

The old router is running DD-WRT (which I loved).

[Steve Baumgartner]

You want to set up the old router as a repeater/range extender. Check the DD-WRT docs to see if that is supported for your specific hardware.

[paul cottingham]

Yes, but you may have to manually add a route to the inner router. Or maybe not. It really depends on the router.

[Robert LaPlaca]

I have never personally used dd-wrt, but the answer is yes, the second access point becomes a wireless repeater/bridge.. http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

I assume you want to hook up wired to the second (old access point), correct?

Most Access point software allows you to turn off the wireless capability, you could do this on the old access point and turn off DHCP, and basically just turn it into a switch. Plug the old switch via a patch cable into the new switch and you now have additional wired ports.. The only issue with this scenario, is you need to free a wireless port on the the new access point..

[Scott Shepherd]

Thanks guys, I gave it a shot for about 45 minutes and seems like I set it all up right on the old router, based on the link above for setting up the dd-wrt based router (it was a linksys that had connection problems and dd-wrt completely eliminated all of them), and I've been into the new router (another linksys with their factory stuff on it), and I'm not seeing any signs of the old router in the devices list and a computer hooked into the back of the old router doesn't allow access to the internet, so something isn't working yet.

I have DHCP off, it's setup as a bridge, the ip has changed to 192.1.1.2 (I think that's right, I'm recalling this from memory, as I left work). The wireless channels are both set to Auto.

I didn't see anywhere, at any time, where the old router was asking for the password to enter the wireless network of the new router. I suspect that's the issue, but I can't locate where that might be yet. I'll try again tomorrow.

Thanks for the help so far.

[Jerome Stanek]

you could hard wire it to your router and set in bridge mode then plug the other stuff into it. I do this in my shop

[Curt Harms]

I have never personally used dd-wrt, but the answer is yes, the second access point becomes a wireless repeater/bridge.. http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

I assume you want to hook up wired to the second (old access point), correct?

Most Access point software allows you to turn off the wireless capability, you could do this on the old access point and turn off DHCP, and basically just turn it into a switch. Plug the old switch via a patch cable into the new switch and you now have additional wired ports.. The only issue with this scenario, is you need to free a wireless port on the the new access point..

Turn off DHCP and change the default I.P. address. Can't have two houses with the same address, the post office gets confused and won't deliver the 'mail'. I did this because we have Verizon FiOS and using Verizon's router simplifies things but it's sorta limited. I bought a used Netgear with a USB port. I plug a flash drive into the USB port and can move and store files without enabling file and print sharing which has been exploited in the past. The WiFi on the Netgear also seems better.

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on this.

As a bridge, it's just rebroadcasting after serial communications.
No collisions, in that topology.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-...reless-bridge/

[paul cottingham]

Turn off DHCP and change the default I.P. address. Can't have two houses with the same address, the post office gets confused and won't deliver the 'mail'. I did this because we have Verizon FiOS and using Verizon's router simplifies things but it's sorta limited. I bought a used Netgear with a USB port. I plug a flash drive into the USB port and can move and store files without enabling file and print sharing which has been exploited in the past. The WiFi on the Netgear also seems better.

You can have each router on separate subnets. Like I said earlier you may have to manually set a route on the internal router. Thats how I would rig that.

[Leigh Betsch]

You need a router lift. JessEm makes a nice one.

[Curt Harms]

You can have each router on separate subnets. Like I said earlier you may have to manually set a route on the internal router. Thats how I would rig that.

I tried that once. Everything worked except printing between them. I didn't spend much time on it, the issue may have been easily resolved if I'd known where to look. There was an article by Steve Gibson recommending two subnets. One with somewhat relaxed security, the other tighter.

[Scott Shepherd]

Not having much luck with the wireless setup. I've followed all the steps but it's still something not complete. I loved DD-WRT, and to add this new Linksys router and have to go back to their limited settings and options isn't much fun. They give you so little control over things. It's very much setup for dummies, which you'd think I'd be good at, but not so much.

I don't have any open ports to hard wire it, but I do have another computer in the general area. I think I'll make that a feed to it, then just feed that computer and the new connection from that old router I'm moving.

Thanks for the help, wish I could get it to work wirelessly, but I've burned more time on it than I should, so I'll try and plug it in directly until I can revisit it when I have a little more time.

The old router running DD-WRT is asking for the WEP key, but I can't locate that anywhere on the new router. I assumed it was the wireless password for the new router, but when I put that in, that doesn't work. And there's no where in the new router that says anything about the WEP key that I can find.