I have spent the past 5 days trying to get my network back up since I have installed my new Z100G. Originally I had a Linksys WRT54G main router, a second WRT54G wired to the main router as a wired repeater, and a WAP54G as a wireless repeater. After installing the Z100G I could not get the WAP54G wireless repeater back up. I tried everything I could think of with no luck when I can across the DD-WRT Linksys firmware hack. I have updated both my WRT54Gs to DD-WRT, tried the latest v23 SP2 with no luck and then upgraded to the beta 24 on the WRT54G because of the repeater function built in but still no luck. I have read everything I could come across on dd-wrt.com, wiki, and linksysinfo.com with no luck. I have also looked through the Z100G users guide and have read through this forum, still no luck.

So to my question, does the Z100G not allow and block any access from devices that are not directly linked to the Z100G? It is strange because if it is there are no Events in the Event Log that say so. With the DD-WRT v24 beta I can put one of the WRT54G's in "Repeater" mode which would forward the DHCP's from the Z100G which would make it so I am not bypassing the 5 node limit. I don't care about the 5 node limit, even if I have to upgrade to 15 nodes that is fine but to not be able to use repeaters (if that is the cause) is not cool. Hope someone can advise.

quote:

does the Z100G not allow and block any access from devices that are not directly linked to the Z100G

Please elaborate on what get's blocked and the ip's and subnet masks.

Within the Z100G I have the LAN on 192.168.1.1 and the WLAN on 192.168.252.1. I have configured the "Repeater" in multiple ways and have even gotten the routers (Repeaters) MAC address to show up in the "Active Computers" area under the WLAN and the laptop's MAC that is attached directly to the integrated hub to show up on the "Active" list under the WLAN but I still couldn't get Internet activity. I have set the router up on the same subnet (192.168.252.2) and totally different subnets (10.0.0.1). Here are a few messages that showed up in the "Event Log" when I did get the repeater to connent:

00017 28Feb2007 17:40:45 WLAN client: 00:06:25:F9:95:A8, associated to wlan network

00016 28Feb2007 17:40:30 WLAN client: 00:06:25:f9:95:a8, disconnected from wlan network, reason: Leaving the BSS

00015 28Feb2007 17:39:29 WLAN client: 00:06:25:F9:95:A8, associated to wlan network

There are no other messages. Tonight I will try once more with the configuration what worked and post the "Log".

DT:

did you ever get this to work?

I want to set up a Z100G as the only router on my network, but will have several other wireless router boxes plugged into the Z100G in "access point" mode only. I am wondering if this will cause issues?

All clients would get their DHCP from the Z100G...

Thanks,
Jim

Sorry to say but no. The repeaters will show up on the "Active Computers" screen but then disappear. I have to either reboot the Z100G or the repeaters to get it to show up and working again. I was using WAP but I have downgraded to WEP because I know there are sometimes problems when using the WAP. After the change the repeaters would show up in "Active Computers" longer (days instead of hours) but they still disappear. Like right now I looked and one of them is missing from the list. When I connect to the repeaters they work fine at first then after some time I can connect but no internet. That is pretty much it, all I can assume is that it is being caused by the Z100G because I didn't have this problem before when I was using all Linksys products. If you have any suggestions I would be more than willing to try.

DT:

Thanks for the reply!

Alas, I am very #$@#&#$&*%$% disappointed to hear that you still have the problem ... I was hoping the newer Z100G firmware would fix things...

I WILL be testing this configuration with my home Z100G before I buy one for my church.... I would look really stupid ... blowing $250 on a router that doesn't work....

I will post the results of my testing!

Let me just clarify one thing.
The routers I will be using are Belkin Pre-N and they have what is called "access point" mode.
In this mode, the router is assigned a static IP address and then "collects" and authenticates any wireless users that bounce off of it and forward the traffic on to the router.

In this "access point" mode that is ALL they do... they do not do DHCP address assignment or anything else...

Is that what you mean when you say "repeater"?

Sorry if this seems a dumb question, but ... better I ask now then lead myself astray eh? ;-)

Thanks,
Jim

Trust me, I am just as disappointed.

I was thinking about picking up a Sonicwall because the Z100G still isn't working. When I had a Linksys WRT54G router with Linksys WAP54G "Access Point" repeaters my network worked fine... not no more. One thing is that the WAP54G would only work with Linksys routers, you might want to confirm that isn't the case with the Belkin units.

You are correct in the translation between "Access Point" and "Repeater".

I am very interested to see how your tests proceed.

Ok... I have some longer term testing to do, but interestingly ... everything seems FINE so far...

