Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

[Boomyal]

I am doing some preventative legwork to keep this project from taking up the whole of this Saturday.

As some of you are aware, I am setting about to get Mrs B's some printing capability using her new little Brother Wireless Printer. (discussed in previous post)

Here is what I aim to do. If you have any input contrary to my ideas, please chime in.

For starters, I have a wired network using cable internet. I am planning on inserting this Belkin G router between the Cable Modem and my wired network Router. So far so good? Will this in anyway affect my incoming cable signal?

Supposedly, this position will allow all the other computers and printers to still talk to and see each other, within the wired network, without have to jump thru hoops to get thru the wireless router.

Nothing else in the house will use this wireless router (except possibly visiting laptops) except to allow Mrs B's laptop talk to her printer.

Then I will re-run the printer setup CD, on the laptop, for wireless communication. Currently I ran the set up CD for the USB connection that I temporarily hooked up to get the printer up and tested.

What I do not understand is how the router password enters in to this function? As this was my Son's router, it alread has a network name and a password. How does this relate to the Laptop communicating to the printer? When, where and how will I need to use this password?

Any and all help to fill in my gaps of understanding will be greatly appreciated.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

How many items are currently plugged into your wired router? I took my wired router completely out of my system and just plugged the couple of items that I have wired into the wireless router. Yes, you can bridge both together but if you have less than 4 items plugged into your wired router, there is really no need to do this. If you want to you can reset your sons router back to factory specs by holding in the reset button on the back of it for like 30 seconds, then start all over again, naming it, setting up a new password and then acquiring the wireless signal on those items that will access it.

In the mean time, here is an article about what your talking about that may help clear some things up:

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/routers/f/two_routers.htm

Make sure and read through the responses area as well.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

For starters, I have a wired network using cable internet. I am planning on inserting this Belkin G router between the Cable Modem and my wired network Router. So far so good? Will this in anyway affect my incoming cable signal?

What I do not understand is how the router password enters in to this function? As this was my Son's router, it alread has a network name and a password. How does this relate to the Laptop communicating to the printer? When, where and how will I need to use this password?

Any and all help to fill in my gaps of understanding will be greatly appreciated.

Unless someone smarter has a different opinion, I have always head that you can not use more that one router connected together at a time. What you are looking for is a "switch" or "wireless print server".
That being said, I have done it and had no ill effects. Try it this way tho, leave everything as is and run a cat5 from the existing router to the wireless one (make it #2 in line). That way its at the end of the line. Also use the highest number port on the existing router to run to the wireless one. Most, not all can be Daisy Chained. It should work fine.

As for the password, its only to keep unwanted people out. You can reset the router and that will erase the password and then just not use one, set it to not transmit or "hide" (i cant think of the exact words) itself. Then only you will even know it is there.
Or you can jsut leave it unlocked, mine has been unlocked for years.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

As long as they are set up properly, you can use pretty much as many routers connected together as you want, I have set systems up with as many as ten routers hooked together..

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

How many items are currently plugged into your wired router? I took my wired router completely out of my system and just plugged the couple of items that I have wired into the wireless router. Yes, you can bridge both together but if you have less than 4 items plugged into your wired router, there is really no need to do this. If you want to you can reset your sons router back to factory specs by holding in the reset button on the back of it for like 30 seconds, then start all over again, naming it, setting up a new password and then acquiring the wireless signal on those items that will access it.

In the mean time, here is an article about what your talking about that may help clear some things up:

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/routers/f/two_routers.htm

Make sure and read through the responses area as well.

Currently my wired system consists of one 4 port router and one switch. Three wall jacks, throughout the house, are connected directly to the router. The fourth router port feeds a switch which has my two computers connected to it plus the connection to my BluRay DVD for the streaming NetFlix. All work extremely well.

This is why I thought it would be best to just insert the wireless router between the wired router and the modem so I do not have to mess with any of the other setup.

If I hit the reset button on the wireless (I do see it) I assume it would revert to a generic network name and have no password requirement? This might be good for initial setup to get the printer communicating with it?? I could then go back and give it a new network name and password so the neighbors could not access it. And then I am not sure how I would go about that.

If all that I have said is good I remain unclear as to how adding a password affects the laptops ability to communicate with it and access the printer.

I'm sure this is not all that complicated but not having worked with wireless before it is a bit greek to me.

I have looked at the link you provided but it seems they are not saying the same as I about the wireless router insertion point?

