First of all, what was the problem:
I needed to extend the wi-fi signal range of the ADSL-modem-router given by MTNL (our ISP) so as to reach a room that is really far from the source, but we need it to be there.
I tried and tried, but could not make a simple bridge as I had done earlier ( http://jamodiy.blogspot.in/2010/08/set-up-router-as-repeater-bridge-to.html )... it seems the problem is that the device given by the ISP does not allow itself to be bridged! I tried with several routers, of different brands, and after many hours of attempts I came to that conclusion.
Since I have several spare routers, I thought of trying bridging the modem with a wired router, and then bridge that router through wireless with another router. It took many, many, many hours of work, but finally managed to do it, and here are the settings I've used:
FIRST STAGE
1. MTNL ADSL-modem-router is a model 450TC1... it should be connected and working, and then, start changing settings (or ensuring these settings are there).
Interface Setup
2. LAN: Dynamic Route: RIP2-B ; Direction: Both; Multicast IGMP v1; Physical ports: All checked
3. Internet: As per ISP
4. Wireless: As per your usual wireless network settings (it shouldn't make any difference to the rest of the network).
Advanced Setup
5. Firewall: Firewall: Enabled; SPI: disabled
6. Routing table: I'm not sure if I did anything on this, so just in case, screenshot:
7. NAT, QoS and VLAN Group: Here is where I did several changes. I'm not sure of which changes where the right ones (trial and error), but I think the most important matter is the one related to the Virtual Server (should be, right?). And the VLAN Function should be "Activated"
8.Access Management: I did no changes here.
SECOND STAGE
9. Now, switch on your second router to the power supply, and to your computer, but not to the first router. In my case, I'm finally using a PRONET router model PN-11NWRT.
10. Go to the LAN settings and change the IP address. Ensure that it is a different subdomain from the LAN of your first router. In my case I've used 192.168.0.1 . Notice the zero marked in red, instead of the usual 1. Reboot this router.
11. Go to the WAN settings. The WAN connection settings should be "Dynamic IP". This means that when you connect this router to the first router, the first one is going to assign it an IP which will be seen as the "Internet connection". That's the importance of keeping a different domain for this separate LAN.
12. In the Wireless Settings, ensure you define a channel, say Channel 1 (this would be important to remember for your bridging afterwards). Don't leave it Auto.
13. Define your wireless security... depends on the other router you will use, but in my case I've used WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK. Obviously, remember your password, as you will need it also for the bridge.
14. The DHCP must be ENABLED. Remember that this second stage router is creating a second LAN, therefore it will have to assign IPs to any computer or device that might connect through the second or third router to the network.
THIRD STAGE
15. Now, switch on your THIRD router to the power supply, and to your computer, but not to the first nor to the second router. In my case, I'm finally using a TP-LINK router model TL-WR740N.
16. Go to the LAN settings and change the IP address. Ensure that it is the same subdomain of the LAN from your second router. In my case I had used 192.168.0.1 in the second router, and for this router, I've used 192.168.0.10 . Notice the zero marked in red, instead of the usual 1, and the 10 as the last digits. Reboot this router.
17. The rest of the process should be same as in my previous post related to this: http://jamodiy.blogspot.in/2010/08/set-up-router-as-repeater-bridge-to.html ... Just ensure that the Channel is the same as you had chosen in step 12 above, that you enable the WDS settings, and that you disable the DHCP.
FOURTH STAGE
18. Now, you've got all the soft-configurations... now you have to think of the position of your routers... The second router needs to be near enough to the first for the wire to connect each other. And the third router needs to be near enough to the second in order to catch the wireless signal and bridge it accordingly. Play around with the position of your routers and get as far as you can with your signal!
If there are people concerned about the good lookings of your house, you may not be allowed to leave things the way are down in the picture, and you'll have to work on hiding the cables, etc... but that's a separate topic!
