Repeater Bridge Problem

[KAB]

Yes....but are your routers both compatible?? ...IE N & G? The way I understand it you are using a wireless bridge. Networking problems can be very frustrating.

Yes, 2 wrt54g, both dd-wrt. Both set for mixed. Again, laptop wired to repeater bridge is fine. 722K is not.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Can you unplug the 722 and do a clean boot with it?

Did you change the local ip for the bridge?

Can you test with the laptop again ( wirless disabled ) and do a "repair" on your lan connection? That will flush any dns cache / etc. It will make sure we are only dealing with info from the bridge and not something cached. If it still works, its most likely a hardware issue with the 722.

 

[KAB]

I did a hard reboot

ip for repeater bridge 192.168.1.2 (primary 192.168.1.1)

Diagnose and repair done...no problems found

On the 722K...Network Setup...

IP address: 192.168.1.128
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Primary DNS: 192.168.1.1

Connection Status: Not connected

Ughhh!!!

 

[Lord_Vader]

Whats the dhcp scope on your router? ( 192.168.1.? to what )

 

[KAB]

Here is my theory...when setting up the repeater, I had NO dhcp enable/disable option. Believe me I followed the tutorials to the nail. So...screw it!!
BUT my scope?? I think I have already explained it...see previous post. Thanks for hangin' in.

 

[redelephants]

Here is my theory...when setting up the repeater, I had NO dhcp enable/disable option. Believe me I followed the tutorials to the nail. So...screw it!!
BUT my scope?? I think I have already explained it...see previous post. Thanks for hangin' in.

I have had nothing but problems using wireless bridges with a 722k receiver. No other components suffer these problems with the same wireless bridge. I finally gave up and am now using the sling link power line adapter with no problems. For some reason dish receivers do not like wireless repeaters.

 

[3HaloODST]

Client Bridged - DD-WRT Wiki

This. Client Bridge mode is what you want, not Repeater Bridge. Technically, repeater mode will work, but then you need to configure a second SSID as the wifi is doing as described: repeating the signal. Client mode will just associate the router with your AP. I have a network of 4 WRT54GLs that are all connected wirelessly, with one of them acting as a pseudo-wireless-bridge for one of my 722Ks. Been set up this way for well over a year and it works flawlessly.


As for DHCP. If the receiver is showing an IP address in the network setup page, then DHCP is working correctly. There is no need to configure DHCP on the client bridge, as DHCP is handled by the AP. You may also need to try a different DD-WRT build. Depending on which version of the GS you have, make sure it is the appropriate version (micro, std, etc.)

 

[Lord_Vader]

This. Client Bridge mode is what you want, not Repeater Bridge. Technically, repeater mode will work, but then you need to configure a second SSID as the wifi is doing as described: repeating the signal. Client mode will just associate the router with your AP. I have a network of 4 WRT54GLs that are all connected wirelessly, with one of them acting as a pseudo-wireless-bridge for one of my 722Ks. Been set up this way for well over a year and it works flawlessly.


As for DHCP. If the receiver is showing an IP address in the network setup page, then DHCP is working correctly. There is no need to configure DHCP on the client bridge, as DHCP is handled by the AP. You may also need to try a different DD-WRT build. Depending on which version of the GS you have, make sure it is the appropriate version (micro, std, etc.)

I couldn't remember if there was an option for the dhcp relay. I didn't mean to setup a dhcp server.

The 192.168.1.128 sounds odd. That's why I was wondering if it was in the scope or not.

Make sure you have turned off the firewall on the bridge too.

Do you have another DVR that you could connect the bridge to as a test?

 

[Lord_Vader]

ok, I connected to mine.

make sure you are in "client bridge" mode

"network configuration" should be bridged (same page)

disable the spi firewall

on the basic setup page

local ip should be something outside of your dhcp scope. ( you don't want something to get your static ip by mistake ) I like 192.168.1.200 personally. Subnet should be 255.255.255.0, gateway should be the main router 192.168.1.1 and local dns can be 0.0.0.0.

I normally also select "assign wan port to switch" so you get an extra port.

That should be it.

 

[KAB]

OK, here's the update. Spent most of morning setting up secondary router as repeater bridge. (did something wrong the first time). Second time around, got the laptop to work. Hooked up to the 722, reset and SAME STORY. 722K sees main router IP, with the correct subnet. NO CONNECTION.

So, as LV suggested, I hooked it up to my 722. IT WORKED. Took back to 722K with SAME ethernet cable...same sad story.

Hence, looks like a problem with the K. Will probably call Tech support the afternoon (yippee).

Any other ideas?

