need wireless connection between modem & router

Maybe a second wireless router/access point will do the trick to avoid your cabling dilemma ? Might even be cheaper than trying to run cables.

What would be the topology of such a setup? That is, what would connect to what? It sounds like you'd connect a wireless router to the cable modem downstairs, and have that router speak to the wireless router upstairs. Would that work? How would the IP addresses be arranged so that the desktop upstairs could say that it wanted to access the Internet via the modem on the downstairs router instead of one of the devices on the upstairs router?

*TimDaniels*

On 01/19/2009 05:58 PM, Timothy Daniels sent:

Hello Tim:

I don't know what your budget limitations might be for a pair of wireless Ethernet extenders... However, what is the approximate distance from the old to the new location?

So, despite your requirements Tim, it might /still/ be best to find a way to run plenum rated CAT5/CAT6 cable from near the cable modem to near the proposed new upstairs location.

Alternatively, perhaps a way can be found to extend the cable provider's RG6 coaxial cable to the new location, therefor allowing you to bring the cable modem to the new location too. You'd get TV service, and maybe more, at the upstairs location as a bonus.

Last, but not least, leave the cable modem *and* WRT54GS router downstairs and go 802.11G wireless with the desktop, laptop and printer employing wireless USB based service using Linksys WUSB54G USB adapters or their equivalents. Just use the best appropriate security measures if this is undertaken.

I know this is mostly what you didn't want to read. Sorry...

Perhaps you could update this thread in the future with your progress.

Pete

I've never done it with a home router (only on UNIX systems that don't use broadband). You should be able to make the whole setup upstairs act like a gateway for the router downstairs, but I'd have to do a lot of research to tell you how to configure it. Maybe a quick support question to Linksys would get you an appropriate answer.

Cat5/Cat6 cable would be only slightly easier to run because it's more flexible and thinner than RG6QS cable, but holes would still have to be drilled and the cable fished through the same areas. The hardware I'd hope to buy used on Ebay - the same way I bought the Linksys wireless router and the Ambit cable modem. (Read that "low budget"). I was stunned when I called a local home theater installation company - which charges $95/hour/person to do that kind of cabling, with a minimum of $190 (2 people for one hour). Time Warner guys, who don't even know what a Greelee flexible drill bit is, charge $20 to $30 just to come out to give an estimate. Then there's the asbestos in the ceiling.... It really makes me want to go wireless for the router-modem link.

*TimDaniels*

Try Craigslist for an electrician in your area who takes cash. Calling a home theater company to run some coax is like calling a neurosurgeon to clean out earwax. And have him run both coax and Cat6 to the same wall plate. It won't cost much more, and gives you more options.

--Gene

My $0.02

1. Leave the modem and wireless router where they are; configure the laptop for wireless operation and (as a test) carry it upstairs to where the equipment would likely reside. How is the signal strength/quality?

If good, then pick up a wireless router that can run dd-wrt firmware, (I'm partial to the Linksys WRT54GL, but the dd-wrt website lists many supported models), which you would configure as a 'wireless client bridge'. The wireless router downstairs would be the Access Point, and the wireless router upstairs would be the client. The client connects to the AP and shares the connection via its 4 LAN ports.

1. If the above is not an option, consider some flavor of power line networking. I believe you can pick up a pair of devices for about . Advantages are that the connection is still wired, no cables of any kind have to be run, and you're not relying on wireless.

The signal reaching the laptop upstairs is excellent and the speed measured via the SpeakEasy.com website is the same as that of the wired connection, i.e. 5.8Mbps. Wireless would provide a solid connection from the livingroom to the bedroom directly above.

Does that mean that the only way to provide a wireless bridge between the wireless router upstairs and the modem downstairs is to flash a wireless router with 3rd-party firmware? I'd be willing to do it if that were the only way and I could find another router cheap on Ebay, but there would be a learning curve that I may not be able to afford.

Siemens Speedstream powerline ethernet adaptors got some good comments. Retail price is $99, and Amazon is out of stock and there aren't any listed on Ebay, and Nextag doesn't list them, either. Since I'd need 2 of them, that might be too pricey a solution. Amazon is selling a Linksys powerline ethernet bridge, but there's no information about it on the Linksys website. I keep reading about flakiness of Powerline products and their slow real world data rates, and it makes wireless more attractive.

*TimDaniels*

Don't overthink this.

Simply make everything upstairs wireless--laptop, desktop, printer--all of them.

Downstairs is the cable modem and the router. Great. But the router is wireless only--nothing wired connects to it.

Upstairs is the laptop--connected wireless. The desktop--put a wireless card in it. The printer--use a wireless to wired ethernet adapter (you could use one of those for the desktop, too).

This way, each device can be ANYWHERE in the house, and not tied to a physical location just because it has to wire into something.

Wired to wireless adapter:

Another alternative: while keeping your cable modem and router downstairs, connect them to the house using powerline adapters:

Imagine plugging a wire from your router into the wall outlet, then upstairs from your wall outlet into a small hub/switch. Then plug laptop, desktop, printer into the small hub switch.

This way you get the benefit of hard wiring from downstairs to upstairs, without running an actual network wire. Actually, you get the benefit of having wired network products ANYWHERE in the house.

