mozerd
Light Will Pierce The Darkness
Premium,MVM
join:2004-04-23
Nepean, ON
| reply to Geo4
Re: Hmmm
said by Geo4  :Unfortunately I gave up a Version 1 for a Version 2 under a warranty exchange. I'm unsure which V2 firmware I have in it. On the version 2 and some versions of the firmware of the F5D8230-4 you lose the ability to use the WAN port when the unit is converted to act strictly as a Access Point ... so what you have to do is use anyone of the F5D8230-4 LAN ports to connect the gear to the DLink to have it work properly.
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David Mozer
IT-Expert on Call
Information Technology for Home and Business |
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Geo4
Premium
join:2007-09-12
Healdsburg, CA
1 edit | Current Configuration
Robb & Dave,
I discovered the LAN port quirk on my own. Currently I have the Belkin running with DHCP on. THe Belkin is connected to the DLG 4100 via CAT 6 from one of its LAN ports to the one on the 4100. It works quite well until I reboot my wireless computer or lose connection to the Belkin.
At the point of reconnection it seems as if the Belkin's DHCP "grabs" the wireless connection and makes it "one of its own" and will not pass the connection on to the DGL 4100. I have to reboot the Belkin from its admin page at which point it passes on the connection to the DGL 4100. I'm thinking of turning off the DHCP server on the Belkin and seeing what happens.
But heres something I havent seen discussed...
I note on the "LAN Settings" page of the Belkin it identifies itself as "192.168.2.1" with what appears to be the option of changing that subnet IP address(is that the right term?) to anything I want. Why couldnt I just change the Belkins base address on the LAN settings page to 192.168.0.2 as Robb suggested and turn off the DHCP server so it doesnt assign IP addresses?
It would then theoretically not "grab" a new connection and because its in the subnet of the DGL 4100 (192.168.0.x) and I should just pass through the DLink to the internet.
Of course theoretically the damned firmware should just let me assign an AP address and I wouldnt be dorking about with this mess! lol! |
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jsimmons
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-24
Falls Church, VA
4 edits | You should not use the Belkin as a DHCP server when running in AP mode, because in AP mode, the unit is strictly a wireless bridge to the LAN subnet shared by it an the DGL. If both the DGL and Belkin has a DHCP server on, then you would have 2 DHCP servers operating on the same LAN segment... a no no.
Think of the Belkin running in Access point mode as nothing but a passive 4-port wired LAN switch with additional "wireless ports" extending that switch. It adds authentication / encryption to the wireless ports, but beyond that it is truly a passive device. The only reason you need to assign it a compatible IP address on your LAN is so you can manage it through its web interface.
After a Wireless device connects and authenticates to the AP, it essentially becomes another ethernet attached device just like a wired PC connected to a LAN port. It will send out a DHCP request to get an IP address, and that request will be passed on by the Belkin AP to the LAN port and sent to the DGL which should assign all the right IP info for the wireless device to communicate on the local LAN and internet.
Hope this helps.
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
- Albert Einstein
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Geo4
Premium
join:2007-09-12
Healdsburg, CA
| AP
Roger that.
Unfortunately I cant GET the Belkin to run in its true AP mode. I have a bastard end around version of AP mode running by patching directly via the LAN ports between the two units. The problem is, as you aptly point out, the Belkin grabs an IP request and wont pass it on to the DLink unless I reboot the Belkin.
I guess the thing is that the firmware of the Belkin should disable the DHCP server when one enables the AP only option. Unfortunately the Belkin (at least V2) seem to have an issue with this and/or accepting alternate subnet addressing.
If all i have to do is disable the DHCP server on the Belkin in order to get an automatic handoff to the DGL 4100 then I'm down with that. Is that what youre suggesting?
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jsimmons
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-24
Falls Church, VA
3 edits | said by Geo4 :If all i have to do is disable the DHCP server on the Belkin in order to get an automatic handoff to the DGL 4100 then I'm down with that. Is that what youre suggesting? Precisely. Basically all the AP mode in Belkin really is - is disabling the DHCP server, changing the WAN port into a LAN port, turning off the routing function between WAN and LAN ports, and setting the WAN port to a local LAN ip address. This works flawlesly in the V1 8230-4, but apparently doesn't work in the V2. So you have to work around it.
So just set your Belkin IP address, subnet mask, etc., disable the DHCP server, and connect everything to LAN ports only. Do not use the WAN port for anything. Note this is precisely what you have to do in other routers like Linksys, because they typically do not have an "AP only" setting in the firmware.
You still might have an issue with the Belkin not liking the LAN IP address you want to give it. Just need to try that out. You may still wind up having to change the local subnetting in the DGL to something Belkin likes (e.g. 192.168.2.x).
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
- Albert Einstein
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Geo4
Premium
join:2007-09-12
Healdsburg, CA
| So just set your Belkin IP address, subnet mask, etc., disable the DHCP server, and connect everything to LAN ports only. Alrighty then. if my Dlink base address is 192.168.0.1, subnet mask 255.255.255, do i set the Belkin to 192.168.0.2 , SNM 255.255.255 at the LAN Settins page or the AP enable page. I would have to think youre talking about the LAN settings page.
Theoretically, if this works i would then access the web management for the Belkin at the new addy of 192.168.0.2. |
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jsimmons
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-24
Falls Church, VA
4 edits | You are right. Don't use the AP Enable Page at all.
Set local lan and subnet addresses as you said. Disable DHCP. And Don't use the WAN port. Be sure that the IP address you assign to the belkin does not overlap with addresses used by the DGL's DHCP server serving your LAN. I sometimes pick the last address (like 192.168.0.254) for my wireless access point.
Basically this leaves the Belkin unit in "router" mode but with no DHCP service running. But since you aren't connecting anything to the WAN port, you aren't using any of the routing functionality. You're just using it as a wireless bridge and LAN switch. 
Let us know how it goes.
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."
- Albert Einstein
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Geo4
Premium
join:2007-09-12
Healdsburg, CA
1 edit | Baby Steps...
Okay! I turned off the DHCP on the Belkin and saved that configuration. I then rebooted my wireless computer and, Voila! An automatic connection through the Belkins WPA security and then a hand off to the Internet via the Dlink 4100. Oh yeah.
Next step is to reaccess the Belkin via a hard connection and reset the base addy of the Belkin to one within the subnet (gotta love these new terms  ) of the DGL 4100.
George
Stay tuned for Part II |
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jsimmons
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-24
Falls Church, VA | Good deal!  |
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