Wireless networking

Winters

I have finally invested in a wireless network for the home. I got my hands on a laptop over the weekend and today got a Wireless card and a NetgearWGR614 router/switch/wireless access point. I already have a 8 port switch running and plugged in the router/access point into that.

My setup has a modem [56k, not broadband yet] in one computer and shared across the network. Any other computer connected to the network can access ths modem and browse the net through it. [All PC's manuall giving IP's].

Problem is as following. I cannot seem to be able to get the laptop to work across the network. I am getting 100% signal strength and it can access the wifi no problem. Only thing is it cannot browse the net or connect to any other computer on the network.

Any ideas why?

BigEejit

is it xp?, turn off the firewall, ...did you the built in app (zero wireless config or whatever its called) to get wireless working or did you use the manufacturers app? ... how are the IP's doled out? can you ping the gateway?

Winters

Kind of possibly confusing to explain setup so i've attached a pic.

Before I added the wireless today i had it all running through the switch. PC1 / "MissPiggy" has the modem in it and shares it across the network with "Kermit, Gonzo" and the rest of my PC's. All I really want to do is move the laptops from a wired connection to a wireless conenction.

At the moment I have the router on 192.168.0.1. "MissPiggy" [PC with modem] on 192.168.0.2, and all the other PC's on 192.168.0.3, 192.168.0.4. etc. Each has the Gateway set to 192.168.0.2 and subnet at 255.255.255.0. BUT when assigning IP's automaticly [to WiFi] the router gives a weird IP out and sets the subnet to 255.255.0.0.

I might switch around the router and switch and have the main PC's plugged into the router [Router has 4 port switch]. But having to do that will take anothers day of re-wiring. All my cables are hidden nicly around the room and will take an hour or so to move them again and swop the lengths etc.

And XP firewall is off. XP is only on this machine ["Kermit" / 192.168.0.3] and all the other boxes/laptops have Windows2000 Pro.

[Edit]
Seem to have found something about it on the Netgear site here. Will give it a go tomorrow. Although I think I am still going to reroute the wiring in this room, having to jump in ontop of my UPS to look in a box under my monitor too see my switch doesnt help too much.

[Update]
Ok, that doesnt seem to the the best. Internet not working on any of my wifi device's, cant even see the other computers on the network. Will rewire the place tomorrow and change switches/routers and hope for the best. Any ideas elseways?

BigMoose

It might have missed something here, but here goes: you say the wireless devices are being assigned strange IP addresses? Which port on the wireless router did you plug your switch into? I assume if you used one of the normal LAN ports then you need to get your wireless router to dish out IP addresses on the same subnet, but configure it to start from 192.168.0.x where x is higher than addresses you're already using on the wired devices.

Winters

Rewired it all so it is as follows:

PC1 with Modem (MissPiggy) on 192.168.0.2 in Lan Port 1 on router.
PC 2 me and files (Kermit) on 192.168.0.3 in Lan port 2 on router
PC 3 (Fozzie) on 192.168.0.6 in Lan port 3 on router, PC inactive atm though.
Lan port 4 on router links to port 1 on switch.
Switch ports 2 and 3 are open to other wired devices such as non wifi laptops and other PCs.

The router itself i have DHCP switched off on so it doesnt act as the net gateway. The router is also assigned the IP 192.168.0.1. By swithing off the DHCP it should then function as a normal access point and not router/access point.

[Edit]
Should I switch back on DHCP seeing as the router is now being the primary switch or leave them off? And should I take all the other computers off manually assigned IP address and give them automaticly assigned IPs so the router will give them to them through DHCP?

Winters

Ok, I seem to have sorted out the wireless at the moment. I am sitting in my kitchen browsing the net through the modem on "MissPiggy" and listening to mp3s from "Kermit".

Only problem is the wireless network isint secure. Its just open access at the moment. My wireless card should support WPA but i got errors and couldnt connect to the network when i switched it on. Had the other encription [with the 4 keys] working last night and was able to see the wifi network, but that was before i could browse or see the other computers on it. I'll fix it later.

So, for the moment open wireless network running on 56k by Winters house

BigMoose

Well done! I was going to post earlier to say get the basics working first before you worry about fixed IP or DCHP and then arse about later. Same for securing it. To start with, I'd only allow the MAC of your card on the wireless network to stop any freeloaders jumping on. Then fanny about with encryption later.