cascading Linksys router

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When the Linksys 1900 AC router first came out, I upgraded my network accordingly. When my cable internet supplier replaced my router with a specialized D-link AC router, I used my Linksys as a network extension, although I apparently did not do this completely properly, as the extension behaved as a separate network.

When I returned from vacation recently, the Linksys router had been reset (perhaps by power problems?). I downloaded the latest instructions for setting it up as a cascaded access point, so that the network would be integrated with the rest of the network. [http://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=132275 .] Step 2 connects the Linksys router to a laptop pc via one of the router’s numbered Ethernet ports. Step 3 then asks that the web-based setup page of this secondary router be accessed.

The diagram shows no apparent internet connection. If I access the internet via a wireless link via the laptop, I get an error message – the same one as I get if I just use the connection as shown on the article diagram.

I clearly need to reset the secondary router ip address to another so that it will not conflict with the D-link main router, but I am unable to do this with web access. I also need to reset this router’s wireless sign-in info (for users).

Any help “out there”?

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Assuming your computer is a laptop (as shown in the Linksys document)…
Temporarily turn off Wi-Fi on your laptop so you can connect to the secondary router using an ethernet cable (as shown on that Linksys web page) without having the confusion of a wireless connection.
Once you have configured the secondary router you can disconnect the ethernet cable from your laptop and enable your laptop’s wireless again.

Hope that helps.

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Thanks. Tried that, but it didn’t work – receive error message. The next step calls for connecting to the web set-up utility.

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In step 3 you only connect to the Linksys router – to change it so that it becomes part of your D-Link network.

This setup means your Linksys is being used as a switch and wireless access point, not as a router.

cheers, Paul

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That’s exactly what I want. But when I try, the response is that it needs web access to continue after step 2. Is there something that I must load on the laptop first?

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You do not want internet access.
Have you disabled wireless on the laptop first?
Did you enter “192.168.1.1” in the browser address bar?

cheers, Paul

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I am confused.

I tried the directions with a standalone desktop, and the router still asks me to connect to the internet. [If I have not reset again, it first asks me to reset. Then I get the initial “conditions-accepting” router dialog, followed by the same error messages (saying I need internet access) as before on the laptop.

I wonder whether my router – one of the early units shipped – is not capable of being configured as a remote switch/access-point.

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Your router is asking for internet access? Are you sure?
Can you post a screen shot? (Open Snipping Tool, snip window, save as PNG, post)

cheers, Paul

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I almost sent these before your request!
Anyway, attached are the snip before I reset the router (which I had done several times already) and then after resetting and following the resulting instructions.

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Don’t use the WiFi setup, connect a cable to the router and then go to the setup page.

cheers, Paul

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I’m confused – sorry. That’s exactly what I want to do (get to the setup page), but I can’t seem to get there.

I connect a cable from the pc (laptop or desktop – I’ve tried both) to one of the 4 switched ports of the router and I cannot get the setup page. Am I understanding you correctly?

Thanks for your patiene.

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You need to bypass the “smart setup” screen. Look for an option on the first screen.

cheers, Paul

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Okay – I went to local access as you suggested.
Attached are three snips to show key pages. Note that on the page that shows connection type, the options are: DHCP, Static IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, Bridge Mode, Wireless Repeater, Wireless Bridge. Note also that there is no place to change the IP address of the router, listed as the first step in the Linksys on-line instructions. There is no DHCP off switch (although the 2nd and 3rd screens might provide a place for this). In other words, the pictures and instructions on the Linksys page do not correspond to anything on the manual router setup pages. This MAY mean that a first-generation version of the router cannot be configured in my desired mode.

Suggestions?

And – as always – thanks!

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Using your 3rd screenshot (of your secondary router) as a reference, remove the tick from the DHCP Server checkbox so only the primary router serves out IP addresses. Use the Edit link to change the IP address of the router itself to that of the primary router +1. That is, if your primary router’s IP address is 192.168.1.1, change the IP address of the secondary router to 192.168.1.2. On the primary router, ensure the ‘start’ IP address is higher than 192.168.1.2 (which would clash with the secondary router).

45315-dhcp-off
Click to enlarge

Hope this helps…

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What can I say? Your instructions worked perfectly, as far as I can tell – I’m using it regularly now!

MANY THANKS.

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Bridge Mode should be what you are after – it should make the changes Rick suggested and disable the firewall. Can you post a screen shot of Bridge Mode?

cheers, Paul

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Thanks for sticking with me. Almost everything seems to be working at this stage.

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