Setting up a wireless home network

[Babyshoes]

I need some help !!!!


I have two wireless routers one Telkom Mega 105WR and the other a Linksys WRTP54G.

In the one end of the house I have the Mega 105WR router connected to the ADSL line and have a few devices connected to it. When I use my laptop in the opposite side of the house, I get a very weak signal from the Mega router. Now I would like to place the Linksys router approx half way so that I can extend the range of the Mega router. How do I do this?

I need to know what I need to setup on the two routers to enable me to use my laptop anywhere in the house. If possible I will need step by step setup procedures on both routers.

Mega router IP: 192.168.15.1
Linksys IP: 192.168.15.15

DHCP has been disabled on both routers.

Mega router security setup is WEP with encryption key.


If anyone can help me, I would gladly appreciate it.

Thanks

 

[shadow_man]

First off dont use WEP - easily easily hackable via packet injection - a few mins effort to abuse your cap - use wpa.

Networking - I dont know you routers interface and I suck at networking things so I leave that advice to others.

J

 

[Globetrotter]

I have two wireless routers one Telkom Mega 105WR and the other a Linksys WRTP54G.

In the one end of the house I have the Mega 105WR router connected to the ADSL line and have a few devices connected to it. When I use my laptop in the opposite side of the house, I get a very weak signal from the Mega router. Now I would like to place the Linksys router approx half way so that I can extend the range of the Mega router. How do I do this?

I need to know what I need to setup on the two routers to enable me to use my laptop anywhere in the house. If possible I will need step by step setup procedures on both routers.

Mega router IP: 192.168.15.1
Linksys IP: 192.168.15.15

DHCP has been disabled on both routers.

Mega router security setup is WEP with encryption key.

Remove security, just to get connected first. You can always add security afterwards.

Enable DHCP on the Mega.

Plug a single computer to the second Linksys router (make sure that the computer is configured to obtain DHCP automatically from the router), change the IP address of the router so that it's in the same subnet as the main Mega router; give it an IP that doesn’t conflict with the main router's base IP address, or the DHCP server range. This will ensure that you can reach the admin server of the old router from any LAN machine, and that the Wireless Clients IPs are assigned correctly.

Example:
Main Mega router's base address is 192.168.15.1, with a DHCP server range of 192.168.15.1 to for example 192.168.15.100
Set the Linksys router (the one you're using as an Access Point) to any IP address between 192.168.15.101 to 192.168.15.200, therefore outside the Mega router's DHCP range.

Then disable DHCP on the Linksys router.

Plug the Linksys router into the Mega router via normal ethernet port. (not the WAN port)

Make sure both routers have the same SSID name.
If you set the SSID to broadbast publicly on the Mega, then you must do the same on the Linksys. (I've read if one is set to broadcast and the other is hidden, it can cause issues)

Set the routers to broadcast on different channels. So if the Mega is on channel 6, set the Linksys on channel 11 to avoid interference.

Once you've established a connection, you can then add security. Add WPA since it offers much better protection than WEP. The security must be the same on both routers. You can't use WPA on one and WEP on the other if plan to roam with the laptop between the two. Both must be WPA.

So now you've added an extra wireless access point, even though the two routers are connected via a wired connection.

I don't have a Mega or Linksys router myself so that's why I didn't give specific steps, but in essence what's mentioned above is what need to happen to add the Linksys as a 2nd access point.

Other options:
**** You can add a second wireless router as a repeater but the downside is that the bandwidth is effectively halved, so better to try and add the 2nd router as an Access point. But if you want to use this option and connect both routers to each other wirelessly, then do the following:

WDS option enabled
Turn off DHCP on the second router.
Give second router an IP address withing the range of first router.
Put first MAC address to the WDS onto the second and vice versa.
Use same Security on BOTH (keys/channel etc).
You can add more access points to it using the above.