I'll Try Again

I have a netgear adsl router with internal modem according to my son. I have dsl coming into it for a desktop running xp. I bought a wrt54g to run a sony vaio fz140E. On install the disk crashed and my son did a manual setup and what he called bridging. The router works. But, he thinks I bought he wrong router, since I have a dsl router not modem hooked to the pc. The problem is it fails to connect a lot upon being turned on. Once connected it seems to hold the connection. So far. Sometimes have to power off/on the wrt54g to reconnect. Other times I can do it my just hitting the reconnect icon. We're using the DHCP? not static if that matters. Or did I get the wrong router.


Thanks, Ken

 

We need a bit more info. First, EXACTLY how is this stuff wired up. Tell us ALL of it. From the dsl coming out of the wall where does it go? I assume the netgear device. What model is the Netgear device? From there where do the wires go? Again, be specific. Include the wiring for the desktop PC.

Just off the top of my head, I think your son may be correct. It sounds, to me like you have two routers. I think MAYBE what you were trying to do was provide wireless access for the Sony FZ because the original Netgear device was wired only. Am I right?

If so, again the boy knows where of he speaks. <grin> If that is the scenario what you REALLY needed was a wireless ACCESS POINT. It has no router in it at all. All it has is the transmitter/receiver circuit and nothing else. It would provide a wireless connection from the FZ to the existing netgear router. The netgear router would provide the DHCP server and routing of the dsl signal to the various machines. First to the desktop which I assume is on a wired connection to the Netgear device and to the FZ connected in a wireless fashion via an access point.

Gary

 

What's the model number of the netgear device?
How is the wrt54g router physically connected in your network?
What's the version of the wrt54g router? You can use its serial number and this chart to find out.
Do you experience the same wireless connection problems when the notebook is within a few feet from the wrt54g router?

 

Thanks for both your responses. The Netgear is a DG834 and it and the PC are wired. My son did speak of wanting to use a WAC, but I bought the WRT54G anyway upon reviews and my ISP recommending it. I'll readdress that with him. FYI, he is 36 and a software engineer. He did get it working as decribed in my first post by bridging. I have been doing research on the lynksys forums, and will try some of their ideas. They are based on it being lynksys and connected to a dsl router/modem. Steps are to get latest firmware if not already done and changing IP address to 198.162.2.1, I think. This has it operate in PPPoE for dsl not DHCP. I'll go over all this with him. But, let him know from your comments, that his WAC idea may have been right. It sounds like that is the correct and simple way to go.

Thanks Again

 

Sorry, WAP not WAC.

 

Do yourself a BIG favor. Take the linksys unit back and exchange it for a Wireless Access Point. The last thing you want to be doing in the future is trying to figure out which of the two routers is causing some headache. Let's say for example you need to set up a VPN connection. You might have to figure out how to do so on BOTH routers. And might not ever get it to work. These types of routers are not really designed to be run in series like you are trying. That's why your son had to resort to bridging the two.

Think of the Wireless Access point as being a simple replacement for a piece of cable. That's all it really is. It has no intelligence of it's own. It is simply a conduit between a wired network and wireless device(s). (Notice I used the plural. My home and office networks both use wired routers similar in function to the netgear one you have and a Wireless Access Point. I am able to use multiple wireless machines simultaneously with this configuration.)

In short ditch the second router get a WAP. It is simpler and simpler is BETTER in this case.

Gary

 

I agree, I would try to simplify that hardware setup.

 

Yeah, by putting it in bridge mode, he has effectively turned it into a WAP anyway. So, why have the second router at all. That is just BEGGING for headaches in the future.

Gary

 

You would get more people to help you if you actually put the relevant problem in the title.

 

That, and remember that this is a Sony laptop subforum, not a networking forum.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I will be getting the WAP.

Ken