Any Network Wizards Around?

[Dave Richards]

Here's the scoop. 3 computers, a wireless DSL modem and a wireless router. One of the PCs is at one end of the house. It has Win98SE and an ethernet connection to the DSL modem which is in the same room. The other two machines, the iMac and a WinXP machine are at the opposite end of the house and in the basement. Both have wireless capability. Utility room is between the modem and the two wireless computers. Signal strength from the modem is reported by the iMac and XP machine as low or very low most of the time. Sometimes there's not enough signal strength for those machines to see the modem.

I have a wireless router (802.11G) currently collecting dust and I thought I might be able to place it either in between the DSL modem and the two wireless machines or plug it in to the Win98 Ethernet connection and move the modem to a point nearer the wireless computers. Doing the first would be easier because of the location of telephone jacks.

I don't know which way to set it up and I'm not sure how to make the router and modem communicate. They currently have the same IP address and subnet mask for the wireless side. I would probably change the router's IP address but beyond that I'm stuck.

Any advice? Thanks.

p.s. I'm off to Albert Lea to work on anesthesia machines in a few minutes so I'll check in this evening.

D

[Jim Becker]

You can use the additional wireless router (your "Wireless DSL Modem" is really a router with an integral wireless access point) as long as you a) connect it to the existing wireless router via an Ethernet cable, using a LAN port, rather than the WAN port and turn off DHCP, etc. on the second device. In effect, you are using it just as an additional wireless access point.

I have more or less this same setup in my home, with my wireless router/AP behind a Juniper 5GT router/firewall.

BTW, you need to think about doing something about that Win98SE box since it's essentially unsupported for security patches, etc., any more.

[Art Mulder]

Here's the scoop. 3 computers, ...

No, no, listen to Jim. You have two computers. And a doorstop.

I've never heard of a "wireless DSL modem". Does that combine the DSL modem together with a router/firewall ?? Brand?

But Jim is right. You need to wire the two routers together, assuming you have more ports on your main router. Here at work we have Cisco gear, with lots of Wireless access points, and they all advertise the same network, same security, etc. I've never done so with a home consume router, but I presume that you would do the same thing somehow.

But regardless, once you realize that you have a doorstop, your problem becomes much simpler...

[skip coyne]

I've never heard of a "wireless DSL modem". Does that combine the DSL modem together with a router/firewall ?? Brand?

verizon and sprint both supply them around here with new DSL service .

its a dsl modem , with a router wireless and a 4 or 8 port switch built in .(ive seen both)

I dont recall the brand but a google search should help you out there .

or a call to your ISP

[Ian Abraham]

Here is a picture of how to wire it that might help.

The wireless router connects to the existing cable / radio / adsl modem and then routes the data to the wired and wireless PCs. As for configuration, set the wireless router to obtain it's address automatically from the modem, and then set it's internal network range to a different subnet and enable dhcp for that range. Now you can connect either wired or wireless machines to the internal side.

Dont forget to turn on some level of encryption for the wireless, unless you want to give your neighbours / passerbys free internet access

Cheers

Ian

[Greg Narozniak]

Many of the wireless routers use the same type of antenna connection. You maybe able to just add a High Gain antenna to the router and boast the signal that way. I added a 7dbi gain antenna to my router after messing with a wireless signal repeater that would not configure and is now set to meet with a BFH as soon as I find the time .

All the computer stores carry them. Might be worth a try.

[Matt Guyrd]

Edit: Looks like other's posted prior to mine...hope there is no redundant info.

Here's my take...although likely similar to the previous posts. This also assumes you have a basic knowledge of IP addressing.

I am going to guess that your wireless router is much more user configurable than the DSL modem. Not knowing brand/model info, I will try to be general in description.

If possible, disable the wireless component of the DSL Modem. Using a Cat-5/6 cable, connect your wireless router (uplink port if labelled) to the DSL modem. You can also connect your Win98 box to the router with a cable if you decide not to use it for a boat anchor.

Your router will essentially become a firewall using network address translation (NAT). Basically, the router has two interfaces, a public interface (DSL Modem side) and a private interface (all your computers and peripherals that connect to the router). This means, via your DSL modem, the router will be assigned a public IP address from your ISP. All of your computers will use private IP addresses, typically in the 192.169.1.x subnet. By default, your router is probably using 192.169.1.1.

I would change the router's default IP address. I would change the router's default password used to logon to the configuration interface. I would changed the default SSID (a security identification number). I would disable DHCP if your router has this component. Manually assign your computers IP addresses and default gateway. If you are not familiar with IP addressing, then you might keep DHCP enabled, but restrict the number of available IP addresses to the number of computers...in your case, three.

Remember the SSID too...you might need to configure each computer's wireless network cards to use the same SSID.

All of this "might" be moot if you still do not have a good signal from the router to the XP and Mac boxes on the other side of the house.

Much of this configuration info is likely to be available in a manual for your router (you might be able to download it from themanufacturer's website if you do not have it).

Hope that helps and isn't too technical.

Matt

[Dave Richards]

Thanks all for the help. I'll see if I can digest it all and apply it.

I have a DSL modem like this:


I can't really run CAT5 between modem and router so I'm hoping to make the router act as a repeater of sorts between the modem and computers. I know the Win98 machine needs to go away but my wife won't let go of it.

The easiest way to put this together considering where machines and jacks are is to leave the modem near the Win98 machine with the ethernet connection hooked up. That's all set up and works fine now.

Then I would put the wireless router someplace about midway between the modem and the other two computers and they would connect over the wireless.

The other thing that makes this a little bit interesting is that the printer/scanner is hooked up to Win98 machine and is shared with the other computers. I know I should change that but the printer/scanner is from before USB or other printers and has a parallel cable. It works just fine for all that we ask of it and so I don't want to replace it until I have to.

I'll see if I can make heads or tails of this business and get it set up.

Thanks again.

[Rennie Heuer]

Lyncsys (sp) makes a wireless repeater that will pick up your router's signal and rebroadcast it - only requires a 110 outlet. Less than $100. Available at OD, OM, Staples, CompUSA, etc.

[Matt Guyrd]

Dave...if you put your router next the DSL modem is the signal from your XP/Mac any better? I'm just wondering if your router puts out a stronger signal. If so, you may be able to connect it to the modem with the cat-5.

Good luck.

Matt

[Jim Becker]

its a dsl modem , with a router wireless and a 4 or 8 port switch built in

Actually, it's a router/AP with a DSL modem (or Cable Modem) built in...but in the end, it doesn't matter... LOL! There are several brands that offer this feature. The only downside is if you happen to switch from DSL to Cable (or fiber as in Verizon's FIOS) that WAN port is useless.

[skip coyne]

Actually, it's a router/AP with a DSL modem (or Cable Modem) built in...but in the end, it doesn't matter... LOL! There are several brands that offer this feature. The only downside is if you happen to switch from DSL to Cable (or fiber as in Verizon's FIOS) that WAN port is useless.

depends on which end you start at

[Jim Becker]

depends on which end you start at

Well...I was suggesting what you'd most likely find on the box label.

[Christopher Stahl]

Art, I'll go one step farther... He's got one computer and two doorstops.

Well, as long as the iMac is running OSX.

I kid, I kid....