My Z100G has it's IP set to 192.168.1.1 and I have a network attach printer with a static IP of 192.168.1.4

I have the DHCP scope on my Z100G set to start @ 192.168.1.100

I tossed in the Belkin router in access point (AP) mode with fixed address of 192.168.1.50.

I have attached to then internet via the AP with two of my laptops and they both connect fine and show on the "active computers" page of the Z100G. They show up as wired computers --- which as far as the Z100G is concerned is correct.

The only thing that seems a tad screwy is: my network attached printer shows up on the "active" page as a device -- colored blue since it is not trying to access the internet and does NOT consume one of the licensed connection.

The Belkin AP on the other hand does not show up on the page AT ALL ... but the devices attached THRU it do show up.... I don't think I care, but I was expecting the AP to show up as a device.

Perhaps the Belkin is behaving differently than your Linksys gear?

My Z100G has the current firmware - 7.0.48x

Thoughts anybody?
Thanks,
Jim

PS: I have commented in another discussion thread:

"Node limit ... how is it enforced / adminsitered"
that while node license used by a wireless PC seems to be released as soon as the PC shuts down that node licenses used by WIRED devices seem to take MUCH longer to be released and returned to the "available" pool.

This also happens with wireless devices connected thru the AP since the Z100G sees them as wired.....

ZA: if we can "fix" this it would be great ;-)

Thanks,
Jim

The way that my repeaters are set up is the repeaters are assigned a bridged IP of 192.168.200.X and show up under "Active Computers" under the WLAN heading. The computers that connect to the repeaters never show up on the "Active Computers" screen. This is because any computer that connects to the repeater is on a secondary IP group (i.e. 192.168.2.1 or 192.168.3.1) depending on which repeater the computer is connected to. Computers on either side of the repeaters can not see each other. All Internet traffic that computers get on the 192.168.X.X networks is because the repeater is forwarding the data.

Does this make since? I am not an IT guy so it is a little difficult to explain.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm well it does not QUITE make sense to me but it probably would make sense if I could see the config. panel of the machines you are using as repeaters.

The way I have it set up here, each access point is assigned a fixed IP address that is in the SAME subnet as the Z100G but outside of the range used for DHCP addresses.

The Z100G is at 192.168.2.1 / 255.255.255.0

DHCP range is set at 192.168.2.50 - 192.168.2.254 with same subnet mask 255.255.255.0

I assinged fixed IP address to my Belkin (set to be in "Access point" mode to be 192.168.2.10 / 255.255.255.0

and what happens is that the 192.168.2.10 address NEVER shows up on the Z100g (which is not what I would have expected) and any computers connected thru the AP do show up on the Z100G ... which I would have expected since they get their DHCP address from the Z100G and are hitting the internet via the Z100G "gateway".

All I can suggest is that maybe your routers in "repeater" mode are not really acting as "Access points" and thus are confusing the Z100G???

Can you borrow a spare router from someone that is a different brand and try it?
The Belkin and Netgear units I have actually have a setting that says "Use as Access Point only".


Jim

Jim, just wanted to follow-up and see if your repeaters are still working without a problem? My issue seemed to go away after the firmware update to 7.5.41x but then after the 7.5.42x the dropping of the repeaters started up again. If you are still having no problems please let me know which repeaters you are using and which one you recommend.

Best regards... D

DT:

Dang..............
I had only set the Access Point/repeater up as a trial, and do not have it running currently as it was for a customer of mine. I had planned to buy a Z100G for them tomorrow and roll out this "solution" since I had already tested it...

I will RE-TEST tomorrow or Thursday and post the results.

The routers I was testing with and plan to roll out (only switched to AP mode only) are the now obsolete Belkin Pre-N they have kick-butt range far beyond the "real" N class routers that I have seen (ummmmm that and I had them on hand ;-)

I will post result of my test with 7.5.42x

Jim

Brief update:

Have reconnected my Belkin test router in AP mode.
Behavior so far is same as before.

The AP does not show up on the list of connected devices on the Z100G, but wireless devices connecting thru the AP show on the Z100G and act normally so far. I'm going to leave the setup on-line today and see if I get any disconnects.

I am running V7.5.42x on my Z100G

Jim

I'm going to continue my test thru till tomorrow, but so far it is rock solid. The only unit I have tested with is the Belkin F5D8230-4 which is their Pre-N unit. Probably still available on eBay. I think its gotta be the fault of the AP you are using ... but if it is at the lastest firmware ... I don't know of anything to do other than swap for another brand/model.

Jim