My son originally had this router inserted between his wall jack (from one of the three wired router ports) and his computer. This isolated him from the rest of the network. Other computers could not see his and his could not see any of the others including the printers attached to them.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

You need to realize, that a wired router and a wireless router most of the time are the same thing, don't let the wireless aspect complicate your thinking, which model belkin is this router? If you live in a neighborhood, your going to want to put a password in it, so nobody else has access to it, your wife will have to enter a password to access it.

I am currently looking at the brother website on the set up of this printer, give me a few minutes to look at the information.

I really wish I was there!!!

I would go ahead, reset the wireless router and hook up as you stated, then set up the printer and see if she can see it, you might have to do a search for a network printer, is here computer currently hook up to the network via cable?

If you give me the model number on the belkin, I can get the default password for it..

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

Yes, her laptop is hooked to the wall jack that comes to the wired router.

The Belkin wireless router is a wireless G router Model F5D7230-4 version 2000.

I assume that I have to apply power to the router to use the reset function?

Although the printer is currently (temporarily) connected to her computer via a USB cable, I did not run the Wireless setup on the provided CD.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

Ok,

Look at this link, it is on how to hook up a wireless router as a subordinate to your currently existing network..

http://www.webpronews.com/wireless-router-as-an-access-point-2006-08

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

MT be sure to see my last post above yours.

I will check your link.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

Yes, her laptop is hooked to the wall jack that comes to the wired router.

The Belkin wireless router is a wireless G router Model F5D7230-4 version 2000.

I assume that I have to apply power to the router to use the reset function?

Although the printer is currently (temporarily) connected to her computer via a USB cable, I did not run the Wireless setup on the provided CD.

Yes you will, the default username is:Administrator
Leave the password <blank>

Here is the link to the usermanual for that model, that will help walk you through setting it up:

http://web.belkin.com/support/download/downloaddetails.asp?download=994&lang=1

The Default IP address for this router is: 192.168.2.1

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

Seems some progress has been made and only 3/5ths of the day has gone. Here is what I have done (or not)

I did NOT reset the WR. I know the network name and password that my son used so I decided, at least temporarily, to bypass that step.

I inserted the WR between the cable modem and the wired router. I ran cable from the output on the modem to the input jack on the WR. I then ran another cable from the #2 output jack on the WR (#1 seems to be faulty. I would intermittantly loose the yellow indicator light) back down to the input jack on the wired Router.

I then powered everything back up in the following order:

cable modem
wireless router
wired router
switch
computers

After switching output ports on the WR, the internet works fine, even the streaming video connection.

I opened up 'network connections' on Mrs B's W7 laptop and there is the wireless signal (with sons network name) at full strength. I have not yet logged onto it, awaiting the next step.

Should I disconnect the USB cable on the little Brother printer and re-run the setup CD, using the wireless setup connection method? Do I need to log onto the network first or will I be prompted to do that with the setup?

I would also assume that the laptop would have to be logged on to print on an ongoing basis. Is it necessary to log on every time you restart the computer? That would seem to be a bit of a PIA.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

Yes, the laptop is going to have to be logged on to print, and yes, it is a PIA to have to log on every time you restart, but when it comes to networks, that is pretty much the way it goes, now the only other way to ensure she can print and log on without having to put the password in, is to disable the password protection on the wireless, then her computer will simply acquire the wireless when ever she reboots..

I would say, you need to disconnect the printer, then you will run the setup and choose wireless setup, if you still have the authentication in place you will have to provide the password to get in, then run the setup program.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

Yes, the laptop is going to have to be logged on to print, and yes, it is a PIA to have to log on every time you restart, but when it comes to networks, that is pretty much the way it goes, now the only other way to ensure she can print and log on without having to put the password in, is to disable the password protection on the wireless, then her computer will simply acquire the wireless when ever she reboots..

I would say, you need to disconnect the printer, then you will run the setup and choose wireless setup, if you still have the authentication in place you will have to provide the password to get in, then run the setup program.

Got 'er done MT. Heartfelt thanks for all the help. I do not know how they expect mortal man to weed thru all this BS.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

Glad to hear you got it working, as the Cable guy says, Get er Done!

Now you can go out and play, I am thinking I am tired as well..

We will have to get together for a beer when I am back in Vancouver in June!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Wireless Router hook-up assisistance.

.... We will have to get together for a beer when I am back in Vancouver in June!

Do be sure to call. Love to buy you one!