How to setup two Linksys routers (G&N) to work side by side?

[krazynutz]

I'll try to keep this as simple as possible.

Router 1: Linksys Speedbooster G (referred to as "G" from now on"
Router 2: Linksys WRT150N Draft N (referred to as "N" from now on"

1. I live in a two-family house with one internet connection (yes we all know each other)
2. We had the G for the longest time with 3 computers and two TiVo's and it's never been secured. I got a great deal on the N ($40 new) so I picked it up because I wanted a secure network.
3. The G is the main router that's connected directly to one PC

How do I hook up the N to the G and configure the settings to work side-by-side?

Thanks!

 

[Iceblue]

I'll try to keep this as simple as possible.

Router 1: Linksys Speedbooster G (referred to as "G" from now on"
Router 2: Linksys WRT150N Draft N (referred to as "N" from now on"

1. I live in a two-family house with one internet connection (yes we all know each other)
2. We had the G for the longest time with 3 computers and two TiVo's and it's never been secured. I got a great deal on the N ($40 new) so I picked it up because I wanted a secure network.
3. The G is the main router that's connected directly to one PC

How do I hook up the N to the G and configure the settings to work side-by-side?

Thanks!

That's a very generic question. What are you trying to accomplish?

As long as your G wireless remains operational and unsecured, your network will be unsecured regardless of what the N side is doing.

Draft N devices sometimes interfere with G networks.

Chances are your G router could have security enabled to pretty much the same level of security as your new N router (assuming it actually meets the G spec).

 

[krazynutz]

What I'm attempting to accomplish is using my secure router (N) for my own use. Rather than being on the non-secure (G) router, I'd rather just be on the newer (N) router.

In other words, rather than being accused of "screwing something up" on their (G) router, I figured I could just add mine (N), be secure, and have better range. I'm the furthest from the routers on my computer.

 

[Iceblue]

Do you have any reason to be on the same LAN as their computers (e.g. sharing files, folders, printers, etc)?

If not, plug a cable (cat5e) between the WAN port on your new router to one of the LAN ports on the old router. This will create a separate sub-LAN under the new router. Make sure you setup your wireless to be on a non-overlapping channel from the old wireless (1, 6, or 11). You can then secure this wireless connection. The firewall on your new router will prevent intrusion from its WAN side and the security on your wireless will prevent intrusion from the wireless connection.

If your channel is non-interfering (say they are ch 1 - set yours on 6 or 11), you should have no effect on the old setup at all.

If you do need to remain on the same LAN, connect the cable from the LAN ports on the old router to one of the LAN ports on the new router. Connect nothing to the WAN port on the new router. Configure the new router to be an access point only (disable DHCP server, etc.). (Check the new router's documentation on setting it up as an access point to confirm the cabeling instructions I just gave you.) As above, make sure your wireless is operating on a different non-interfering channel from the old wireless. In this setup, the lack of security on the G wireless will render the N security pointless.

 

[krazynutz]

Ok, that's what I thought (on both hookups). I just wanted to make sure. So if I hook up the N router with a LAN-WAN, I keep DHCP enabled and if I hook it up with the LAN-LAN, I disable the DHCP. Right?

And it'll work just as well either way? Just no firewall on the 2nd setup? I'd still have my WEP encryption for the wireless, though, right?

 

[Iceblue]

Ok, that's what I thought (on both hookups). I just wanted to make sure. So if I hook up the N router with a LAN-WAN, I keep DHCP enabled and if I hook it up with the LAN-LAN, I disable the DHCP. Right?

Right.

And it'll work just as well either way? Just no firewall on the 2nd setup?

Just as well? Depends. Do you need to be on the same LAN as the rest of the house? Also, there is no firewall between the two routers. Presumably, there is a firewall on the G router already? This will still be in force to protect your LAN from intrusion from the WAN (internet) side.

I'd still have my WEP encryption for the wireless, though, right?

Yes, but in the second setup (access point) it buys you nothing (except keeping leechers from using your N connection; they'd have to use the G connection). That is, the unsecured G wireless would allow anyone within range to connect to the LAN, including access to client machines connected on the N wireless should they choose to try to snoop around.

So, if you need to secure your part of the network you need to use the first setup (WAN to LAN).

Also, if you are actually concerned with security, use WPA, not WEP.

 

[krazynutz]

Good to know!

Thanks for all your responses! I have a better idea of what's going on right now. I know N is getting a bad rap right now but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get that WRT150N for $40 (shipped). It was through a promotion through Broadcom. And since you seem to know your stuff....

New question!

If I get an N adapter, are there any you would recommend? Also, if it's not a Linksys, should I stick to Broadcom Intensi-Fi chips for best compatibility?

Thanks!

 

[Iceblue]

Thanks for the compliment, but here's where I run out of gas. I have successfully avoided the draft N products and so have no first-hand knowledge of them.

Check out Small Net Builder. The owner of that site (Tim Higgins) used to be involved with this forum. He originally was strongly critical of all the pre-n stuff as over-hyped products where the marketeers rushed a premature technology to market. Lately, he has warmed up to it. Somewhere on his site he has an article where he addresses which chipsets seem most likely to be upgradable to the final standard when it becomes available. That may be of some help.

 

[krazynutz]

Hey thanks a lot for all your help. I'll check it out.

Just hooked up the routers LAN-WAN and it took awhile to get internet on the N router. Then it only lasts about 5 seconds and loses it. If I change to the G router and back to the N router, again, I'll have internet for about 5 seconds and then lose it. What's that all about?

It works a lot better LAN-LAN wit the DCHP disabled but I'd prefer the other way. What could I be doing wrong?

Thanks,

 

[Iceblue]

Are you able to connect to the N router wired (for test purposes)? This is to determine if your N router remains connected to the WAN through a wired connection. If it does, then your problem is with the wireless connection only.

Do not have any security enabled until you get the basic connection working. Make sure you are on a different non-interfering channel from the old G router's wireless.

Try setting the wireless connection to G-only (I'm assuming it has that setting in its setup). If you do not have an N adapter, you don't want the N router having to always determine that and step down to standard G. Just set it there to begin with.

 

[krazynutz]

well, I should either feel silly or I learned something quirky about routers today. I took the info somebody else wrote in another thread about a LAN-LAN setup and applied it to my LAN-WAN setup.

Originally, I had the G IP address as 198.168.1.1 and the N as 198.168.1.2 (which DID work in a LAN-LAN setup for me)

Once I changed the N to 198.168.2.2, everything cleared up with the LAN-WAN setup and BOTH routers work better than before.

Weird.

Thanks for all your suggestions but it looks like I've got everything under control now. I really appreciate the time and thought put into helping me.

Cheers!