We need to connect a group of PC's to a free-to-use local WiFi Hotspot. This is the setup:
WWW-[Hotspot]ant...radio path...ant.[my w'less router]- wired to local PC's
The radio link is not the problem, the signal is quite strong. I just don't know how to make the my router connect to the public hotspot and distribute internet access to the local computers. I already have 2 wireless broadband routers, a SMC2804WBRP-G and a Sweex LC000070. From an earlier post I understand I need a Bridge and in the manuals of neither of the two can I find any reference they can be used as such. Is there some way I could still use this equipment, load different firmware perhaps?
If not, what is the best way to go, what else would I need? Any cheap solutions?
Came across your post whilst Googling "Sweex" for something else - thought I'd try and do my Good Samaritan deed for the day. I can't speak for your SMC2804WBRP-G but with the Sweex LC000070 ( with the default firmware R1.97d7a ) you can definetly do it. I've got that setup at home - two Sweex LC000070's one acting as a WDS (Wireless Distribution Service) bridge to the external router attached to the Cable Modem. I had to buy two because the transmission strength of the Sweex is abysmal - paradoxically at home that's actually good - stops the neigbours accessing it. Anyhowz, I digress. I'll get to your issue but FYI the Sweex LC000070 interface is almost identical to a USR 8003 and Sweex (previously inexq) won't release their source code to the routers (running Linux - embedded probably) even though they are under the GPL. Draw your own conclusions from that. Somewhat fishy... Anywayz, to your problem - basically ere's how the scenario applied to me - take the bits applicable to you. Scenario:
Client PCs ( x however many you have ) Internal Router (Bridge) External Router Cable Modem
Long onto the Internal Router - by default http://192.168.123.2541-Click the Basic\\Wireless link.
2-Click the "WDS Setting" button.
3-Select "Enable" for "Wireless Bridging"
4-Enter the MAC address of the router you want to bridge to ( be aware on some LC000070s the wrong mac address is stamped on the bottom of them this is true for both of mine ) You can verify what mac addresses you should be entering by downloading NetStunbler and running that on the clients. The MAC addresses it reports are the ones you need. Click Save/reboot the router.
5-From the Basic\\Wireless screen click the "MAC Address Control" button.
6-Disable Connection/Association/MAC Address control ( initially anyway - you can re-enable them later after hopefully getting the basic connection to work ). Save/reboot.
8-From the "Basic\\DHCP Server" menu make sure you disable DHCP - that's important - won't work otherwise.
7-Set up the remote AP in a simlar fashion ( obviously you'll need to consult it's docs ) but make sure DHCP is enabled on this one
You obviously may have further issues to deal with ( for me having two identical routers made it a little easier ). You may also find Googling "Wireless Distribution Service" helps - most of the big name routers already have this functionalitry and life being life the little guys (Sweex in this case) have nicked the functionality.
Sorry - one point I should have mentioned. I may be wrong but AFAIK, WDS works with same manufacturer access points. If the remote device is not a Sweex you *may* be out of luck.
Thanks a LOT for your help; I have enough information for now I suppose, I'll just try and see how I go. Is it really nescessary to know the remote AP info and change settings in it? This might be a problem as it is in someone's house who hasn't a clue about it, it is managed remotely by the local wireless club and they are very understaffed and not too keen to spend time sorting out 'problems' from non-standard users...
I'd think my set would just connect to the remote like any wireless card in a laptop, then internally change it for distribution to the connected PC. Remember I don not need to connect those wirelessly. One of our members also said something about having a 'server' for our event; could we just connect that wirelessly to the remote AP and somehow hitch the other machines to that server? Would that alleviate the problem?
Paul "Steve Berry" schreef in bericht news:bdgUe.2471$Q% snipped-for-privacy@newsfe1-win.ntli.net...
As far as the Sweex goes yes you do need to know the remote AP MAC address (and the local one for that matter). Think about the security implications - imagine two wireless routers/APs setup to allow WDS. If you didn't have to specify which MACs can connect than theoretically any wireless client ( of whatever type - Router/PC etc.. ) could connect ( Joe Bloggs from down the street for instance driving past in his van with his laptop on the dashboard for example ).. Whilst that's a WDS feature I'd actually like to see (allow the user to choose it if they want) the LC000070 doesn't support it (yet). I suspect if you worked this one back up to the IETF level (standards body) that's a deliberate/conscious decision with security issues in mind. If anyone else reading this uses WDS in a fashion where they don't have to specify MAC addresses, I'd like to know. I'd also like to know what routers support this. As for your scenario, I'm still not sure you'll actually be able to use WDS bearing in mind the routers are probably from different manufacturers (something I've never tried). You'll be taking a chance. How can you be sure one Vendor's implementation of WDS will be compatible enough with another Vendor's without testing it ? It's not your machines that's the point here ( or how they're connected to your local router - wireless/ethernet that doesn't matter ), it's how WDS functions - a very specific standard with very specific features As far as your server query goes - that's just a straight-forward connecting a box to a router issue - if the server wireless NIC can "see" the router and the router is setup to allow access you should have no problems - you could then use NAT/ICS on the server for example (both Windows-(through ICS/NAT/RRAS)/UNIX variants (Linux blah..blah..) support this) to allow your local clients to connect through the server box. You've got quite a bit of choice. Additionally if you try to go down the WDS route, you'll have additional issues to worry about like finding out the SSID/Channel ID of the remote AP, making sure your local SSID is unique and your Channel ID matches the Channel ID being used by the remote AP, whether you're going to use encryption etc.... If you'd like my opinion, for your scenario, I'd ditch the WDS approach and go with the server/wireless NIC approach instead. Reason ? WDS primarily works best where you are in control of both ends of the connection - local & remote. If you don't have access to either end it can be more trouble than it's worth.
HTH
S
"Paul" wrote in message news:dabd6$4321afb6$513b43d8$ snipped-for-privacy@news.versatel.nl...
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