Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:49 Post subject: WRT160n repeater will not connect to host AP
Hello, I am fairly new to setting up wireless hardware and I have a WRT160n router loaded with the V24sp2 version of dd-wrt. I am also fairly new to forums so sorry if this is in the wrong section... I know some techies go apeshit over that sort of thing...
Anyway, I purchased my router to serve as a repeater to repeat a signal from a Linksys Cisco WRT400n with stock Linksys firmware that I have been using from the start. The signal was just too low and my PC using a WMP600n card would drop the signal on occasion.
I cannot with all effort get the repeater to connect to the host router even though I set it up exactly as prompted in the walkthrough. I have tried to set it up both with and without WEP security, tried using the WRT160n as a client only, and still no results.
My router's IP address is 192.168.1.1 and my repeater's is 192.10.10.1 . I have tried the repeater's IP address as 192.168.1.100 and 10.0.0.1 as well with no success. It temporarily worked when I entered the host AP's IP address into the static DNS area (can you tell I have no experience with this?) but only for a very short time.
I have also tried having the same and different SSIDs for my host and repeated networks with no luck! And since my WRT400n broadcasts both a 5ghz and 2.4ghz signal, I have disabled each of them separately with the same problem. It NEVER connects to my router.
I am posting this to try to get it to work one last time before I indulge in batting the damn thing across my parking lot! At least after that it will have a reason for not working!
Can someone please tell me where I am going wrong? When I look up explanations for "subnet", "gateway", "MAC" and "DNS" and everything else to work my own way through this, I not only can't get what they're talking about, but also don't know how to use the information to help my problem. I greatly appreciate any help offered!
~Tim (at my wits end)
PS: I won't be around to respond to this until Saturday night as I work nights. Let me know if you want me to take screenshots.
Joined: 03 Jan 2010 Posts: 7568 Location: YWG, Canada
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:42 Post subject: Re: WRT160n repeater will not connect to host AP
sage521 wrote:
Hello, I am fairly new to setting up wireless hardware and I have a WRT160n router loaded with the V24sp2 version of dd-wrt. I am also fairly new to forums so sorry if this is in the wrong section... I know some techies go apeshit over that sort of thing...
Anyway, I purchased my router to serve as a repeater to repeat a signal from a Linksys Cisco WRT400n with stock Linksys firmware that I have been using from the start. The signal was just too low and my PC using a WMP600n card would drop the signal on occasion.
I cannot with all effort get the repeater to connect to the host router even though I set it up exactly as prompted in the walkthrough. I have tried to set it up both with and without WEP security, tried using the WRT160n as a client only, and still no results.
My router's IP address is 192.168.1.1 and my repeater's is 192.10.10.1 . I have tried the repeater's IP address as 192.168.1.100 and 10.0.0.1 as well with no success. It temporarily worked when I entered the host AP's IP address into the static DNS area (can you tell I have no experience with this?) but only for a very short time.
I have also tried having the same and different SSIDs for my host and repeated networks with no luck! And since my WRT400n broadcasts both a 5ghz and 2.4ghz signal, I have disabled each of them separately with the same problem. It NEVER connects to my router.
I am posting this to try to get it to work one last time before I indulge in batting the damn thing across my parking lot! At least after that it will have a reason for not working!
Can someone please tell me where I am going wrong? When I look up explanations for "subnet", "gateway", "MAC" and "DNS" and everything else to work my own way through this, I not only can't get what they're talking about, but also don't know how to use the information to help my problem. I greatly appreciate any help offered!
~Tim (at my wits end)
PS: I won't be around to respond to this until Saturday night as I work nights. Let me know if you want me to take screenshots.
WRT160N has been a pathetically troubled router for me till the current build, 14594 and problems reduced somewhat. Suggest you update it to 14594 if you haven't already. The build(s) the stickys reccomend are old and bad, I don't know why they are even up there. Recent builds have a critical change to wifi driver delay which increases 802.11g performance.
1. Note what the SSID and security (WEP, WPA2-AES, etc) used is on the WRT400N. Case matters with SSID. Make sure you're looking at the 2.4GHz band. WRT160N only has a 2.4GHz radio.
2. On WRT400N set 2.4GHz to 40MHz channel width if not already.
3. On WRT160N make sure the setup page, with DNS/WINS are set to 0.0.0.0. Also completely disable the firewall on the WRT160N.
4. On the wireless page of the WRT160N set wireless network mode to NG-Mixed (or Mixed if no connection after you follow remaining steps). Set protection mode to just "CTS".
5. Set wireless mode to "Client", channel width to 40MHz. On the wireless security page enter in the SSID of the WRT400N EXACTLY the same way its spelt, case matters. Set ACK timing between 1000~1500, I use 1200.
6. Add a virtual interface, give it a DIFFERENT name than than the main SSID you are repeating, add a "2" or something, also set it's protection mode to "CTS".
7. Network configuration to unbridged, give it a different subnet than the WRT160N itself, use subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Give it whatever password on the wireless security page, use WPA2-AES to follow N spec and get N rates.
8. Go to setup -> networking page, you should see your newly created virtual AP and it's subnet, don't change anything there. Go down to DHCPD and click add, select the interface the VAP is on, it should be wl0.1, select ON. Start is what IP it will start giving leases on, x.x.x.2 should be fine as x.x.x.1 is the VAP's IP. Max is how many DHCP leases can be given on the VAP. Leasetime in minutes, how long DHCP leases are leased for.
9. Finally apply those last settings, a reboot after saving works too. It should be working now, give it up to 1 minute to connect, the WRT160N should have a internal IP from the WRT400N. _________________ LATEST FIRMWARE(S)
BrainSlayer wrote:
we just do it since we do not like any restrictions enforced by stupid cocaine snorting managers
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:04 Post subject: Re: WRT160n repeater will not connect to host AP
tatsuya46 wrote:
WRT160N has been a pathetically troubled router for me till the current build, 14594 and problems reduced somewhat.
I disagree with this advice. However, what you might need to do depends on which version of 160n you have. The newest experimental builds are not a place to go to solve problems. Stick with recommended stable builds, not builds that are being tested to see what works and what doesn't.
Read the announcements and put a recommended build on the router. I have a 160n v1 and use it in a bridged setup. It works fine. However, they do have signal strength issues that no build will solve. If it is a v.3, it is particularly important that you stick with recommended builds.
Start with NO encryption and get it working. If you have a signal, it will work.
If you want a repeater, set up a repeater. Do a hard reset and set it up again, following the wiki.
Read the announcements for basic information on what you might have done wrong. Since you haven't read them, the problem you are having is likely dealt with there. Top of this forum. _________________ SIG:
I'm trying to teach you to fish, not give you a fish. If you just want a fish, wait for a fisherman who hands them out. I'm more of a fishing instructor.
LOM: "If you show that you have not bothered to read the forum announcements or to follow the advices in them then the level of help available for you will drop substantially, also known as Murrkf's law.."
Ok, so I upgraded to the new firmware, but now when I plug it back in the wireless and power lights don't come on. I only get the [1] light because thats the port my ethernet cable is connected to. How long after the upgrade before it works again? Should I just leave it unplugged for a certain amount of time?
Nevermind, I ended up breaking the damn thing open in frustration...
Anyone know a router that actually WORKS with my system? I'm looking at two on ebay right now...
#170497310104 and #220616646761
Will these work for my system using a dual band WRT400N?
PLEASE let me know, and if there are other recommendations.
