Is this possible (wireless networking bridge question)

[spodosaurus]

Hi all,

I'm trying to create a network bridge so that a computer with a wireless
network card can connect to the internet through another computer with a
wireless network card and a wired card. The catch is, that the computer
that will be acting as the bridge (the one with two cards, wired and
wireless) connects through a router. So, to summarise, here's my setup:

Internet <--> ADSL modem <--> router <--> computer with wired and
wireless cards <-//-> computer in another room with wireless card

So far I can't get the computer in the other room to be able to connect
through to the Internet, and I've tried a buttload of different things
and permutations. Is this even possible? Is it like a two NATs don't
make a connection sort of deal?

TIA,

Ari

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[spodosaurus]

Hi all,

I'm trying to create a network bridge so that a computer with a wireless
network card can connect to the internet through another computer with a
wireless network card and a wired card. The catch is, that the computer
that will be acting as the bridge (the one with two cards, wired and
wireless) connects through a router. So, to summarise, here's my setup:

Internet <--> ADSL modem <--> router <--> computer with wired and
wireless cards <-//-> computer in another room with wireless card

So far I can't get the computer in the other room to be able to connect
through to the Internet, and I've tried a buttload of different things
and permutations. Is this even possible? Is it like a two NATs don't
make a connection sort of deal?

TIA,

Ari

Both computers are running windows XP home SP2, by the way.



--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[spodosaurus]

Both computers are running windows XP home SP2, by the way.

Update:

I'm still trying to figure this out, but I appear to be one step closer.
Here's what I did after deleting the bridge:

1. turned on the DHCP server on my router
2. set the wireless card on the bridge computer to ad-hoc mode using its
manufacturer's software
3. re-created the bridge
4. changed the computer in the back room's wireless settings to receive
an IP automatically

It appears now that the computer in the back IS getting an IP from the
router! It's the second IP in the DHCP list, right after the one
assigned to the bridge computer. Unfortunately it STILL cannot connect
to the Internet.

Cheers,

Ari


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[Paul]

Hi all,

I'm trying to create a network bridge so that a computer with a wireless
network card can connect to the internet through another computer with a
wireless network card and a wired card. The catch is, that the computer
that will be acting as the bridge (the one with two cards, wired and
wireless) connects through a router. So, to summarise, here's my setup:

Internet <--> ADSL modem <--> router <--> computer with wired and
wireless cards <-//-> computer in another room with wireless card

So far I can't get the computer in the other room to be able to connect
through to the Internet, and I've tried a buttload of different things
and permutations. Is this even possible? Is it like a two NATs don't
make a connection sort of deal?

Have you tried a traceroute from the laptop to see where the problem is?
e.g.

tracert -d 216.239.59.99

 

[spodosaurus]

Have you tried a traceroute from the laptop to see where the problem is?
e.g.

tracert -d 216.239.59.99

It's not going anywhere, three * at the first hop. It's getting it's IP
address from the router, so there's definitely some network traffic, but
that's as far as I've been able to get :-( :-(

Ari


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[spodosaurus]

It's not going anywhere, three * at the first hop. It's getting it's IP
address from the router, so there's definitely some network traffic, but
that's as far as I've been able to get :-( :-(

Ari

The firewalls on the remote computer and the bridge are both turned off,
by the way. Just another thing I thought I should try.

Ari


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[Paul]

Are you sure the IP address isn't being assigned by the computer with
wired & wireless cards (e.g. from the Windows internet connection
sharing thingy)?

Is the default gateway OK?

BTW, I would imagine your configuration is pretty common.

 

[spodosaurus]

Are you sure the IP address isn't being assigned by the computer with
wired & wireless cards (e.g. from the Windows internet connection
sharing thingy)?

Yes. I specified a narrow IP range for DHCP in the router's settings.
These are the IPs being assigned.

Is the default gateway OK?

You mean the router? I'm using it now on a second wired connection
computer. The default gateway listed by ipconfig is the router. I think
something in the bridge computer is not letting anything connect to the
router through it except to ask for and receive an ip address.

BTW, I would imagine your configuration is pretty common.

me too, which is why I'm getting ready to tear my remaining hair out.


--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[spodosaurus]

Update:

I'm still trying to figure this out, but I appear to be one step closer.
Here's what I did after deleting the bridge:

1. turned on the DHCP server on my router
2. set the wireless card on the bridge computer to ad-hoc mode using its
manufacturer's software
3. re-created the bridge
4. changed the computer in the back room's wireless settings to receive
an IP automatically

It appears now that the computer in the back IS getting an IP from the
router! It's the second IP in the DHCP list, right after the one
assigned to the bridge computer. Unfortunately it STILL cannot connect
to the Internet.

Cheers,

Ari

I had to enable compatibility mode for the bridged wireless adapter, as
described here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/crawford_02april22.mspx

This also resulted in my wireless adapter completely disappearing, even
after a restart, and so I had to uninstall the drivers, reinstall the
drivers, disconnect the wireless usb adapter, restart the computer,
reconnect the wireless usb adapter, set it to ad-hoc mode again,
recreate the vridge, and check to make sure that compatibility mode was
still enabled (netsh bridge show a).

My problem now is that only one computer can connect at a time to the
bridge in this manner (I tested out a second computer with a wireless
NIC and it ended up with the same IP address as the one I was trying to
get working, and so sort of gummed up the works).

But for tonight, that's enough.

HTH someone else, too,

Ari

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[John Smithe]

You may need to turn on 'Internet Connection Sharing' (ICS) on the bridge
computer. Also, you should see at least three IP addresses being assigned by
the router. Two in the bridge computer, one for each NIC, and another for the
computer on the wireless connection. If you have a second computer connected
via wireless connection that would be an additional IP for a total of four.

 

[spodosaurus]

You may need to turn on 'Internet Connection Sharing' (ICS) on the bridge
computer. Also, you should see at least three IP addresses being assigned by
the router. Two in the bridge computer, one for each NIC, and another for the
computer on the wireless connection. If you have a second computer connected
via wireless connection that would be an additional IP for a total of four.

Hi John,

Please see my followup to myself in the top part of this thread about
what I needed to do to get the connection working. ICS is not necessary
in this circumstance. Once I turned 'promiscuous' mode on (aka
compatibility mode) for the wireless card everything worked. Even got
WEP working. Something strange did happen last night, though: when i
tried to 'attach' a second computer via the bridge the router assigned
it the same IP address as the first one I got going, creating problems.
This isn't a long term situation so I'm not too worried: when my
wireless router comes back I'll be able to put everything back to normal.

Ari

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. To jump to the end
of the story, as a result of this I need a bone marrow transplant. Many
people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please
volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/