Warning: There are some routers that cannot be bridged, or cannot act as bridges. They simply do not have the inbuilt capability. To discover that you can only do it by trial and error... with many hours of work. It happened to me in this case with a NETGEAR router model WGR614iS... great signal, but no bridging! :(
I needed to extend the wi-fi signal range of the ADSL-modem-router given by MTNL (our ISP) so as to reach a room that is really far from the source, but we need it to be there.
I tried and tried, but could not make a simple bridge as I had done earlier ( http://jamodiy.blogspot.in/2010/08/set-up-router-as-repeater-bridge-to.html )... it seems the problem is that the device given by the ISP does not allow itself to be bridged! I tried with several routers, of different brands, and after many hours of attempts I came to that conclusion.
Since I have several spare routers, I thought of trying bridging the modem with a wired router, and then bridge that router through wireless with another router. It took many, many, many hours of work, but finally managed to do it, and here are the settings I've used:
FIRST STAGE
1. MTNL ADSL-modem-router is a model 450TC1... it should be connected and working, and then, start changing settings (or ensuring these settings are there).
Interface Setup
2. LAN: Dynamic Route: RIP2-B ; Direction: Both; Multicast IGMP v1; Physical ports: All checked
3. Internet: As per ISP
4. Wireless: As per your usual wireless network settings (it shouldn't make any difference to the rest of the network).
Advanced Setup
5. Firewall: Firewall: Enabled; SPI: disabled
6. Routing table: I'm not sure if I did anything on this, so just in case, screenshot:
8.Access Management: I did no changes here.
SECOND STAGE
9. Now, switch on your second router to the power supply, and to your computer, but not to the first router. In my case, I'm finally using a PRONET router model PN-11NWRT.
10. Go to the LAN settings and change the IP address. Ensure that it is a different subdomain from the LAN of your first router. In my case I've used 192.168.0.1 . Notice the zero marked in red, instead of the usual 1. Reboot this router.
11. Go to the WAN settings. The WAN connection settings should be "Dynamic IP". This means that when you connect this router to the first router, the first one is going to assign it an IP which will be seen as the "Internet connection". That's the importance of keeping a different domain for this separate LAN.
12. In the Wireless Settings, ensure you define a channel, say Channel 1 (this would be important to remember for your bridging afterwards). Don't leave it Auto.
13. Define your wireless security... depends on the other router you will use, but in my case I've used WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK. Obviously, remember your password, as you will need it also for the bridge.
14. The DHCP must be ENABLED. Remember that this second stage router is creating a second LAN, therefore it will have to assign IPs to any computer or device that might connect through the second or third router to the network.
THIRD STAGE
15. Now, switch on your THIRD router to the power supply, and to your computer, but not to the first nor to the second router. In my case, I'm finally using a TP-LINK router model TL-WR740N.
16. Go to the LAN settings and change the IP address. Ensure that it is the same subdomain of the LAN from your second router. In my case I had used 192.168.0.1 in the second router, and for this router, I've used 192.168.0.10 . Notice the zero marked in red, instead of the usual 1, and the 10 as the last digits. Reboot this router.
17. The rest of the process should be same as in my previous post related to this: http://jamodiy.blogspot.in/2010/08/set-up-router-as-repeater-bridge-to.html ... Just ensure that the Channel is the same as you had chosen in step 12 above, that you enable the WDS settings, and that you disable the DHCP.
FOURTH STAGE
18. Now, you've got all the soft-configurations... now you have to think of the position of your routers... The second router needs to be near enough to the first for the wire to connect each other. And the third router needs to be near enough to the second in order to catch the wireless signal and bridge it accordingly. Play around with the position of your routers and get as far as you can with your signal!
If there are people concerned about the good lookings of your house, you may not be allowed to leave things the way are down in the picture, and you'll have to work on hiding the cables, etc... but that's a separate topic!
Warning: There are some routers that cannot be bridged, or cannot act as bridges. They simply do not have the inbuilt capability. To discover that you can only do it by trial and error... with many hours of work. It happened to me in this case with a NETGEAR router model WGR614iS... great signal, but no bridging! :(
