Connect A Wireless Router To A Second Wireless Router

[WolfpackRon]

I am trying to connect one wireless router to another wireless router to be able to connect the second router by Cat 5 cable to a Directv DVR box allowing me to download Online Demand programming. I have a Linksys WRT54G2 wireless router and a D-Link DI-524 wireless router. My original intention was to flash the Linksys router with DD-WRT firmware.

I first called Linksys support and he proceeded to have me connect the WRT54G2 wireless router to my computer and then told me to call D-Link support to have them show me how to match the IP address, SSID, Channel, Type of Security, Encryption and password. My D-Link router is out of warranty, so I changed these settings myself.

My Ipod shows a signal for both routers, but they do not work properly. My laptop shows that the computer is connected to the second D-Link router, but does not allow me to connect to the internet.

I have several questions: 1) Will this plan work? 2) How does my DVR box use the password? 3) Should I flash the DD-WRT firmware? 4) Any other thoughts on this plan? 5) Am I missing something?

This is my second time of typing in this post. The first time somehow the forum said I was not logged on even though I did log on. I had other questions, but cannot remember them.

[Paul Komski]

I haven't actually done this but you basically need to set up a wifi bridge (http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3639271). The specific routers may or may not matter but if you Google around with such terms I expect you will get an answer - unless someone here chips in beforehand.

[WolfpackRon]

I just got off the phone with Linksys support. This foreign speaking young lady informed me that to connect two routers together, a Cat 5 cable must be used. Even though Linksys support had told me it could be done without a cable before I purchased the Linksys wireless router, this is not true. The second foreign speaking gentleman from Linksys support after I purchased this router said it could be connected wirelessly, but this is not true.

Unless some PCGuide person comes up with a solution, I will flash the DD-WRT firmware on the Linksys wireless router. WolfpackRon.

[Variable]

The problem with the stock router is the routing table/NAT. Normally the LAN side includes the switch ports AND the wireless clients - they are all on the same subnet. Once a packet hits the router, the path to the next hop (gateway) or said another way, the way you get out to the internet, is the WAN port IP. In your case, you need to ignore the real WAN port and turn the Wireless connection into the "WAN port" or default gateway even though you are still on the same subnet. This is what a bridge will do, it takes the packets in one medium and passes them, unmolested, to another medium. A bridge normally has two different kinds of connections on either side. Wireless to wired, phone line to ethernet, ATM to ethernet, etc. If you had the same medium on both sides you would call it a two port HUB.

A router wants to route and do NAT. By default the routing/NAT table is set up for you. You need to be able to change this behaviour. There may be a work around for this, but having a GUI driven interface that sets this up for you is what I would look for. Flashing the BIOS to a version that supports bridging would be the way to go.