WRT54Gv8 Repeater Bridge, WEP & no access to primary rou

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Apis
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Jul 2015
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:52    Post subject: WRT54Gv8 Repeater Bridge, WEP & no access to primary rou Reply with quote
At my volunteer firehouse they stuck the Actiontec Verizon router/modem in the cement boiler room on one side of the building. Since I like tinkering and accumulate "cruft," I figured some old routers could help boost the signal. Thanks to all the excellent wikis and instructionals threads, I successfully installed DD-WRT on an old Linksys WRT54G version 8 despite having no prior experience with anything besides Verizon modem/routers.

I read (& saved, & printed) the Installation wiki and all essentials suggested therein, including the device-specific page and Peacock thread, among others. I followed the Repeater Bridge wiki carefully, along with associated pages and the LifeHacker instructions, which served only as a secondary source. Files I used in installation are those on the hardware-specific wiki page.

Things *look* right, but once I unplug the ethernet cable connecting computer & router and connect to the network, I can't access the router's page. For a few things, I'm just not sure what looking right is, and my forum searches haven't been successful in finding answers.

The Verizon modem/router is likely on all default settings. I confirmed it can be reached at 192.168.1.1 on the network. Meraki tells me that it uses channel 1. The encryption is WEP. I have a picture of the info that's on the back of the modem/router (I'm sneaky), but that info didn't include the admin password.

Here are the most basic items that may impact things and be wrong as a result of my ignorance:
    Does the router have to be plugged into anything besides power?
    Under #7 on the Repeater Bridge wiki, is ther a difference in settings between "Primary Router" and "Physical Interface? (Note: All I got as a castoff was the blue box with antennae. No papers or other parts.)

More technical specifics for my unknowns:
    Under Wireless-->Basic Settings:
      What should be selected under "Wireless Network Mode" (disabled, mixed, b-only, g-only)? How do I find out what the modem/router is running?
      Does "Sensitivity Range" make an impact? (Default is 2000.)
    Under Wireless-->Wireless Security:
      Default transmit key (1 (default), 2, 3, 4): Do I need to find something out about the primary?
      Encryption: How do I know whether it's 64 bits 10 hex digits or 128 bits 26 hex digits?
      The GUI has 4 spaces for keys. I left them blank.
      The instructions say to leave the Renewal Interval at default. Does it mean something that I don't see anything regarding Key Renewal Interval?
    Under Setup-->Basic Setup:
      The instructions say to disable DHCP Server. I don't see that option.
      I tried checking "Assign WAN Port to Switch" and applying settings, but saw no difference.
    Under Setup-->Advanced Routing:
      It's set to Router. I haven't touched the options for Dynamic and Static Routing.
    The router-computer connection was via ethernet cable. Everything else was wireless.
    The SSID for the virtual interface broadcasts strongly. A device could connect to it, but said though connected to the network, it had no internet connection.
    The signal for the modem/router was absolutely not boosted.

I have screenshots of all pages available.

I have hard reset and (many times) power cycled the router. Fiddled with the computer's IPv4 and security settings. Tried changing one item at a time and applying settings, but that could only happen with check boxes and drop-down menus. My best guess is that it's not becoming a part of the station's network, but I double-checked IP addresses, SSID, password, and don't know how to best find that out or fix it.

Could someone please point me in a useful direction?

Other potentially relevant infos:
Version: ftp://ftp.dd-wrt.com/others/eko/BrainSlayer-V24-preSP2/2010/08-12-10-r14929/broadcom/dd-wrt.v24_micro_generic.bin
OS: Windows Vista (SP3? This is from memory; wasn't my computer.)
Browser: Chrome (IE was broken on the computer I was using & the tutorials specified not Firefox...It connected fine when ethernet wired.)
Unfortunately I didn't record the exact error message and since this is at the firehouse I couldn't leave things set up. It was some form of the page being inaccessible when I entered the IP assigned to the router.
I truly apologize that I don't have all the technical specifics and results right now. You may be picking up that my tech interactions are irregular and sometimes precarious, *particularly* when I'm at the station. Having a boosted signal would certainly improve some of that! I'll keep adding specifics as I can access/recreate them.
Many thanks for all the wiki and forum pages of help I've depended on so far!


Last edited by Apis on Mon Jul 13, 2015 16:16; edited 1 time in total
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Bob-Static
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 09 Mar 2015
Posts: 40
Location: U.K.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 14:54    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is there a question ???
Apis
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Jul 2015
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 17:45    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bob-Static wrote:
Is there a question ???


Yes, one big one that is now in bold and several smaller ones. I repeat:

Arrow Can someone please point me in a useful direction? Question ?

The general idea is, "Help! I don't know what to troubleshoot next!"

Will someone please lend a touch of expertise to make this work right?
Can anyone tell me how to fix it?
What should I do to make this a repeater bridge?

Sub-questions include:
What else do I need to know?
Is some issue glaring me in the face that you can spot on sight?
Am I correct in my supposition that the router isn't on the firehouse network? If so, what am I doing or not doing that causes this?
What are the Verizon Actiontec MI424-WR Rev. E default settings?
Apis wrote:
Does the router have to be plugged into anything besides power Question
Under #7 on the Repeater Bridge wiki, is ther a difference in settings between "Primary Router" and "Physical Interface" Question (Note: All I got as a castoff was the blue box with antennae. No papers or other parts.)
Under Wireless-->Basic Settings:
    What should be selected under "Wireless Network Mode" (disabled, mixed, b-only, g-only)? How do I find out what the modem/router is running Question
    Does "Sensitivity Range" make an impact Question (Default is 2000.)

Under Wireless-->Wireless Security:
    Default transmit key (1 (default), 2, 3, 4): Do I need to find something out about the primary Question
    Encryption: How do I know whether it's 64 bits 10 hex digits or 128 bits 26 hex digits Question
    The GUI has 4 spaces for keys. I left them blank. Should I enter values? If so, what?
    The instructions say to leave the Renewal Interval at default. Does it mean something that I don't see anything regarding Key Renewal Interval Question
Under Setup-->Basic Setup:
    The instructions say to disable DHCP Server. I don't see that option. Is this a problem?

I'd love specific help, but will be glad to check out any threads or wikis that my searches have missed.
Bob-Static
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 09 Mar 2015
Posts: 40
Location: U.K.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 9:03    Post subject: Reply with quote
Does the router have to be plugged into anything besides power?
You need a cable to connect DD-WRT to your Router/Modem
Apis
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 11 Jul 2015
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 13:45    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bob-Static wrote:
Does the router have to be plugged into anything besides power?
You need a cable to connect DD-WRT to your Router/Modem


You mean permanently or just during setup? So, should ethernet from a wall jack be going into the router (and then to a computer)?

I have had an ethernet cable going between the router and laptop while trying to set things up.

Thanks.
Bob-Static
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 09 Mar 2015
Posts: 40
Location: U.K.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 21:52    Post subject: Reply with quote
Things *look* right, but once I unplug the ethernet cable connecting computer & router and connect to the network, I can't access the router's page
This was in your your first post
Nothing will work unless the wires are plugged
PERMANENTLY This who all routers work or dont as the
case may be
mrjcd
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 31 Jan 2015
Posts: 6268
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 15:16    Post subject: Reply with quote
See >>> 'Linking Routers'
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