Access Point + Router Question

[Makaveli84]

Hello,
I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to networking. I'm not entirely sure of all the terminology, but i will try my best to explain my problem.
My internet network consists of a small black device that receives a wireless signal and that is installed on the roof of my house. I think it is called an access point. A cable then connects this device to my PC's network card through a regular RJ-45 connector. I connect to the internet through a PPPoE broadband account, but that is not important (or at least i don't think so). Now whenever i need to change any settings on my access point, i use its pre-configured IP address which is 192.168.1.146. This address takes me to the login page of my a.p. device.
Also, i can ping my local "station" at 192.168.1.99 in order to diagnose any problems when my connection is down or slow.

So far, so good.. Now enters my new D-Link DIR-615 router. I now have my a.p. connected to my router's Internet port, and i have my desktop PC wirely connected to the router. Got my router's internet settings all tuned up and working fine, and i can normally connect to the internet.. Only now, i can't reach my a.p. settings page (the 192.168.1.146), nor can i ping my local "station" (the 192.168.1.99).
Only device i can connect to is my router, which has a default IP of 192.168.0.1

In both setups, i can ping my ISP at 2.2.2.12.

This is a bit problematic for me, since i often have to ping both my local station and my ISP, in order to diagnose my connection's problems.
Now, whenever i'm having connection problems, i have to disconnect the cable from my router and connect it to my PC to test/compare ping results and/or to view/change my a.p. settings.

How can i solve this? How can i access my access point's settings page and ping the "station" i'm connected to when i'm connecting through a router??

 

[Emerald]

why are you using a router on an internal network? What are you trying to accomplish?

 

[Makaveli84]

^^ Well, obviously to have access to the internet on more than the one machine (ie laptops connecting wirelessly to the router).

 

[Emerald]

change the IP of the Dlink to 192.168.1.254, disable DHCP, setup your wireless security, and connect it via one of the four LAN ports.

 

[Makaveli84]

Can't i access the a.p. when i'm wirelessly connected to the router? Do i have to be connected to it via a LAN port?

 

[Emerald]

You need to connect the A.P. to the LAN port, do not connect to the WAN/Internet port. This will allow you to access both the AP setting page, and the "Station".

 

[Makaveli84]

What about the PPPoE login settings? Do i leave them as previously set on the router side, or will i have to change anything?
Also, what about the ip settings on the pc/laptops? Will i have to set a static ip for each machine connecting to the router, or do i leave it as "automatic get ip" (since as far as i know, disabling DHCP will affect how the router assigns ips to client machines)??

 

[Emerald]

If you connect the PC directly to the AP, will the PC be assigned an IP automatically?

If not you need to assign IP manually

 

[Makaveli84]

If you connect the PC directly to the AP, will the PC be assigned an IP automatically?

If not you need to assign IP manually

When i connect the PC directly to the AP, i set the IP manually..
But judging from what you just said, it seems to me that the setup you suggested won't allow me to access the internet from more than one machine at the same time (unless i can set the same IP on my wire-connected PC and my wireless-connected laptops), which really takes the point out of the whole router setup..
Then again, i might have mis-understood your suggestion, so by any means, feel free to correct me .

 

[Emerald]

You should be able to use any unused IP between 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.254