 

[KAB]

Talked to Broadband tech support. The short of it, there is some setting in the "client bridge" that the K does not like, and will not talk to it. It sees the router just fine, but that's all. He pointed out the modem in the K is different than the 722, as well of software, as we all know. He suggested going the home plug route connected to the router (our home has two different electrical circuits), which sounds good after nearly 24 hrs of messing with it. He found a nearby retailer for me, so I'll probably pick one up sometime this week. Lost this battle.

 

[Lord_Vader]

That's really odd. The fact that it is a bridge should really not matter to the 722k. I know what you are saying, but the whole reason to use the bridge is to avoid the fact that its wireless. The 722k should only know that it is a ethernet device.

Have you ever had the 722k plugged into your network at all? Is it reasonable to plug it directly into the router to see if it works or not?

Only other thing I can think of is that you might want to turn off "bridged". Not the "client bridged" mode, but the little radio button on the bottom of that screen. You could also try to setup the local DHCP and just setup the scope on the same network. ( 192.168.1.180 - 192.168.1.185 ) and set the DNS for the 192.168.1.1 router.

 

[KAB]

Have you ever had the 722k plugged into your network at all? Is it reasonable to plug it directly into the router to see if it works or not?

No, they are at opposite ends of the house. Would take a 100' cable just to test it.

Idea. If I took my DSL Modem/4 port router (not wireless) and connected to phone line out there and then connect 722K to one of the ports...would that work? Would that tell us anything?

 

[Miner]

That should work as long as you move the DSL filters as necessary. If it then works directly to the DSL router, the problem is still with the dd-wrt configs. In addition to the powerline system, I at one point used a game adapter to connect to a wireless network. It was a very simple netgear model, and it should work the same as the dd-wrt, but fewer settings to mis-configure.
Miner

 

[Lord_Vader]

Yes, that would be a good test.

 

[KAB]

Yeh, don't know why I didn't think of it before. Just use the phone line going into receiver. Probably try in the morning. Thanks ALL for staying with me on this.

 

[downriver]

NOT exactly plug and play is it..................great thread...VERY informative....I was considering bridging. Think I'll go the other way. CRAZY around here this morning, first fall storm brought out the Deer and the Poachers......a couple of ringers from Crescent City shot a 4-point on my property this morning not 70 yards from the house....it's been grazing here all summer.....practically had a bell around his neck........confronted them and the Fish and Game boys picked them up a few hours later....nothing gets the adrenalin going quite like armed idiots on your property.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Yeh, don't know why I didn't think of it before. Just use the phone line going into receiver. Probably try in the morning. Thanks ALL for staying with me on this.

If it does work, you could leave it that way maybe.

Reverse the bridge. Put the DSL modem / 4 port router there and put the client bridge on the other end where you need you connections.

 

[Mike_H]

What firmware version of DD-WRT are you using with client bridge? When testing your bridge you should have your laptop hard wired into the client bridge router and test that you can access the internet across it. Make sure your wifi is turned off the laptop so you are sure what connect you are testing. This is the biggest thread at DD-WRT on client bridge. I'd read through it.
DD-WRT Forum :: View topic - HOWTO: Client Bridged Mode

When working on bridging, I tend to start with encryption turned off on both routers just to simplify things. Once everything works, I will then re-enable encryption.

Also note, DD-WRT has some issues with client bridge mode. It has reported to have issues with passing any mac address other than the routers across the bridge. I personally use WDS rather than Client bridge with DD-WRT to connect my 360, ps3, and 722K to the internet.

One good quote on the difference between Client Bridge and WDS is found here:
Anyway to get SPI Firewall on Client-Bridge??

WDS is a more "elegant" way to repeat wireless signals due to the fact that it creates a proper transparent bridge compatible with all 802.11 protocols and preserves the MAC addresses of client frames across links between access points.

Client Bridge and Repeater Bridge uses MAC address translation (MAT) (proxy ARP) which is not compatible with some applications and protocols that depend on MAC addresses (potential ARP problems).

This difference may explain why the 722K isn't working where a 722 would. In particular if it is using a protocol that is dependent on the boxes MAC address.

Note this is due to the implementation of Bridging on DD-WRT, not necessarily other systems.

 

[KAB]

Well, the 722K connected right up when I took the DSL modem/router to it, so the dd-wrt bridge just won't play nice. LV, your thought about reversing the setup may just be the ticket. From where the 722K is, I have more latitude in primary router placement (easy access to attic) than I do from my desktop area. PLUS, I can run ethernet from the DSL modem to the 722 as well...two birds with one stone. Next rainy weekend project.

At least we know it's NOT a problem with the K.