[lanzador49]

T-Mobile has been great at wanting to secure my allegiance after switching from Verizon...but, the reception at home is just miserable. So, they hooked us up with a couple of wi-fi phones, and a router (gratis!). Problem is, the modem and all the controls for the house (wired for internet) are all the way in one corner of a pretty large house, so the wi-fi signal fades fast as you move around.

The routers are $50, with a $50 rebate...so I picked up another one and figured I'd use it as an access point...IF POSSIBLE.

Here's the configuration...2 of the WRT54G-TM routers...identical. Cable goes into the router, and then from the router, there is one cable that goes into a switch (cisco), and from the switch, wires go to the various rooms where it was set up.

GOAL: Hook up the 2nd wireless router in another room from a cable that is, in effect, coming from the switch.

Possible? Tough? Easy? Forget it? Comments appreciated. I do NOT want a situation where the router would register as a second one so I'd be switching back and forth on 2 routers. Basically, the second router would be an 'access point' for wireless, so that there is more signal coverage.

[squeakr]

Your should be able to cascade the routers like that, you shouldn't even need the cisco switch. I believe that this is possible with a lan cascade, but I know for sure it can't be done wirelessly (without JTAGing the router and flashing the EEPROM with a new firmware). You could get a wireless AP or a high gain directional antenna to get better coverage and not have to go through the problem of running cable.

[sunkast]

You would need a pair of routers capable of bridging.

[lanzador49]

Cable is already all over the place, so that's not an issue. Plus...there is a switch on the linksys software for this T-Mobile router that allows you to set it to 'bridge'. I hooked it up, but my wifi phone wanted to connect to the second router, going back and forth. So, I unhooked it and waited for some comments here. The routers are the exact same routers...both the T-Mobile Hotspot @ Home.

I can set the second one up as a bridge, but how do I establish the compatibility of the main router with the 2nd router? What settings? Do the routers have to be named the same and everything? I am sort of lost here. Any help appreciated.

Again...there is cable linking the routers...should be easy (if one knows how to do it!)

[sunkast]

You would need a pair of routers capable of bridging.

Re-read what I posted. Both routers must support bridging. The router provided to you by TMO probably has a different, custom, firmware on it that allows bridging. Where as the one you already have, has stock firmware on it which does not support bridging. There are some Linksys routers that have enough memory built into them that will allow for a third party firmware to be installed that can enable bridging. DD-WRT is one of them. I'm sure they have a list of supported devices it can be installed on if you check their web site for the model and version of the router you have.

[lanzador49]

First...they're both identical routers. They are the ones from T-Mobile that supposedly somehow dedicate a channel for better voip. Whatever...not sure if that's the case.

Second...they both have a feature in the "advanced feature" control that enables you to select "bridge" or "router".

Not clear if you can load DD-WRT. I was hoping to hook them up so that they work like a router on one end, and then an access point on the other, so that I get better coverage, given their current configuration...connected via cables, not wirelessly.

So, what we have here is a pair of identical routers capable of bridging...check! Now what? Does one stay in the "router" mode and the other (to be the access point) in the "bridge" mode?

[sunkast]

Not exactly sure since I've never had a need to do it before myself. Is there anything in the manual that talks about bridging with a second access point?

[squeakr]

Both routers don't need to support bridging, just the access point. The routers will need to be on different channels (if I remember correctly when performing a cascade for wireless WDS you must use the same channel) but they can use the same ssid and security code. One thing to ake sure that most miss is to set the system for inter-access point handoff within the settings. Go into the wifi setting and select the router that you are connecting with and hit menu, then edit, then select the allow handoff option (don't know hwy they don't default this to on, but it is waht it is). Try this and see if this solves your problem. Good luck.

[coolaide]

Use DD-WRT on all your routers and run 2 in repeater mode. i set up a 4story building with 12 access point in this way.

[SiNFuLLySeXy]

T-Mobile has a specific customer service line dedicated to walking you thru the step by step set up of their wireless routers. The direct number is 1-877-299-9003. Hope this helps.

[dozing4dollars]

See if this link at Linksys support may help you:

linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/linksys.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3733&lid=7610939192B21

I traded out my USR router for a Linksys yesterday when I set up my BB for home WiFi. I ran across daisychaining routers/access points in the literature.

Hope this helps you along your path...

PS- Sorry about the URL link-the CB gods will not let me hyperlink URL's until I have ten posts...hmmm.

[aussic]

Hi, I had a similar problem because my office is on the lower level of a three story home and with all the stuff I have running wireless, laptops, printers, and voip phones the router and signals were causing a problem. What I did was, I left my original router plugged in because I want my main computer to have first access, then I have my voip home phone plugged into one of the ports on my main Netgear Rangemax. Then because upstairs the netgear was not giving me good uma, I plugged the tmobile at home router, (i did not load the software) into one of the ports on my main netgear router with a 100 ft cable and had my other half run it to the top level where it sits on a table in the hall. My phone was then giving me a choice of two networks, netgear and tmobile home, because tmobile home was now stonger I set it as the default. No problems now since November. In affect that gave me an additional access point for my uma phone. No bridging, special settings or any drama.