Is it possible to create a bridge between wifi hotspot and a router?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

bradyboyy88

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
125
0
10,690
I have 3 devices on a switch and am going to purchase a router which I will connect the switch to, I would like have this router somehow be bridged to a verizon wifi hotspot(which has no ports) so the devices on this switch can get internet. Is this possible and if so how would I manipulate my router to do this?
 
Solution
RealBeast
One way would be to use a Windows computer that is connected to both the router and the wifi hotspot -- then go into the Windows networking control panel, change adapter settings, highlight both the Ethernet and wireless adapter, right click and select bridge connections. This works fine, but only when the bridging computer is turned on.

ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) is not a solution for sharing hotspots when you use a router because ICS sets up its own adhoc network that will conflict with the router DHCP service.
Sort by date Sort by votes
RealBeast

RealBeast

Titan
Moderator
Sep 13, 2010
17,111
474
104,790
One way would be to use a Windows computer that is connected to both the router and the wifi hotspot -- then go into the Windows networking control panel, change adapter settings, highlight both the Ethernet and wireless adapter, right click and select bridge connections. This works fine, but only when the bridging computer is turned on.

ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) is not a solution for sharing hotspots when you use a router because ICS sets up its own adhoc network that will conflict with the router DHCP service.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
B

bradyboyy88

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
125
0
10,690


Can this same method be used to bridge a switch and hotspot since your just merging the LAN network and Wifi via windows? I have 2 ip cameras hooked up to a switch and a laptop hooked up to the gigabit switch which I use nvr software to record. Then there is a wifi hotspot which is just a small dongle plugged into the wall . I mentioned router because I could buy one.

Basically I wanted to be able to have everything hooked to the switch but at the same time still get internet on the laptop but was told that since there is something plugged into the lan port of the laptop you cant use the wifi card(also vmware is not an option since ram is limited). I figured if I just hooked everything up to router the bridge could be done that way but not having to pay another 30 bucks for cheapo router would be better. Any ideass?

PS I wanted to keep camera and laptop on switch to take advantage of the 1gb bandwidth
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
RealBeast

RealBeast

Titan
Moderator
Sep 13, 2010
17,111
474
104,790
No, you cannot bridge a switch, it must be a computer device.

The advice that using the Ethernet port of the laptop makes the wireless unusable is not correct. Depending on how things are connected, you still could set up an ad hoc wireless network and bridge it to the Ethernet adapter on the laptop to share the Internet with the Ethernet connection -- if that would help your situation.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

bradyboyy88

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
125
0
10,690
That would definately help. So when I have wifi connected and the lan port plugged in I just highlight both of them and create bridge from right click? Or do I have to do soething special to set up the adhoc wireless network( I have heard the term but not really sure what it is).

THanks by the way
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
RealBeast

RealBeast

Titan
Moderator
Sep 13, 2010
17,111
474
104,790
If you do not use a router, then use Internet Connection Sharing -- ICS sets up an ad hoc network. Take a look at THIS for a how to guide.

In Windows 7 you can even share a wireless connection if you only have a laptop with only one wireless adapter by setting up a virtual wifi miniport, but if you connect the laptop with Ethernet you don't need to do that and should use ICS instead.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

bradyboyy88

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
125
0
10,690


Thank you for that info however I am a bit confused on something. Obviously the host machine is the laptop since everything will pass through its wireless connection to the wifi hotspot, but what about the non host machines its talking about. It says you need to change a few windows settings on the non-hots but the ip cameras do not have windows or does that not matter? Honestly I do not care about viewing these cameras remotely but just curious as to using ICS.

The more impotant question which I feel like you answer already but just to make sure. If I do not even care about these cameras interacting with internet(remote viewing, etc.) and only cared about the laptop using both LAN port(to switch with ip cameras) and wifi(to wifi hotspot) to get internet for browsing , this is possible ? Is the idea of ICS to get around the fact that a laptop cannot stay connected to two independent networks at once(LAN and WIFI hotspot which is what I pictured in my head lol) so you need to create this wireless adhoc network?

