using laptop to extend wifi range?

[johnmalc]

Hi.

Okay, I'll try to spell out the problem. I get my internet connection from a friend's house, transmitted by a yagi aerial and picked up at my end by a good omnidirectional aerial. This omni attaches to my Allnet ALL0283 USB wifi adapter, with removeable aerial, which connects to a USB port on my laptop: result, perfect connection always. What I want to do now is use my spare D-Link DI-524 wireless router to extend the signal further into the house by attaching it to the LAN port of the laptop with a long CAT cable. I can then move this router into the hallway and spread the wifi signal. Seems simple enough, but after 2 days I am banging my head.

Settings-wise, I have given the D-Link router the same SSID and channel as the remote, transmitting, ADSL router/modem. I have disabled DHCP on the D-Link and set the IP address outside the DHCP of the transmitting router (192.168.1.253). The D-Link is then broadcasting the SSID throughout the house. However, as soon as I plug in the CAT cable between the D-Link and my laptop, it kills the internet connection. All other PCs can connect to the network, but there is no internet for any, confirmed by lack of ping response. If I unplug the cable my laptop is immediately back online.

You can imagine I have tried a host of different settings, all of which have the same affect. Resetting the D-Link back to defaults also kills the internet when connected to the laptop, so I am guessing there is more I have to do at the laptop end but I am at a loss as to what????

Any ideas as to what I am missing would be appreciated.

[Lexluethar]

Are you able to do that? I really never thought of it, i mean on paper it would work, but i believe you are missing some configuration issues. First I don't believe a regular ethernet port can broadcast a signal. While the port itself i guess can (b/c that is what is on a router/hub), but the hardware behind it is different. With a router there is software/hardware involved that knows to broadcast a signal out to the other ports and back to the modem through its own port. With a regular ethernet port you don't have that. All it can do is send/receive signals from the network (packets) - not actually transmit those packets from the laptop back through your wireless on the laptop to the router.

I understand the thought behind it, but you are trying to use technology used to just receive signals to try and get them to broadcast. Your computers will see eachother because you created a network consisting of your laptop, your router, and your other devices connecting to your router, but your laptop is where the network stops - it can't send the signals back to the original router.

Again i'm not 100% sure on this, these are just some of the issues that come to mind right now - i may be mistaken.

[wicked23]

Can't you put the omni to the router then run the cat five to a Wireless access point in the area you want to extend the signal?

[Dr. IP]

As for legalities, there is nothing illegal about sharing an internet connection when all existing parties are aware. His friend and him have aerials setup. Sometimes it feel as if this section is under heavy nazi patrol though.

I'm not a mod, so take the above with a grain for all i care.

Anyway, as to the problem. It seems that you are experiencing disconnects because, as per your description, you are receiving a LAN connection from 2 different LANs with similar naming and ip conventions. Which explains the lack of internet connectivity after its connected. Just reviewing your description, shouldn't the connection coming in go into the WAN instead of LAN connection of the DI-xxx? Then you could have the DI-xxx repeat it. Or, I suppose that you could do it the way that you are describing and bypass hardware. But the WAN port in my opinion, is easier to configure. (Just because you don't have to disable anything like DHCP if you don't want to) Unless I'm missing a LAN element, it seems like a fairly cut-and-dry setup.... just a lot of pieces in one LAN segment, otherwise not complicated at all.

[johnmalc]

Originally Posted by wicked23

Can't you put the omni to the router then run the cat five to a Wireless access point in the area you want to extend the signal?

The D-Link does not support WDS, so that will not work.

[johnmalc]

Dr.IP

I thank you for your considered comments, but more so for your excellent advice!

After reading your views on my setup I was not convinced, but then again I had nothing to lose.... So I reset the D-Link, plugged the LAN cable into the WAN port, ensured ICS was enabled on the laptop, et voila!!! First time, all other PCs connected to "dlink" network, and all have internet! And the laptop is still connected to my friend's network, no problems at all

So, if it were possible to get it 100% wrong then I take the prize. I know why I did it the way I did (as when adding wifi routers into existing wired LANs), but this other was a method that had not occurred.....

So again I, and what little hair now remains on my head, thank you.

[Trotter]

WiFI jacking has become a common occurrance, and we have had a rash of people asking how to connect to WiFi networks that they do not own and do not have permission to use. You have your friend's permission, so everything is good.

Dr.IP knows his stuff, and his advice, as always, is dead on the money.

And, no, I do not believe that silly rumor about the Allies are going to attack Normandy...