Networking question

[Kai]

Okay kiddies... I have un petite problemo (hmm... French and Spanish? Franish?)

Anyhoo, I'm digressing.

This is what I have:
1 x SMC wireless access point
1 x SMC network switch
4 x Desktop PCs
3 x Laptops
2 x PCMCIA 11MBps Wirless network cards
2 x PCI 54MBps Wireless network cards
1 x iBurst UTD modem

At this point in time, these are set up as follows:

Upstairs in my son's bedroom:
1 x Desktop PC (connects via Wireless)
1 x Laptop (connects via Wireless)
Perfect reception for iBurst modem

Downstairs in the study:
1 x iBurst modem plugged (via WAN port) into
1 x Access Point plugged into
1 x Switch
2 x Desktops (connects via Ethernet)
2 x Laptops (connects via Ethernet)
1 x Smoothwall box with two LAN NICs
Crappy reception for iBurst modem

If I put the access point upstairs in my son's bedroom (where the iBurst reception is) then for some bloody devine reason, my desktop machine's wireless network card just doesn't want to keep it's connection to the access point, it keeps on disconnecting, eventhough it's not even 15 meters (if that far) away from the access point.

I get the same problem if I put the access point downstairs: my son's desktop doesn't want to keep it's connection (for interest sake: his laptop's PCMCIA card seems to connect without worries - most of the time). BUT, a friend of mine's PDA connected from the driveway the other day, about 20 meters away and my son can sit outside in the garden and work on his laptop without a problem.

I had the access point like three meters away from my desktop last night, and I was getting "Low" signal quality!?

Could there be someting wrong with the access point? There aren't any powercables running close to my network card's antenna or anything like that.

That's my first question: The signal to the access point problem.

Then, I need some help on getting this network to work properly. I want to connect the iBurst modem as well as the access point to the Smoothwall box and put that upstairs in my son's bedroom (seen as that's where the good iBurst signal is). I can put two wireless cards in the PCs downstairs (if they can keep their signal strong enough), but then I still have the laptops (and any visitors) that have to somehow be connected to the Net via ethernet. Is there any way that I can "link" the two networks (the Wireless and Ethernet) together with my desktop machine that has a wireless and ethernet network card in?

All machines are running Windows XP save for one that's running Smoothwall 2.0 Express with all the latest patches. I used to have my Sentech modem (*spit*) connected to this box via PPPoE. I still have to get the iBurst modem working on it and I prefer to have the modem on the Smoothwall box and not the Access Point.

Unfortunately I can't run a network cable from upstairs to downstairs. There are too many doorways in the way and it's going to look horrid.

I would REALLY appreciate any help that can be given, as I want to get this bloody network sorted out once and for all now. I can swop network cards around etc, so any suggestions are welcome.

Also, any tips on improving the security on my Access Point will also be appreciated. I faffed around with the encryption, but didn't have much luck.

Thanks guys!

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Nickste]

Hey Kai,

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Is there any way that I can "link" the two networks (the Wireless and Ethernet) together with my desktop machine that has a wireless and ethernet network card in?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I know that with XP, in the Network connections menu, you can right click on one of the networks and click bridge connections. This should "link" the two networks.

Chow, Nick

Nick Smit
broadband@nicksmit dot za dot net

[Kai]

Ah. I've seen that before. I'll give that a shot and see if it works.

Thanks Nick.

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Kai]

Okay... bridging's a b1tch - it doesn't work or I'm doing it work (personally, I think it's the latter [:I])

I eventually got a machine set up with a wireless NIC and an ethernet NIC.

The ethernet card goes into my switch (port 1) and the wireless card is connected to my wireless network.

Gravy...

What I want to do is use that machine to link the two networks together, and allow the machines on the ethernet network to use the iBurst connection on the wireless network.

I bridged the two connections, but then nothing wanted to work... I can't get onto the Net using the wireless network on the bridging PC once the connections are bridged.

I'm running Windows XP

What am I doing wrong? Please help?

Thanks guys.

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Nickste]

If I understand your setup correctly...

You could try setting up a proxy server (see FreeProxy) on the machine with IBurst on it. This way you wouldn't have to bridge the two networks.

If I haven't understood your setup correctly, maybe draw a bit of a diagram - might make it easier!

Chow, Nick

Nick Smit
broadband@nicksmit dot za dot net

[Kai]

Nick.

The problem is that the "machine" with the iBurst connection on, isn't a PC... it's a wireless access point :)

I'll put together an image tonight and post it, might make it clearer...

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Nickste]

Oh right! So no smoothwall box upstairs?

Nick Smit
broadband@nicksmit dot za dot net

[Kai]

nope. no smoothwall box upstairs...

The image you requested. It's no oilpainting, but it should make clearer what I want to do.

http://www.inmyspace.com/site/images/stories/network.jpg

The "Bridge" PC is the one with both the wireless and ethernet card in. The PCs at the top are connected directly to the access point, whereas the ones at the bottom need to connect to the Net via the bridge PC on ethernet which in turn connects to the access point that connects to iBurst.

