DD-WRT Wireless mode on WHR-G54S

I want to set up one WHR-G54S attached to the cable modem via the WAN port. (this one, now DD-WRT)

Then I want to use another WHR-G54S as a wireless access point where computers will be plugged into the LAN ports.

Which Wireless Mode should the cable-attached router be set to?

Which Wireless Mode should the remote router be set to?

Wireless Mode The wireless part of your router can run in different modes:

  • AP mode ? This is the default mode, also called Infrastructure mode. Your router acts as an central connection point, which wireless clients can connect to.
  • Client mode ? The radio interface is used to connect the internet-facing side of the router (i.e., the WAN) as a client to a remote accesspoint. NAT or routing are performed between WAN and LAN, like in "normal" gateway or router mode. Use this mode, e.g., if your internet connection is provided by a remote accesspoint, and you want to connect a subnet of your own to it.
  • Client Bridged mode ? The radio interface is used to connect the LAN side of the router to a remote accesspoint. The LAN and the remote AP will be in the same subnet (This is called a "bridge" between two network segments). The WAN side of the router is unused and can be disabled. Use this mode, e.g., to make the router act as a "WLAN adapter" for a device connected to one of its LAN ethernet ports.
  • Ad-Hoc mode ? This is for peer to peer wireless connections. Clients running in Ad-Hoc mode can connect to each other as required without involving central access points.
Reply to
Louis Ohland
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Louis Ohland hath wroth:

AP mode. The WAN port goes to the cable modem.

That could be in either the client mode or the AP mode with WDS. Client mode will work allowing you to plug in multiple computers into this 2nd WHR-G54S. However, all wireless connections would need to go to the first WHR-G54S. However, if you use the AP mode with WDS, you can connect to either device via wireless. There will be a slow down with wireless connections to the 2nd WHR-G54S, but no slow down with the computers plugged into the LAN ports on the 2nd WHR-G54S.

However, there's a catch. WDS mode does not work with WPA encryption. The best you can do is WEP encryption. If you're seriously worried about hackers breaking into your system, then use the client mode and WPA. If you can live with the marginal security of WEP, then use WDS.

I would go with AP mode, WEP, and WDS.

AP mode with WDS.

AP mode with WDS.

AP mode with WDS.

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Also, I suggest you consider installing DD-WRT firmware on both your Buffalo WHR-G54S. Many more options and goodies to play with.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 20:01:35 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote in :

My own recommendation would be to always use WPA, which rules out WDS.

Reply to
John Navas

I am trying to communicate with the remote WHR-G54S. It shows up under "Site Survey" from the cable-connected WHR-G54S.

On the W98SE box: Trying PING 192.168.1.1 returns with site unavailable Trying PING 192.168.11.1 returns time out on the pings.

I'm quite at a loss. Has it somehow automagically configured to another IP? How the heck can I derive the IP of the remote WHR-G54S if this is the case?

Stumped Chump...

John Navas wrote:

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Louis Ohland hath wroth:

Please do not assume that anyone reading your question has also read every one of your previous postings. Keep it simple:

  1. What are you trying to accomplish?
  2. What have you got to work with (hardware and software)?
  3. Where are you stuck? (What works, what doesn't).

If you successfully installed DD-WRT on both devices, they are both set to 192.168.1.1. Duplicate IP's will not work. Plug an ethernet cable into the 2nd AP and change its IP address to 192.168.1.2.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

I would use Client Bridged mode for this application. I have two DD-WRT routers running as bridges and they work fine. I even use WPA with TKIP encryption without any problems. The main router is a WHR-G45S running the buffalo firmware and the client bridges are Motorola WR850g routers running DD-WRT V23SP2.

Reply to
Bryant Smith

OK, from the top:

Two WHR-G54S, both flashed to DD-WRT v23

WHR-G54S #1 Attached to cable modem via WAN port. Support wired LAN ports, plus communicate with WHR-G54S via WPA-AES. Set to 192.168.1.1 DHCP Server AP mode

Router Router Name DD-WRT Router Model Buffalo WHR-G54S LAN MAC 00:16:01:15:C5:6E WAN MAC 00:16:01:15:C5:6F Wireless MAC 00:16:01:15:C5:70 WAN IP 68.114.217.35 LAN IP 192.168.1.1 SSID dd-wrt

DHCP Clients Host Name IP Address MAC Address Expires CHUCK 192.168.1.112 xx:xx:xx:xx:08:36 1 day 00:00:00 Computer

* 192.168.1.113 xx:xx:xx:xx:D8:51 1 day 00:00:00 #2?

