Bridging Linksys Routers

[PRoberts]

Hello all.

First time poster, but I have read and found many solutions on here before, so thanks for the great source of information.

My question regards the bridging of Linksys routers. I have an application where I need to cover approximately 14000 square feet with wireless, and also a guest network. There is currently lan wiring to key points in the residence, with switches and G access points at those locations (primarily each of the main AV centers). The client wants to update everything to higher speed, and also add a guest network. Aside from the other equipment, we have a Cisco WRVS4400n router and Cisco SLM2024 gigabit switch at the head end of things.

The newest Linksys EA series routers (considering the EA4500 and EA6500) have a bridge mode available (effectively being access point and switch only). Now I know that a single one of these routers (as in being the only network piece in a system), connected to to a modem, will isolate the guest traffic from the rest of the network, only allowing internet access to the guests. Is there any possible way that this router (at the AV centers connected via the single lan cable) could be bridged to the existing network router or switch and still maintain the isolation between the guest network and main network? The bridged router would have a single IP assigned to it by the main router, therefore appearing to me as if there would be no way for the main router to discern which traffic is guest network traffic and which is main network traffic.

That's the point at which I'm somewhat perplexed. I talked to Linksys support, and they said that bridging the seconday routers to the main router will still keep the guest traffic separate, with internet access only. Does this make sense to you? Perhaps somebody could explain briefly how this would work, how the two traffic flows would be differentiated by the main router.

Secondly, in the case that the aformentioned is not a viable solution, would anyone have a (relatively) cost effective solution to what I'm trying to accomplish? There is only a single cat5 running to each of the secondary locations, of which there are three, with possibly a fourth and fifth to be added.

Thanks in advance for any help or insight.

Pat

 

[stevech]

since you have cat5 wiring in the building, I'd think this is a simple problem of adding Access Points (APs) to one router. APs are the usual way to increase sq. ft. of coverage.

You can purchase purpose-built AP products, or you can yourself re-purpose any WiFi router to be an AP. Including, I suppose, those with two SSIDs (guests and not).

 

[PRoberts]

Thanks for the response to this. Would setting up dual SSID access points maintain a separation between guest access and regular network access? That's a part of what I've been trying to confirm, since even a single access point would only have a single ip assigned to it from the main router.

Also, another reason for using the routers (I should have mentioned previosly), is that I also need a few available ethernet ports at each point for networked video and audio devices. I thought that using the router in bridge would be a simpler (or at least more condensed) way than separate switches and access points.

 

[tipstir]

Yes you can keep the guest separated using both of those routers you have listed. You'll need that CAT5x as was instructed to you in the prior post above this one.
Are you planning on buying EA4500 or EA6500? If you get either one good to match pair them though. EA6500 supports new 802.11ac modes. EA4500 doesn't.

 

[PRoberts]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm planning on using the EA6500 at the remote locations, connected via the cat5 to the main router. The client wants the latest and greatest, and knew of the new standard, though there's not much to take advantage of it, yet. For three units, I'm planning on spreading the radio channels (1,6,11 I believe). If I add a fourth or fifth, how would I best assign the channels to avoid overlap?

 

[stevech]

channels.. just be aware of average user activity by AP location, e.g., Sales may use more "air time" than executives.

Not at all an issue if people don't stream videos.
You could optionally avoid using the same channel #n in an area adjacent to where there are highly active users on a different AP, same channel. This applies to different floors too- say sales is in Northwest corner, 2nd floor, and some other active group of cubicles is in Northwest 3rd floor. If the floor material is RF friendly, you wouldn't need an AP on each floor, same area. RF friendly means other than a steel pan with concrete.

The concept is to spatially balance the load among APs. Frequency reuse is the engineering term, where reuse means try to avoid using the same frequency again until you are well away from a busy area using the same frequency.

But in most WiFi systems, without streaming, the load on an AP is light.

 

[PRoberts]

I now have one of the ea6500 routers on my desk, testing configurations. For the 2.4ghz range there are the normal channel selections. For the 5ghz range, there are many channels, plus an auto setting. Would you suggest that I leave this on auto, or change to specific channels on each of the ea6500s?

I guess I hadn't specifically mentioned it yet, but this is for a residence, with only two or three people around most of the time. When complete, there will be around 40-50 devices on the network, though only a handful of wifi devices. Probably the heaviest wifi use will be viewing security cameras from handheld remotes and iPads; other than that, some AirPlay streaming from handheld devices.

After the weekend I'm going to set up the other two routers, and test how well wifi devices can roam from one to another.

Thanks again for all of the input.

 

[stevech]

Light load per AP. You could probably see no difference if all were on the same channel, unless someone streams HD video. Real HD, not Netflix.

 

[PRoberts]

OK, an update.

Apparently this configuration is not going to work for me. I had been told by Linksys tech support prior to purchasing the routers that the guest network feature would still work, even with the routers in bridge mode. To fully set up bridge mode, the DHCP needs to be turned off in the secondary routers, so only the main router assigns IP addresses. With DHCP off, the guest function does not work.

I talked to tech support a short time ago, of course somebody different, and I was told that setting the router to bridge mode automatically turns off the guest network feature. That is false; the guest network is still ON in the router setup screen, and the SSID is still broadcast, but devices will not connect. With DHCP on, devices will connect to the guest network.

So, I think I need to shift my strategy to access points that are capable of a guest network along with a main network, and keep just the single WRVS4400N router.

Could anyone offer some suggestions for access points? The Cisco ones, like the AP541, are quite expensive. Also, could you point me in the right direction for setting up the rest of the network so as to keep guest access separate from the main network? I'm not sure if I would need a separate hardware firewall (or other equipment), or if it can be done with what I have.

I really appreciate the the time you've taken to read my posts and provide your input.