Small business LAN and wireless networks not cooperating

[stephanieLellett]

Hello,
I have a small business with 1 "server PC", 7 PC's & 2 Mac's (and a WiFi TV)Oh and a copier.
the server reaches the internet from the wall socket through the copier through a router through a WAP finally to Server. All wired PCs can see the server and interact with it and the copier. All wireless devices (through WAP) cannot access the server computer or the copier. There is no inexpensive way to get a wire to the devices with out causing a tripping hazard or lots of unsightly strung wires.
Why are the wireless connections not seeing the server and can I fix that by reconfiguring the setup of my exsisting devices?

 

[stephanieLellett]

Oooh correction the router is actually a switch! If I move my Wireless access point to between the copier and the switch would that allow the wireless connected devices to find the network?

 

[c614python]

Do you have a modem? Is the WAP a router as well, or just an access point?

If you have a modem, and a router, then you connect the router into the modem. From there, you run an Ethernet cable from the router to the switch, which I am guessing holds your wired devices. That is the simple way to do it without knowing how all of your gear is laid out.

 

[stephanieLellett]

Do you have a modem? Is the WAP a router as well, or just an access point?

If you have a modem, and a router, then you connect the router into the modem. From there, you run an Ethernet cable from the router to the switch, which I am guessing holds your wired devices. That is the simple way to do it without knowing how all of your gear is laid out.

Modem - not sure we are on fiber from isp. fiber comes in goes through a few things including a 16 port switch. those lines run out through the walls of MOST offices, the ones which are not equipped with a connection to the 16 port are connecting via the WAP on my line from the switch.
The Wap is a D-LInk DIR-601. It does have extra slots in the back for out going to other devices.
So here is the FULL path to the server:
Fiber to building goes to 16 port switch (all units wired to here can "see" server). 1 line from 16 switch come through wall at my office and heads to our copy machine (all wired units can send to copier). Copier out comes to a gigabit switch which has 3 lines running out of it - my computer, "server" computer, and WAP for offices that do not have hard lines.
I tried having the line from copier go to the WAP first then run a line to the gigabit switch, but I suddenly had my wireless folks not able to connect.
Maybe putting WAP on a different persons hardline? I hate to put it coming directly from the 16 port switch bc it is located in the attic and I worry about coverage

Thanks!

 

[jamesmcuk]

I would take the wire from the switch out of the copier and put it in to the WAP then connect the server, copier and your computer to the WAP also (hopefully it has 4 ports and don't use the WAN port)

Or Copier line to Gigabit switch which would then have the WAP, Server, copier, and your pc connected to it.

If your wireless people lose connection your WAP (which is actually a router) probably needs configuring to either take control of the DHCP network assignments or be disabled from doing so. You say the the firbre comes in and is then straight in to a switch. Are you sure that there is not a router sat in line between the "fiber in" and the switch as this is what should be allocating all the DHCP for the network. When you moved your WAP to the copier line I would imagine the wireless could see towo sets of DHCP servers and lost connectivity. Putting it on the far side of the Copier which I imagine is actually a print server with a copier connected to it maybe shields it from this which is why they connect at the moment.

Ultimatley I think you need to figure out the following:

How many routers are on the network? (The wap is a router)
Which routers are DHCP? (Keep it simple and stick to 1)
Ensure that the WAP has DHCP disabled and has a Static IP Address that can not be allocated by the Main Router but is part of the same network.

I would try and put the server directly off the switch as well.

 

[stephanieLellett]

Best answer selected by stephanieLellett.

 

[stephanieLellett]

Thanks Guys!
Turned out that we had a single line to the copier. There was another line that ran to that whole switch to WAP to the server and my computer. With a little rearranging the single line goes to the WAP and to one of the computers that was accessing wirelessly but is now wired. The other line I ran to the switch then ran outs to server, my computer, and copier. As a result the wireless is more centered in the building, that computer is now accessing the server (Yeah!!) and most importantly we no longer have a wire running across the doorway and another running around the side - Just two running around the corner! Maybe one day I'll drill a hole through the wall and fix that problem too