2Wire/EOC2611P/WRT54G Settings

[hachieroger]

Hello...and greetings from a noobie. I am not too familiar with wireless LANs and I am having a problem connecting a wifi router to a wireless bridge that I recently setup.

My internet connection is through an AT&T "2Wire" router. I have an EOC2611P connected via ethernet to the 2Wire router. The EOC2611P is configured as an access point.

At a distant building I having another EOC2611P configured as a client bridge. I have good internet connection speeds when connecting to the client bridge via ethernet cable to my desktop computer (that is located in the distant building). I would like to add a wireless router to the client bridge so I can connect other devices as well.

I have attempted to connect a WRT54G to the client bridge several times, but I haven't been able to get an internet connection, only "local access". I can't recall all the different settings I have tried but it has been quite a few ;-).

Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Roger

 

[overdrive31]

You're connecting the WRT54G via LAN ports or WAN? Is the WRT54G set to be an router or access point(DHCP disabled and using LAN port)? You might try an crossover cable since those products may not support auto MDI/MDI-X.

Could it be conflicting network subnets? eg. 2wire default(most of them) 192.168.1.0 and Linksys default 192.168.1.0 as is the Bridge default being 192.168.1.0.

If in AP(bridge to LAN) mode, the Linksys default IP of 192.168.1.1 should maybe be changed to something like 192.168.1.10, so as to not conflict with the bridge(default 192.168.1.1, unless you set it up to use DHCP on both bridges), to work with the 2wire default of 192.168.1.254 being in the same subnet which also may require an crossover cable to work. If in router(bridge to WAN) mode, the two will conflict with one another, you will have to change the IP on the Linksys to something like 192.168.2.1.

 

[hachieroger]

You're connecting the WRT54G via LAN ports or WAN? Is the WRT54G set to be an router or access point(DHCP disabled and using LAN port)? You might try an crossover cable since those products may not support auto MDI/MDI-X.

Could it be conflicting network subnets? eg. 2wire default(most of them) 192.168.1.0 and Linksys default 192.168.1.0 as is the Bridge default being 192.168.1.0.

If in AP(bridge to LAN) mode, the Linksys default IP of 192.168.1.1 should maybe be changed to something like 192.168.1.10, so as to not conflict with the bridge(default 192.168.1.1, unless you set it up to use DHCP on both bridges), to work with the 2wire default of 192.168.1.254 being in the same subnet which also may require an crossover cable to work. If in router(bridge to WAN) mode, the two will conflict with one another, you will have to change the IP on the Linksys to something like 192.168.2.1.

I tried using the WAN port at first, then I tired using the LAN port during later attempts. When using the LAN port I disabled DHCP and assigned a static address of 192.168.1.6. (the "base" EOC is 192.168.1.8 and the "distant" EOC is 192.168.1.7). Oddly, if I connect the WRT54G to the 2Wire via ethernet (crossover?) then I have local and internet thru the WRT, but when I connect it in the same way at the distant station I only get local access.

I'll try it again in a bit to refresh my memory, it's been a week or so since my last attempt.

 

[overdrive31]

Yes, the 2wire may have auto MDI/MDI-X(in fact the only reason the bridge and 2wire work together is the 2wire having auto crossover support) in it's switch hardware allowing it to work, the bridges and WRT54G do not and will require a crossover cable to be used with access point mode. You can confirm this by chaining the 2wire to linksys LAN, then linksys LAN to bridge, plug in computer to other bridge and internet will not work. The link between linksys LAN and bridge will not work without an crossover cable.

You could just buy a new wireless router or switch supporting auto crossover, and either replace the linksys, or use the switch to make things work for the linksys with regular patch cables. Oh, and the cheapest solution, make or buy a crossover cable!

In router mode using WAN will not require an crossover cable, but will require you to change the IP of the WRT54G to another network subnet not in the same subnet as the other devices hence my suggestion to use 192.168.2.1.

Little lesson: Only takes one of two connected devices supporting auto crossover(x-over) to allow the use of either type of cable between those two linked devices(universal). LAN to LAN without auto x-over on either device requires a x-over cable. Computer to computer without auto x-over on either requires a x-over cable. WAN to WAN without auto x-over on either device requires a x-over cable. LAN to computer and/or to WAN in any combination without twin mates use a patch cable, but can also use x-over if at least one device supports auto x-over.

Your 2wire is LAN to LAN with the bridge and is functional only because the 2wire has auto x-over which is also why the linksys works connected LAN to LAN with 2wire. Your bridge client is LAN to LAN with the linksys neither supporting auto x-over, thus requires an x-over cable.

 

[hachieroger]

I'll make a crossover cable today, I still have plenty of RJ45 connectors left...just glad I don't have to re-terminate the EOC2611P cable (steep roof)!!! I'll let you know how it goes, many thanks I would have never figured that one out - I just knew it was settings related