I need some advice for a network problem I'm haveing at work. We have qwest DSL as our provider. the modem/router is a 4 port switch located up front in the office serving 3 computers up front with internet and print sharing and 1 last plug going out to the shop to a pc there.

our information system finally went from DVD to online web based so we now want to expand our network so we can add a few more pc's in the shop but our switch is full. I brought in my old wireless G router/4port switch. (some guys wanted wireless access with there lab tops) so I took the cat cable from the shop pc(coming from the modem/router up front) and had to plug it into the WAN port of the second router in the shop to be able get internet access to work.

We installed a wireless adapter in the shop pc (because it's on a cart and mobile) and I added a wired pc at my workstation. Internet works fine with no problems wired and wireless up front and back in the shop but now I want to share the printer up front with my pc at my workstation in back.

Long story short, the the computers up front cannot see the computers in back that are connect to the second router and vise versa. I assume this is because in theory we have 2 seperate networks. the ip address of the dsl router is 192.168.0.1 the ip address of the second router (gateway router in back/shop) ) is 192.168.1.1 I do not have enough experience networking to figure out how to bridge these 2 networks so I can share a printer that is on the 192.168.0 network with a computer on the 192.168.1 network. I have also noticed that the dsl router has assigned the gateway router an ip address of 192.168.0.68

Any advice/recomendations would be appreciated.
Corey

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MSS HP EX-475 2TB Storage
PC 1 Win 7 & Ubuntu Ultimate 10.10 and Linux Fusion tri-boot
PC 2 Win 7 & Fedora 14 Dual Boot
PC 3 Win 7 & Linux Mint LXDE
2 x86_64 Notebooks Win 7 & Linux Mint 10

You only want one name-server in any network. Turn off DHCP in the second router and connect it to the first as though it was connecting to another computer (i.e., do NOT use the "WAN" or "Internet" port).

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....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

Or you could just go buy a 4, 5, 8, 16, or 24 port switch (depending on how many wired ports you ultimately want), and a stand alone wireless access point for the wireless. Then everyone, no matter whether they are wired or wireless will be able to see the printer and all of the other computers.

Well, I figured that much out and did so and re-booted everything and all the ip addresses are now on the 192.168.0 prefix but now I can't seem to call the second router using it 192.168.1.1 address, the first router has assigned the second an ip of 192.168.0.68 and I try calling that address and it times out for some reason. (would this be normal?) Also I still could not find the shared printer yet. I gave up on it friday evening hopeing something will come to mind over the weekend. The internet access does seem to work. I was also wondering if I would be able to turn on the wireless radio on the first router and link it (or bridge it) with the second router. I read somewhere that if the network was congested the router(s) may be capable of using both the wired and wireless to send data. Don't know if there is any truth to that but at minimal I beleive that it would expand our wireless network?

Thanks for the reply John
Corey

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MSS HP EX-475 2TB Storage
PC 1 Win 7 & Ubuntu Ultimate 10.10 and Linux Fusion tri-boot
PC 2 Win 7 & Fedora 14 Dual Boot
PC 3 Win 7 & Linux Mint LXDE
2 x86_64 Notebooks Win 7 & Linux Mint 10

Personally that would of been the best way to go about it but I'm trying to utilize equipment that I had that was'nt being used.
Thanks for your input.
Corey

_________________
MSS HP EX-475 2TB Storage
PC 1 Win 7 & Ubuntu Ultimate 10.10 and Linux Fusion tri-boot
PC 2 Win 7 & Fedora 14 Dual Boot
PC 3 Win 7 & Linux Mint LXDE
2 x86_64 Notebooks Win 7 & Linux Mint 10

I assume you just shut off the dchp of the second router, correct? Routers don't give addresses to other routers, just change the local address of the second router to the same net as the first (192.168.0.??) ?? = does not conflict with the range of IP's given out by DCHP.

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HP EX470, 4 GIG, 4200+ EE SFF, WHS V1, Production
HP EX485, 4 GIG, E5800, WHS 2011, Stablebit Drive Pool, Transfer Server, Backup Server
HP EX490, 4 GIG, Q9400S, WHS 2011, Stablebit Drive Pool, Mediaserver
HP EX485, 4 GIG, Q8200S, WHS 2011, ITUNES Server

I will give that a try. thanks!

_________________
MSS HP EX-475 2TB Storage
PC 1 Win 7 & Ubuntu Ultimate 10.10 and Linux Fusion tri-boot
PC 2 Win 7 & Fedora 14 Dual Boot
PC 3 Win 7 & Linux Mint LXDE
2 x86_64 Notebooks Win 7 & Linux Mint 10

Ok, finally got around to messing with this and it worked great. Now I have a second question reguarding this setup. I would like to try to link the 2 wireless connections on these 2 routers, I know I need to have the SSID's the same but I am concerned about how to assign preshared Keys. Do both routers need to share the same WPA-PSk keys?

The DSL Router has a built in PSK to use for it's wireless net that is displayed on the ID tag, do I have to use that same key on the Gateway router to link the 2?

_________________
MSS HP EX-475 2TB Storage
PC 1 Win 7 & Ubuntu Ultimate 10.10 and Linux Fusion tri-boot
PC 2 Win 7 & Fedora 14 Dual Boot
PC 3 Win 7 & Linux Mint LXDE
2 x86_64 Notebooks Win 7 & Linux Mint 10

I don't know much about wireless connections but I have found if you have two wireless access points you should name them differently(SSID) otherwise you have no idea what your connected to. As far as linking to two together, they already are via hardwire, remember you are giving out dchp addresses from one to machines attach directly to the other. I would just use the same keyword on the two different access points so you don't have to remember different keys. It is possible to link the two together wirelessly, I have 2 linksys Wrt54's linked together but they are running specialized software.

_________________
HP EX470, 4 GIG, 4200+ EE SFF, WHS V1, Production
HP EX485, 4 GIG, E5800, WHS 2011, Stablebit Drive Pool, Transfer Server, Backup Server
HP EX490, 4 GIG, Q9400S, WHS 2011, Stablebit Drive Pool, Mediaserver
HP EX485, 4 GIG, Q8200S, WHS 2011, ITUNES Server

For this type of a configuration using different SSIDs is the way to go. I also recommend different frequencies (bands). Set the encryption keys (or passphrases) to be the same to make it easy on yourself. I also use the same userids and passwords for admin access.

If there were NO area of overlap in coverage I might feel differently about the SSIDs being different. But even in this case I'd use different frequencies.

_________________
....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

You are correct, I just tried that and that was the exact case the only way I new which router I was connected to was because the signal was stronger connecting to one router vs the other and the placement of the 2. Reason I was trying to connect both wirelessly was just to see if I could. I read in a book you could do so although it had no instructions on how to and I was trying to experiment. After further research I learned that you have to configure routers in WDS mode to do so and I have no idea how to do that yet and if it is even possible with my routers.

I have 2 network issues I'm currently working on, one at home, and one at work. the problem stated in this post above is my "at work problem" and for the most part I'm happy with the outcome that I have come to due to the info supplied in this post.

My "at home problem" is being covered in another post that I responded to while searching for wireless solutions. It can be found here if your interested http://www.mediasmartserver.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2694 Although it should probably be in this post. It is becomming somewhat off topic there. People keep responding and I'm getting the info I need though which is great.

_________________
MSS HP EX-475 2TB Storage
PC 1 Win 7 & Ubuntu Ultimate 10.10 and Linux Fusion tri-boot
PC 2 Win 7 & Fedora 14 Dual Boot
PC 3 Win 7 & Linux Mint LXDE
2 x86_64 Notebooks Win 7 & Linux Mint 10