Is this possible?

I've tried just switching on bridging, but it doesn't work. Keep in mind that the Access point takes care of DHCP, firewalling etc.

Thanks for your help Nick, I REALLY appreciate it.

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Nickste]

Ok, diagram makes it quite a bit easier ;-)

Look in theory, it SHOULD work! Unfortunately theory often kicks us in the ass!
You could look into why the two networks can't be bridged, but that might not be too fruitfull, so...

...I think you should link two proxies together...

Setup a proxy server on the bridge pc.
Setup a proxy server on PC 3.

Now tell the proxy server on the bridge pc to use the proxy server on pc 3 (which connects to the iburst modem).
I have used a program called FreeProxy to do something similar, and can help with configuration if needed.

Diagram: http://nickste.freeunixhost.com/network/proxynetwork.jpg

This is obviously not the greatest solution because:
1) The downstairs PCs and laptops cannot share files, etc. with the upstairs PC and Laptop (the networks aren't "bridged").
2.) You have to setup all the ports you use on the proxy server (http, pop3, smtp, msn, etc.)

Hope this helps!

Chow, Nick


Nick Smit
broadband@nicksmit dot za dot net

[Kai]

Hi Nick. Downside number 1 is a major point and kinda sinks the whole boat. I need to be able to access the PCs upstairs.

So I have a dilema...

I don't understand why it doesn't work. The funny thing is that once I bridge it, all the IPs go for a ball of chalk? [:(]

The access point is currently my DHCP "server" so it's giving addresses to everything. Once I bridge the connections however, that IP address doesn't work anymore, so the bridging PC can't connect to the wireless network. It doesn't connect to the "hardwired" network either...

I'm at wit's end. This network is going to drive me to drink!

Riddle me this though: What if I get another access point? Can you connect two access points to each other?

Thanks for your help Nick, I appreciate it.

Cheers,
Kai.

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Nickste]

Maybe try assigning the IP addresses yourself, lus the DHCP. Then try bridging.

Chow, Nick

Nick Smit
broadband@nicksmit dot za dot net

[Kai]

I'll try that. The question is: Do I assign them IP addresses in the same range, i.e:

192.168.0.5/255.255.255.0/192.168.0.1 for the wireless
192.168.0.6/255.255.255.0/192.168.0.1 for the ethernet?

Would that mean that I would have to assign static IP addresses to all the machines on the ethernet network, or would they "know" to use the access point as a DHCP server?

Better question yet: What if I don't want to use the access point as the DHCP server? maybe that's where the problem comes in?

What if I use the bridging PC for DHCP?

er... how do I do that? Would I need special software?

Yes... this is 20 questions :)

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Nickste]

In your tcp/ip settings, just set all the pc's to "Use the following address". This should stop it from using the DHCP server on the access point.

Yup, assign the ip's as you stated above. Then try and bridge the connections.

Check this for a bit of help: http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxpbrdge.htm

Chow, Nick

Nick Smit
broadband@nicksmit dot za dot net

[Kai]

nope. doesn't work.

I tried keeping all the PCs in the same IP range, as well as using 192.168.1.x for the ethernet portion of the network - no luck.

I dunno... *shrug*

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Kai]

right, okay... now that I'm calmed down and not swearing at the network anymore... this is what I tried last night:

I specified the following settings on the bridging PC:
Ethernet NIC: 192.168.1.1/255.255.255.0/192.168.0.1
Wireless NIC: 192.168.0.177/255.255.255.0/192.168.0.1 (from DHCP)
Bridge: 192.168.1.2/255.255.255.0/192.168.0.1

Then I set my desktop up as 192.168.1.3/255.255.255.0/192.168.1.1 (and later I also tried 192.168.0.1 as the default gateway)

I could see the Bridge from my desktop PC, obviously 'cos of the ethernet network, but I still couldn't surf the Net from my PC. I also couldn't surf the Net from the Bridge - eventhough it was connected to the Access Point via the wireless NIC.

I'm reaching the point now where I will just lay a bloody network cable - k@k as it may look [:(]

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[Nickste]

Sheesh Kai, I'm afraid I've run out of ideas! Will have a bit of a think though.

Maybe just phone some company to set it up. Make your problems theirs! (for a small fee!).

Chow, Nick

Nick Smit
broadband@nicksmit dot za dot net

[Kai]

You've been great help Nick, thanks!

I'll get the company that I bought the wireless stuff from to come out and make it work...

Throw money at the problem! [:D]

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">

[peered95]

i got a wireless network and i cant get the encryption work, anyone know how to make it work.
shot

No pixels were harmed in the making of this post.

[Kai]

i have the same problem mini... can't seem to get it to work, but I have a friend who got it working on his. I'll have a chat with him.

<hr noshade size="1"><font size="1"><i><div align="right"><font color="red">one day we will all look back at this... laugh nervously... and change the subject...</font id="red">
Sucktech no more... I'm now an iBurster! hmmmm... bandwidth... [:D]</div id="right"></i></font id="size1">