Windows 7: Help with network...

I need advise from someone much more network savvy than I! I have two Netgear wireless routers in my house. I use a Netgear WNR3500 as my master wireless and I have a Netgear WNR834b flashed with DD-WRT firmware set up as a repeater. This works great and I have strong wireless internet anywhere in the house. My problem is that my wife's computer is hooked up via ethernet cable to the master router which is on 192.168.1.1. All of my other machines are on the wireless repeater which is addressed as 192.168.2.1. I can see all wireless machines on the repeater, but can't see my wifes machine unless I disconnect wireless from repeater and connect wireless to her router. How do I tell windows to include 192.168.1.1 computers into the network. Sorry if I'm not using all the right terminology here... I'm learning!

Thanks for any help.

Gil

If you set up the router as WDS or repeater bridge (instead of repeater), you won't have that problem. Because then all computers will be in the same network (192.168.1.x)

Set the IP address for the repeater to 192.168.1.2 so it belongs to the same range.

A general advise.
Set fixed IP addresses in windows network properties instead of automatic/DCHP
In the same window also set the primary DNS to 192.168.1.1

That way you will never have IP conflicts, and you know exactly which computer has which IP address. Handy for RDP sessions to.

DCHP only makes sense if random computers have to be able to connect to the network.

In a home situation fixed IP gives you much more control and less conflicts.

In a large corporation DCHP is the best choice.

Good luck

it won't work unless he makes the dd-wrt router a repeater bridge

Repeater Bridge - DD-WRT Wiki

You're right. Forgot to mention that.

Thx. You have the right idea. It is possible to access her computer even with the current setup (repeater), but you have to use IP address because IIRC netBIOS broadcast cannot reach across different subnet boundaries.

I looked at the Repeater Bridge Wiki but that is not what I want to do. As it appears, I would have to use cables to hook up to the receiving router. I think I have the best I can do now. All my wireless computers are on the repeater and can network with each other. Fortunately the strength on the master router is strong enough that when I do need to network with my wife's machine, I can just log off the repeater and onto the master. Just wanted to know if there was a way to include her on a continual basis. Thanks.

No. Ethernet cables are unnecessary when the router is in repeater bridge mode. The router and any connections to/from it can be entirely wireless.

OK. YOU GUYS ROCK! It was late last night and I started to read the Wiki and I got to: The limitation with standard bridging is that it only allows wired clients to connect to your secondary router. So I thought this isn't for me and went to bed.

This morning I have a little re-read and I see: New in DD-WRT v24 is Repeater Bridge mode. This extends your primary LAN via secondary router (bridge router) and also allows wireless clients to connect to your secondary router. (I know, it was only the next line but what can I say. They should post WARNING: Never play with networks when your tired! )

Anyway, its setup as wireless bridge now and working GREAT!

Question for Squonksc: I read your advice: A general advise.
Set fixed IP addresses in windows network properties instead of automatic/DCHP

I have no problem with this for my desktop machines and it would be OK for MY laptop as I can easily switch it back to DHCP when I travel. My wife has a netbook and I know that she would not be happy having to fuss with switching between fixed IP and DHCP when she travels. Back in XP days I used to use a little program called Netsetman that would easily switch between these settings. Any idea if that works in 7 or if there are any utlilities/scritps that might make switching on her netbook simple?

Thanks,
Gil

subsonic

I'll leave the answer to S but you could set up an alternate user/profile for traveling. click here when on the road

Ken