Me, I'd just make everything wireless using the first method above. Why complicate things.

IMHO, this is definitely the frontrunner so far. Other solutions, including running coax, running Cat5, and Powerline, are not as attractive now that you know the wireless signal is more than adequate.

No, flashing a wireless router isn't the only way, but it's usually cheaper since wireless routers cost less than bridges, probably due to economy of scale. For example, the Linksys WET54G is an actual bridge device, but it costs $80-85 new, depending on where you shop. Compare that to a Linksys WRT54GL, for $60-65 new. Ebay usually has lots of used wireless routers that would be suitable, but you'll typically find far fewer bridges for sale.

They were talking about Powerline networking products in alt.internet.wireless just recently. Some people have had good results, while others had poor results. I suppose it depends on several factors, including how much noise is on your lines. I have no personal experience and only mentioned them for completeness.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a step by step guide in the dd-wrt Wiki on how to set up a router as a wireless client bridge. I'll help you look if you're interested. I think you'll find it's a few clicks and done. I have two WRT54GL routers running as client bridges here.

I see several WET54G wireless ethernet bridges for sale on Ebay at widely varying prices. Remembering that the router upstairs can connect to a device wirelessly, would one or two wireless bridges be needed to form the link between the modem downstairs and the router upstairs?

*TimDaniels*

My major problem is financial. Making all the devices connect wirelessly would involve buying and installing two wireless adaptors - one for the desktop and one for the printer (and the printer will be sitting right next to the desktop). The WET54G does look like a proper candidate for the job of simulating the ethernet link, though.

What intrigues me is the idea of using a single WET54G (many are sold on Ebay) for the link between the modem downstairs and the WRT54GS wireless router upstairs. Could just one WET54G form that connection with the WRT54GS router upstairs, or would I need 2 WET54G's - one at the modem and another at the router?

Powerline ethernet adaptors might be the easiest way to go if the upstairs wall outlets and the downstairs wall outlets are on the same branch circuit. (I don't want to get into placing capacitor bridges between branch circuits.) Another problem is price - they don't appear much on Ebay, etc. as used devices, and having to buy two units at retail would break the bank. I'd definitely go with wireless if I could get away with just one wireless ethernet adaptor, e.g. the Linksys WET54G, instead of two.

*TimDaniels*

If I'm following the story correctly, you're suggesting the modem will remain downstairs and everything else (wireless router, desktop PC, laptop, and printer) will all move upstairs. All of the equipment upstairs would continue to be connected to the router via Cat5 cables.

I don't think that will work since it would require the bridge to be placed downstairs, cabled to the modem, and connecting as a client to the router's built in Access Point. That would put the bridge on the router's LAN, while it needs to be on the router's WAN in that case. Swapping the router and the bridge should work, leaving the router cabled to the modem and acting as an Access Point, and the bridge located upstairs acting as a wireless client. Unfortunately, that probably means you need more ports upstairs, such as you'd find on a switch or router.

To sum up, a single bridge device is required. It would be best to leave the router downstairs with the modem and place the bridge upstairs. The bridge only has a single Ethernet port, so you'll likely need a device (switch, router, even a hub, etc) that can provide additional ports for your 3 networked devices.

But that would necessitate buying multiple devices to accomplish my goal - a financial no-no. At this point, I'm re-considering coaxial cable. It would have to run along the floor, up a corner of the interior wall, and penetrate an asbestos-containing plaster ceiling - OR run it along the floor, through a sliding glass door frame to the outside and then up an exterior patio wall to penetrate the bedroom floor above. I'd want to use compression-fit connectors - which means buying an expensive tool or hiring a professional cabler from Craigslist to do the work. OR switching to DSL. OR leaving the home office in the livingroom and telling the future roommate to live somewhere else. :-)

Thanks for your insights, guys.

*TimDaniels*

While the WET54G is a proper candidate, you'd get more functionality at potentially a lower cost by flashing a router. In addition to the basic bridge function, you'd also get the additional LAN ports that you probably need.

Just one.

OK, so there's a viable option to running cable upstairs - a single WET54G or a single flashed WRT54GS. Is there any online documentation on setting up the downstairs flashed WRT54GS as an ethernet adaptor to link to the upstairs unflashed WRT54GS? I looked at the dd-wrt.com website, and there doesn't seem to be any description of that function and how to set it up. Is there a name for that function that would help in finding instructions on how to set it up?

*TimDaniels*

Switches/hubs are cheap.

Here's the best, most detailed, instructions that I found:

I would again advise to leave the existing router downstairs near the modem. That router will be the Access Point. The flashed router will be the Client, so it needs to be upstairs and all of the other 3 devices will plug into its LAN ports. It's WAN port will not be used (unless you perform the step to assign the WAN port to the LAN.)

Thanks for the informative link. You don't say why you'd recommend the Wireless Client mode instead of the Wireless Bridge mode. In the Wireless Client mode, would the laptop connect wirelessly to the upstairs client router or only to the downstairs Access Point router? In the Wireless Bridge mode, would the laptop be able to connect wirelessly to just the upstairs router, to either router, or to just the downstairs router?

*TimDaniels*