WHR-G54S #2 Set up as an access point for wired ethernet to be plugged into LAN ports. It has no wired link to #1

I want to use the DHCP server in #1 to provide IP for all devices attached to #2. Nothing flashy, I hope.

I solved one issue by turning off static IP on the computer that #2 was attached to via a LAN port. I logged into #2 with 192.168.1.1, but things went downhill from there. Using Site Survey, I changed it to "Client", it detected #1.

Could it be that #2 is now at 192.168.1.113?

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Louis Ohland hath wroth:

Yep. That should work. However, last time I setup WDS, I used two DHCP servers, with different IP address pools. It also worked.

Third time is the charm. Change the IP address of #2 from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.2. Life will be easier without duplicate IP's.

No.

Incidentally, make sure you have both routers set to the same channel. Don't use Auto channel mode. Also, turn of Frame Burst (a.k.a. High Speed Mode) which causes some performance weirdness.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

WHR-G54 #1 (192.168.1.1) can now ping #2 (192.168.1.2)

# 2 is set client bridged. No security right now. Still futz> Louis Ohland hath wroth:

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Reply to
Louis Ohland

What is the sequence for enabling WPA2 shared key? When I enabled it on both WHR-G54S, my remote WHR can't even ping itself (192.168.1.2).

Both WHR were set to WPA2 Shared Key, AES, same key, and then I was unable to connect from WHR #2. WHR #1 is still able to connect to the internet, and I can log into it and change things.

Why did the sec> It's working. WHR #1 (192.168.1.1) is set to AP, #2 (192.168.1.2) is set

Reply to
Louis Ohland

With Bridge mode I have not been bale able to get WPA2-PSK to work. I had to go back to WPA-PSK (TKIP) to get it to talk to my main router. It could have been a limitation with my router, but I don't know.

Reply to
Bryant Smith

Bryant Smith hath wroth:

WPA doesn't work in bridge or WDS mode. Only in access point or client mode. The best you can do in bridge or WDS mode is WEP.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

TKIP works? I'll have to try it. WPA2 and AES does not work in client bridge mode, or so it seems.

I tried Client mode on my setup, and it went stupid. I'll have to nuke it back to the default settings and bring it up. But my setup was working this morning (AP-Client Bridge) this morning.

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I added a (crude) image of my setup.

Bryant Smith wrote:

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Well, I'm using my 760XL on the setup >

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< I'll see about what security that I can get away with. Might be shut down, but that will illustrate your contention.

Back to searching on it.

Client Bridged mode ? The radio interface is used to connect the LAN side of the router to a remote accesspoint. The LAN and the remote AP will be in the same subnet (This is called a "bridge" between two network segments). The WAN side of the router is unused and can be disabled. Use this mode, e.g., to make the router act as a "WLAN adapter" for a device connected to one of its LAN ethernet ports.

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Limitation of WPA in DD-WRT v2.3?

///-------------------- I must surf more. Here's a WIKI tidbit...

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  1. Wireless Tab - Wireless Security Subtab
  2. Security Mode: WEP (I have not tried anything but 128bit WEP!) wpa-psk works as well -guyonphone; wpa-psk even works if original router is wpa2 mixed -mcoope3; v2.3_sp2 in client bridge mode currently doesn't support wpa2-psk, but only wpa2-psk mixed mode, so the AP has to be set to mixed and not wpa2-only mode (it can be either AES or TKIP).-zevnik

------------------///

Louis Ohland wrote:

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Reply to
Louis Ohland

Could you please hold the stream of consciousness thing, and just post when you get to your destination? Thanks.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:39:01 -0600, Louis Ohland wrote in :

Reply to
John Navas

That's "client bridge", not WDS.

p.s. Please don't switch posting styles (top vs bottom) in mid-thread

-- it's confusing. Thanks.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:39:01 -0600, Louis Ohland wrote in :

Reply to
John Navas

I currently have 2 routers working in Client Bridge mode with DD-WRT V23SP2 that are using WPA-PSK and TKIP encryption (I could not get AES working). Is this the client mode or the bridge mode you speak of? I guess I am confused at the difference between client mode and client bridge mode. I always use Client Bridge mode because I have more than one computer hooked to the device. WPA-PSK seems to be working just fine with that mode. In DD-WRT there are two different settings for WPA and WPA2. I use WPA-PSK not WPA2-PSK.

Reply to
Bryant Smith

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