Thanks again for all your help and sorry if this seems redundant

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Beachnative

Beachnative

Honorable
Jan 25, 2013
545
0
11,060
Buy a wireless gaming adapter to connect wirelessly to your Verizon hotspot then connect that to your wireless router....Watch your channel selection to prevent interference... I know it's $100 problem but it will work
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
RealBeast

RealBeast

Titan
Moderator
Sep 13, 2010
17,111
474
104,790
It is best to do things yourself to understand and be able to fix when things go wrong. It is rather irritating that I get calls all the time from people that I have been trying to teach for many years for the same things over and over.

The laptop actually can be on multiple networks simultaneously, but can only have one default gateway -- the place it looks to resolve outside address, like going to a particular website. ICS simply allows one network adapter to share that outside connection with other devices.

The best way to learn about networking is to read as much as possible -- start with the sticky posts in the Networking and Wireless Networking forums here, and guides HERE, HERE and HERE under N for networking. Also Google for guides on specific subjects or read the quick wiki page to get an intro to things -- example wiki cidr will get you to THIS page that gives you an introduction to CIDR that will give you a much better understanding of IP addressing.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

bradyboyy88

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
125
0
10,690
Thanks for the links and it they definatley seem like a good place to start. I am an actuary, which doesnt not require any networking knowledge, so this kind of stuff is just a hobby and I am always looking to learn. This whole setup is actually for a security camera system I am installing for a friends small business. I have most of the components and when the rest get here I am going to test out the ICS option and see how it goes.
The method you first introduced which was bridge, how is that different from ICS? They seem very similar in the fact that it is combining more than one network. OR is bridging combining gateways since previously I mentioned a router?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
RealBeast

RealBeast

Titan
Moderator
Sep 13, 2010
17,111
474
104,790
There is a big difference between bridging, which connects two distinct networks into a single logical network, and ICS that only shares an Internet connection. Practically, the one that a home user needs depends on what they are connecting together -- ICS cannot connect two networks that each have a router or other DHCP server. The apparent similarity is due to Windows allowing you to do software bridging.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Beachnative

Beachnative

Honorable
Jan 25, 2013
545
0
11,060
The problem of ICS is that it's not for continued uninterrupted use. You have to use a computer, update it and the problems of making sure it's running all the time.
Simplify what you need and the maintenance of it!

Buy a wireless game adapter Here

set it up, plug in your router's WAN port, plug your switch into the LAN ports on your router and run with it.
Use different channels for wireless connectivity, meaning use channel 1 for the bridge (Verizon hotspot to wireless adapter) and channel 11 for your wireless router for wireless device connectivity.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Beachnative

Beachnative

Honorable
Jan 25, 2013
545
0
11,060
wifiwifi_zps12f2ed81.jpg.html
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

bradyboyy88

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
125
0
10,690


That is a nifty little device but if I were to use that wouldnt that waste the wireless capabilities of the router(bridge client using DD-WRT)? It does look like it simplifies it but I do not understand why you plug that wireless adapter into the WAN port of the router. You would think that is only for DHCP purposes and if you already have a main router with DHCP activated it would confuse everything but this stuff is so confusing that I am most likely wrong lol.
I am going to try the ICS since I only need the networks connected when computer is on so uninterupted connection is expected.

Thanks again to both ofyou
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Beachnative

Beachnative

Honorable
Jan 25, 2013
545
0
11,060
You need to connect wired devices to the Verizon wifi, correct? The way I have illustrated there are two completely different wireless networks that you have full control over, one that will bridge your Verizon to game adapter and another from your router to your network devices (PC, IP camera, etc.)
I'm not too familiar with DDWRT but do know that when you use WDS & AP (that will bridge to your Verizon wifi box and to your network devices) performance will degrade 50% at a minimum(data has to be transmitted twice, once from the Verizon to your router then to the network device). By separating the wireless activity into two, one acts as the WAN bridge, the other for the LAN, thereby reducing wireless traffic on both.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom