How to Arrange a Repeater Bridge & DD-WRT Router
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Contemplating connecting more than one gadget to the internet. In this regard, an internet user can connect devices utilizing a single Ethernet port to a single wireless network. Internet users often use a wireless bridge for connectivity purposes. Such wireless bridges are routers using firmware like DD-WRT, primarily open source.

The instances of such firmware are Linksys WRT54G. If the objective is to use open-source firmware (DD-WRT) like Linksys and establish a repeater bridge, then this blog discusses that for the sake of the readers and audience. In this context, it is relevant to add that there are software products of famous brands that use wireless bridges. X-box is an example in this regard. If you want to use wireless bridges, one option is to utilize the Xbox.

You may want to explore another option: the Linksys WRT54G router using the DD-WRT firmware or a newer version of the firmware. This blog facilitates the readers in understanding how a repeater bridge is arranged using the firmware DD-WRT. This blog also helps comprehend how internet users can conveniently plug and play between machines.

In this context, it is essential to add that the DD-WRT facilitates two connectivity methods of connecting wired devices or devices with a wireless network, and they are:

 

1) Client mode (wireless)

In either of the two modes, there are two routers, one primary and the other secondary. Suppose the mode is client mode (wireless). In that case, devices that remain connected to the secondary router have an associated subnet mask, which is different from those that remain connected to the primary router. Many may prefer something else to this type of arrangement.

 

2) Bridge mode (wireless)

In the bridge mode (wireless), all devices that remain connected to either of the two utilized routers have only a single subnet mask. All the devices remain connected to a single router in the bridge mode arrangement.

 

Setting up of the router :

There is a wide range of routers of famous brands in the market. In this context, the DD-WRT with bridge mode (wireless) must be installed only on the secondary router that the user wants to convert to a client adapter or the client router. Primary routers, like other routers, assign addresses (IP) using DHCP. If you don’t enable the DHCP, the bridged peripherals associated with your desktop or laptop may not connect to a network.

As a wireless DD-WRT router user, you require noting down the wireless security enabled on the router used as primary. As a WEP user, you must note the passphrase you are using. As a WPA2 or WPA user, you also require knowing the passphrase you will use. Later, you require putting down these credentials on the secondary router that is part of the wireless bridge infrastructure.

Next, the web user requires accessing the secondary router admin interface. The secondary router is the DD-WRT router. If you need to launch a web browser, you must use a laptop device and disable the networks it is using. Connect the machine using the ethernet to a LAN port in the secondary router.

The following content provides a step-by-step approach to arranging a repeater bridge using the DD-WRT router:-

The DD-WRT IP address is “192.169.1.1,” and this value is by factory default. Before configuring the repeater bridge, it is essential to disable the associated DHCP server. The router user is required to manually set up the IP address of the laptop or PC being used. 192.168.1.2 is a preferred choice for IP address in this regard.

 

Step-1

As a Windows OS user, you can manually configure the IP address. Visit the control panel, network connections, local area connections, and properties. Navigate to the internet protocol and then click on the properties. The user can then utilize 192.168.1.1 as the IP, the person can use 255.255.255.0 as the subnet mask, and 192.168.1.1. as the default gateway value.

Step-2

Access the web browser that is installed on the laptop, open it, and establish a connection with the DD-WRT router. By default, the address is 192.168.1.1. Check for the login and password.

Step-3

Navigate to the tab “basic setup,” scroll, and navigate to the Network-Address-Server-Settings or DHCP. Disable the DHCP. This prevents the bridged router from assigning IP addresses. In this context, it is relevant to add that assigning IP addresses is done by the primary router.

Step-4

Next, click on the tab “Wireless” or “Basic Settings.” If you are utilizing the Wireless Mode, choose “Client Bridge” from the drop-down menu. The default value for the Wireless Network Mode is “mixed.”

Step-5

Next, click on the tab Wireless or Wireless Security. There are several choices to choose from. If you are using security mode, the choice from the drop-down list must match the primary router, which can be either WEP, none, WPA2, or WPA.

Step-6

In this step, the user requires clicking on the Wireless/ WirelessStatus tab. Navigate to the bottom page, and there is a “Site Survey” button. Associate the router with the primary router and create the Bridge.

There is a Site Survey button at the bottom. A window opens that displays the available wireless networks. From here, the user can connect with a primary router associated with the Bridge. 

Step-7

The steps that are mentioned above highlight how to form a wireless bridge. Next is the testing of the Bridge. The user of the bridge network should receive an IP address from the router (primary). Use step 1 and establish the IP address to auto-assignment. Unplug the network cables from the PC and then reconnect.

The laptop, which may have been used as a temporary PC, receives an IP address from the primary router. The user can then test this by opening a browser and connecting to a website over the internet.

If your laptop is connected to the internet, it implies that the Bridge works well. As a user, you can disconnect the laptop you have used as a temporary computer and establish a connection between the DD-WRT router and the peripherals, which can be Xbox or the printers.

However, if your laptop cannot get an IP address from the primary router and cannot connect to the internet, it implies that the Bridge is not working. In that scenario, it is advised to revisit the mentioned steps starting from step 1 to step 7 and recheck the status of the connection.

 

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