Need Help Configuring Wireless Network Using Switch + Wireless Router @ Office

Question

1. I've an incomming line from my ISP that comes along with one static IP.
2. Line from ISP goes to ADSL2 Modem.
3. One line from Modem goes to my server which uses the static IP.
4. On the server i've another LAN Card installed which is used to distribute the internet further in the LAN. So one line comes out from this 2nd LAN card and goes to a 16 Port Switch.
5. My other office machines are connected to SWITCH.

The above configuration works fine.

Now, i have one Wireless Router. I need to use this router to distribute internet for laptops in the office without connecting them physically to switch. I still need to keep the above configuration as it is. I tried connecting Wireless Router to Switch, but it doesn't work.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks, Amit

Answer 1

Your wireless router needs dumbing down to act like a wireless switch. A router will often have a DHCP service running and will start assigning IP addresses. You don't want that. You should switch off all extra services on the router like DHCP, firewall etc. Also configure the router to have a static IP which is on the same LAN address space as other machines connected to the switch. You may want reserve the address for the router on the computer (which I believe is acting as both the DHCP server and gateway here).

Check the IP address and the gateway address that the wireless router is assigning to your machines to find out where the problem lies.

Also connecting router to switch will require you to use a cross cable. If it is a modern router connected to a modern switch it may work with a standard patch cable. Best look at the documentation (or call support) to see if the router can automatically swap its Rx Tx when connected to another routing device.