Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

[rokngeodude]

My roommate has a linksys wireless router with stock firmware. I have two desktops with no wireless cards but I do have a linksys with ddwrt firmware installed. I've connected my router to his, with a cable from his regular port, to the internet port on mine (and I've tried it on a regular port) Neither one of my desktops can access the internet. I've asked on the ddwrt forums. But little responses and they're using terminology I'm not familiar with.

Just to make sure what I would like to do is clear

Roommate's Stock Router ->Ethernet cable-> My DDWRT Router -> two desktops without wireless cards

Thanks in advance!

[Snowhog]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

Just connect your two desktops via cable to the available ports on your roommates router. I don't understand why are are trying to connect 'router to router.'

[kortsen]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

You didn't say what kind of broadband service your roommate has and what you had last used your router for. Is your router set to PPPoE per chance? You will need to go into the setup for your router and set it to "Obtain an IP automatically" and it should get an IP address from your roommate's router. That is assuming your roomate's router has it's DHCP server enabled.

[kortsen]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

BTW: Can your computers ping each other and your router?

[rokngeodude]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

If you only new my roommate, you'd understand why it was such a pain to just get one cable from his door to mine. His mom owns the house, and he didn't want any holes drilled into the walls. His griping enough about one cable, if I asked about two....yeah...I'd rather just work on this problem. Its much quieter.

I'm using Suddenlink cable internet (used to be Comcast, don't know if that helps) I don't know exactly how to ping another computer, cause I'm not sure what the IP address is of my desktops....this is where my noobieness shows off.

Now, I've disconnected both desktops, and just now just my lappy is plugged in. And its connecting to the net. Hmm....wondering if a fresh install of Kubuntu on both of those would help?

[nilsA]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

I run pretty much the same as you do - but I use a 5-port Cnet network switch, not a router:

[SMC wireless w/5 physical ports]-------------(Ethernet cable)---------------[Cnet switch]---(5 ports for my desktop PC's; one patch cable to each.

In principle using a router should work, but setting it up is more difficult. You need to access it from a browser - something like this: http://192.168.2.1/ depending on your router I guess, and take it from there.

[SlyFerret]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

You don't need a router, you just need a switch. By using a switch, you would only need the one wire that you already ran from the first router to the second router.

If you don't want to buy a switch, do this:

Go into your DDWRT router and turn off the router function and the DHCP server. Plug all three cables (your two computers and the cable that runs to the other router) into the switch ports on your DDWRT router. Don't use the WAN port on your DDWRT router.

This will use your DDWRT routers as simply a switch, and use the Linksys router in the other room as the router. You'll have less problems this way than trying to mess around with chaining two routers together anyway.

-SF

[kortsen]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

Now, I've disconnected both desktops, and just now just my lappy is plugged in. And its connecting to the net. Hmm....wondering if a fresh install of Kubuntu on both of those would help?

Is you lappy plugged into your router or straight into the cable from your roomie's room? Because if the laptop can get on the web through the two routers then it's the desktop machines that have issues. But if you aren't using your router and you can connect to the web then we can assume the computers are OK and the router is the problem.

What happens if you plug the cable from the other room straight into the back of one of the desktop boxes? If you take your router out of the circuit and your desktop can get on the web then we know where to point fingers.

PS: I wouldn't try re-installing Kubuntu yet.

[kortsen]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

Go into your DDWRT router and turn off the router function and the DHCP server. Plug all three cables (your two computers and the cable that runs to the other router) into the switch ports on your DDWRT router. Don't use the WAN port on your DDWRT router.

This will use your DDWRT routers as simply a switch, and use the Linksys router in the other room as the router. You'll have less problems this way than trying to mess around with chaining two routers together anyway.

-SF

You need a crossover connection to stack hubs and switches. Since I doubt that either router has an uplink port designed for the purpose, there are 2 options. One is that there is a slim change the WAN port on the router might work as an uplink port when all the functions are disables. The other is to make a crossover connection by chopping up the cable between the rooms.
http://www.whcs.com.au/services/xover.htm

Reconfigure the router and pull out the leatherman. I would do it cuz that's the kind of guy I am, but getting the router to pull an IP from the roommate's router would probably be easier.

[SlyFerret]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

I'm using a slightly older linksys router. I assumed that the WRT54G had an uplink port on them like mine does.

-SF

[SlyFerret]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

According to Linksys, all ports on the WRT54G can be used for an uplink.

From the datasheet listed at the Linksys website:
"All LAN Ports Support Auto-Crossover (MDI/MDI-X) - No Need for Crossover Cables"

The data sheet can be found linked off of this page.

-SF

[muzicman0]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

so, if all ports have auto-crossover, just pull the cable from your roommates router, to one of your 4 switch ports, do not plug anything into your WAN port. As long as your roommates router has DHCP enabled, then it should work fine (you may have to restart, or renew your IP).

[SlyFerret]

Re: Connecting two wireless routers together with a cable

You'll still need to make sure you turn off the router and DHCP server functions in the 2nd router.

-SF