Is this possible? Wireless access point question...

Ok, here is the deal.

I bought a blu ray player for my birthday. It is a Samsung that works nice, but there is one problem that I am trying to work around.

It is "wireless ready- just attach wireless network device" according to the box, which is why I bought it over the Panasonic that was the same price. I get home only to discover that in order to go wireless, you need to buy the Samsung wireless dongle which runs about 80 bucks. So much for truth in advertising.

Now being the cheap bastard that I am, it is time to look for alternatives. I currently use a Netgear wireless router, but have a Linksys wireless access point sitting in a box as well. Is it possible to use the linksys as a bridge so that it will receive the signal from the Netgear? That way I could just run a network cable from the access point to the blu ray rather than shell out 80 bucks for the Samsung dongle.

I have done some reading and everything I have run across so far says that you need to use the same product for your wireless router and the bridge (two linksys units, etc). Trying to find a way to use the different manufacturers to get the same result.

I could take the blu ray back and get the next model up with wireless built into it, but this would be cheaper and will give me something to do today. :cheers:

im sure it is possible, just depends how much you want to test.

IIRC the main router and bridge will have to have the same SSID and chan. and there will be a ip issue more then likely to resolve

other then that i havent tryed a bridge.

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Originally Posted by al2n

Ok, here is the deal.

I bought a blu ray player for my birthday. It is a Samsung that works nice, but there is one problem that I am trying to work around.

It is "wireless ready- just attach wireless network device" according to the box, which is why I bought it over the Panasonic that was the same price. I get home only to discover that in order to go wireless, you need to buy the Samsung wireless dongle which runs about 80 bucks. So much for truth in advertising.

Now being the cheap bastard that I am, it is time to look for alternatives. I currently use a Netgear wireless router, but have a Linksys wireless access point sitting in a box as well. Is it possible to use the linksys as a bridge so that it will receive the signal from the Netgear? That way I could just run a network cable from the access point to the blu ray rather than shell out 80 bucks for the Samsung dongle.

I have done some reading and everything I have run across so far says that you need to use the same product for your wireless router and the bridge (two linksys units, etc). Trying to find a way to use the different manufacturers to get the same result.

I could take the blu ray back and get the next model up with wireless built into it, but this would be cheaper and will give me something to do today. :cheers:

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You're correct ... a bridge is only possible between two identical access points. I use two old Linksys WAP11's to bridge the networks in my shack (garage) and the house.

Cable is cheap ... why not run a cable from the router to the blu-ray player along the baseboards? I do understand this takes some of the fun factor out of the equation ... :D

I am hesitant to run cable because I am a renter. Not sure if the landlord wants me drilling holes through a couple wallss to get to the blu ray. Would have to go from our bedroom through the kids room and into the living room.

Gonna cruise Ebay and see if I can find another Netgear for cheap. That will be the easiest way to solve the problem. Not as much fun as hacking the linksys, but in the long run it will probably be better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by al2n

I am hesitant to run cable because I am a renter. Not sure if the landlord wants me drilling holes through a couple wallss to get to the blu ray. Would have to go from our bedroom through the kids room and into the living room.

Gonna cruise Ebay and see if I can find another Netgear for cheap. That will be the easiest way to solve the problem. Not as much fun as hacking the linksys, but in the long run it will probably be better.

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I'm not sure, but couldn't you use a laptop wi-fi setup to do the job? They're small, plentiful and when on sale, pretty cheap. Also, they'll run off a USB port.

I established a 300' bridge between two networks by one network having a wireless router, and the other network an access point, configured for that remote router, connected to the local router's WAN port. Auto-setup, and a bridge was formed.

Will your Linksys take a copy of DD-WRT? What model is it?

I've played with DD-WRT on a few Linksys WRT-54G wireless routers, and I'm pretty sure the repeater mode will do what you want. Program the DD-WRT box to access your Netgear router (wirelessly) and then you can plug hardwired LAN connections into the DD-WRT box. DD-WRT doesn't care what's on the other wireless end, and supports all the normal WiFi security stuff. It may have another mode that is more suitable (I'd have to play a bit), but I've done this in repeater mode.

DD-WRT is supported on all the WRT-54's I think, but it's also supported on some Linksys access points, as I reccall.

Here's the database of supported DD-WRT stuff:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database

Might be a bigger project than you're after -- flashing the Linksys can be non-trivial, but DD-WRT is very cool... And it's free. :D

I got a belkin wireless for a friend from Walmart, sale price of $29.00. I was surprised to see all the options on it, and believe you can select it to be a wireless router, access point, and a bridge. It may be the N 150, but I will find out for sure, and let you know.

With DD-WRT, it looks like client bridge mode would be the way to go:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php...#Client_Bridge

I have a linksys wap54g access point. Looks like DD-WRT will work on that model.

May have to give that a try and see if it works.

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Originally Posted by al2n

I have a linksys wap54g access point. Looks like DD-WRT will work on that model.

May have to give that a try and see if it works.

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If you do, plan on spending a little time reading the instructions on flashing the unit. As I recall, you have to use tftp and it may be a two-step process, depending on the particular model. There is a small possibility of "bricking" the AP. Well worth it, IMHO. I have three WRT-54's that have all been converted. This beats the heck out of the factory firmware.

As a side note, WRT-54's go for about $35 on eBay -- maybe even cheaper with a lot of people moving to the 'n' version of WiFi. This is a very "hackable" router, and Linksys made millions of them.

I upgraded the firmware late last night. Was a bit tricky, but I finally got it to take.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to configure the client bridge and I should be set.

This firmware has way more options than the factory stuff. I can see why you like it. :agree:

Cool, Mike!

Let us know how it works out.

Ha! It works!

Samsung can keep their 80 dollar dongle. :neener:

Got it up and running. The connection does seem a tad slow, but I have not rebooted everything yet so that may be part of what is slowing down the connection.

But it works!

I've done this two ways; I purchased WPGS-606 wireless print servers from Netgear, which include 5 ethernet ports and they work fine with Linksys routers and my Apple Airport Extreme.

I've also taken a Linksys WRT-54GL and installed DD-WRT and bridged it to other access points. Works well, and although more expensive than the print server method, it has a lot more functionality.

I take a list of compatible DD-WRT routers with me to Hamfests. Saves a couple old Belkin and Buffalo devices from the trash heap and they too will bridge just fine.

I have gone through two Netgear wireless printer routers (with two USB ports). They only have one year of life on the radios, won't buy another one. You can use the Netgear wireless printer routers as a bridge. Connect one of the ethernet ports to your router WAN port (mine was Netgear), and did auto settings, and a bridge was formed with a linksys router.