Stumped on wireless bridging

[tide72]

I am going to be sharing a Internet connection with my neighbor (don't ask). I have two linksys wireless routers already and I want to put one in his house (source) and one in my house (destination). I know I can't connect the two routers but can I just buy a bridge and set it as the client in my house.

[Alan87i]

Sure you can . Or depending on the model ddwrt firmware on the two routers might allow you to bridge them.
If the neighbor is going to use wireless in the house and doesn't want the router in the window get 2 AP's that are capable of PTP bridge mode. They will act like a wire.
If not then 1 AP at your home will do the job and cable it to the other router.
Keep in mind there are many ways to set this up .

Do you want to be on the same network as the source?
Shut off dhcp on the router in your home and make sure the devices IP is not the same as the source. IE 192.168.1.1 NO good. set the last number to anything but 1 witch I assume is the setting on the source device. Use the LAN ports only. MAke sure your AP 's IP address last number is also not the same as the other devices.

IF you want to be on a separate network?
The AP or AP's you bridge with must be as above same subnet last number different from any other devices. PC's)
Plug into the wan port. The router at your home will need to have a different lan address ( subnet) IE 192.168.X.X OR .XXX.X that will keep you and the neighbor from browsing shared folders and such.
But will cause head aches if you want or will need port forwarding , ( extra set up )

[tide72]

Thanks So let me make sure i have this right because I want to be on different networks to prevent any snooping. So the Source router can be 192.168.1.1 but the AP in in my house should also be 192.168.1.1 then the router I plug the AP into should be IE 192.168.2.2. the AP should be plugged into the WAN plug on the router. then all the PC's should be 192.168.2.X
this will still allow me to share a printer and files between my two computer but not between theres and mine or vise versa.

[tide72]

Also if i am going to use a stronger external antenna common sense tells me i will need one on in there house and one in mine. Maybe i should just go buy Wireless N for all my computers but and lock them out through vista.

[Alan87i]

The networking part you have it !!
Now for the wireless part. More info will be needed.
How far away are you from the neighbor?
Any trees in the line of sight?

The first Bridge I installed was my own. 800 feet using 2 X 65$ $ radios 2 X 60 $ 19 dBi grid antennas 50$ in hardware 75$ or so in coax . Plus Cat5 cable.
It was the cheapest AP I could find that didn't have bad reviews.

Right now you can pick up deliberant radios for 150 $ ea and all that's needed is some cat5 cable and a mount. I have no clue how good or bad they are , never tried one. .com the name and you should find there site.
That's just 1 brand , before you try indoor equipment and coax I'd give the outdoor equipment a look-see.

Also If possible run a wire to the desktops, leave the wifi for the laptop. You will be running a rf signal for the bridge on 1 channel and pumping out wifi on another channel for 2 or 3 PC's might stir up your own bag of RF interference.

[tide72]

thanks for all the help do you know if I will have to buy two APs or just one because I have linksys stuff and the PDF on linksys site says there AP will only talk to another Ap. Maybe I'm wrong I don't know much about firmware can I just download firmware that will make them work. As for the wireless we are less than 100 feet apart.

[ad5mb]

do you know if I will have to buy two APs or just one because I have linksys stuff and the PDF on linksys site says there AP will only talk to another Ap

I would like to see that PDF.

The AP is the Alpha Male of a wireless network. One AP per network. The AP creates the wireless aspect of the network. The remaining components in a wireless network are clients of the AP.

Wireless routers are:
An AP
A DHCP server
A switch
A router
An SPI firewall

in one box.

Some routers can be converted to act as a client. I use 3 WRT-54Gs with DD-WRT firmware as clients. One in my motorhome as a client to my network, one in the house as a client to my neighbors network (don't ask). One as a client to 3 hotspots in the local town square. This is the inexpensive way to do things if you need a lot of equipment, any router can be reconfigured to do any job in the network.

In Re those Linksys routers: Version numbers, please

[tide72]

The PDF is on the linksys site for the WAP54G I would post a link but I only have Internet through the iPhone. Both WRT54G and both are running ver. 1.09 (that could be a problem) now they have about ver. 8. It would be great if with the right firmware I can just turn one of those WRT54G into a AP that could do double duty talking to the other router as a wireless cable and broadcasting wireless in my house and having a PC plugged into it. But if not o well I will just buy an AP and set it up like we disscussed earler in the thread.

[tide72]

The PDF is on the linksys site for the WAP54G I would post a link but I only have Internet through the iPhone. Both WRT54G and both are running ver. 1.09 (that could be a problem) now they have about ver. 8. It would be great if with the right firmware I can just turn one of those WRT54G into a AP that could do double duty talking to the other router as a wireless cable and broadcasting wireless in my house and having a PC plugged into it. But if not o well I will just buy an AP and set it up like we disscussed earler in the thread.

[Alan87i]

With dd-wrt one device can act as a client. But I can't say if it will do both.
And if it did that would make it a repeater. This would work but the throughput would be cut in 1/2. Best bet is get one AP either way, most all AP's are set up in either AP/client/or bridge mode.
With 2 choices use the router via dd-wrt and the AP for your own wireless access or As I mentioned above AP in client mode and the router as a router. Best bet IMO.