Nophix Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 My friend/neighbor and I were thinking of trying to link our networks. We share files between us quite a bit, and it would make it much easier for us to be able to access our individual file servers. I'm running a Blitzz BWA711 router(hey, don't knock it, I love this thing!) and he just bought a Linksys WRT350NG or something like that. I'm running a freenas file server, and he's running a USB drive connected to the router. As of right now, we have laptop only access, and have to switch networks if we want to transmit a file easily. Also, if we could bridge our internet connections as well, that could be a bonus. I don't really know of a way to do it, but I'm now expert either. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleted Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Wouldnt one bigger Network be Easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nophix Posted December 15, 2007 Author Share Posted December 15, 2007 It would, but there is no way to get wire across to him. He lives across the road from me. We get solid WiFi signal between us, 70+% from each router even at the back of the houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Could get a 2nd router and set it up as a client bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nophix Posted December 15, 2007 Author Share Posted December 15, 2007 That's kinda what I was thinking Vak. We have 2 routers, my Blitzz and his Linksys. But I wsa under the assumption that on a client bridge, one router acts as an AP. That would eliminate one of the internet connections completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparda Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Like a wireless repeater? The difficulty would be: Two consumer grade routers on the same network isn't very fun. DHCP servers running on both Internet connections on both You would need some rather crazy hardware to make load balancing work. Crazy hardware definition: Computer running Linux (ubuntu!) with a wireless card that works and and two standard NICs. The router at the house that the computer isn't at would need to have the wireless setup so that only the computer can connect to it. From there, the computer would need to be connected to the other internet connection some how, then the other wireless router connected to that computer. Providing all the settings are correct, now you have load balanced two internet connections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleted Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 You can disable DHCP and use one Net Connection, I have done it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nophix Posted December 15, 2007 Author Share Posted December 15, 2007 I know I could do it with changing it into a briige, bt I'm on contract for my internet, and f I remember right he is to. I think I may try something like what Sparda mentioned and set up another system with a wireless card. That, or maybe set a computer up on each system(we have about 15 systems or more between the 2 of us, this isn't a problem). Maybe have each one connected to the network on each houe, and do an ad-hoc over the wifi cards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Its easier if you only have one machine you want to share with him, you both buy a 2nd wireless card and connect it to each others network. If you want to share access to your entire lan, you will need to bride these connections. So, make sure your using different IP ranges (192.168.1.* and 192.168.2.*), then setup a box that connects to his network and bridges the 2 networks. I'm not entirely sure how well this would work, but its where i would start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothCriminal Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Hell you are close enough, just get a external hard drive and walk it over there, it would save you a lot of trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nophix Posted December 16, 2007 Author Share Posted December 16, 2007 We do that now. Either that, or we can swtch the network our laptops connect to and do that. We were just looking for a way to make it a bit easier. This way if one of us is gone, we don't have to go over and boot up the other ones machine and what not. The file servers are on all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digip Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Even quicker, set up something like xampp on each of your boxes, then place all your shared files in a password protected directory and download what you want from each other. It would be safer network wise and faster as far as wireless goes. Also, you can use a little php and place an upload script behind that password protected directory and you can then send to each other as well if there is something you want to send him when he is away from home and he can then access the file from his box from any remote location and you do not need to leave your side up all the time for him to download from you. Everything can be done over SSL using xampp. The hardest part about the whole setup is securing MyPHP Admin and the MySQL side of it and then por forwarding it on the router, but that takes like 30 seconds to set passwords for everything and setup the router ports and your firewall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hosehead221 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 use ddwrt to setup a mesh network Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothCriminal Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 use ddwrt to setup a mesh network That is a good idea, QFE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRGRIM Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I did a similar thing in my house, I bridged 2 wireless linksys access points so I could get the network from downstairs to upstairs. Couldn't you do a similar thing? The other option would be to have a second wireless card in your PC or laptop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 The problem is that they have 2 WAN connections. So they need to do something like this. (where --- = bridge) WAN WAN | | | | |------------| | | LAN LAN A 2nd wireless card in each PC would work, one to there own AP, and another to the others AP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nophix Posted December 20, 2007 Author Share Posted December 20, 2007 Both of the systems we will be using are hardwired to their individual nets, so I think the idea of running a wifi card in each and bridging the 2 is probably our best bet. Now, the question is, what would be better.. Ad-hoc the 2 systems, or tie the wifi cards for each system into the other networks routers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 Connect to the others network. Now, all you need to do is setup routing the traffic, which is something I don't know much about. Basically, if your using 192.168.1.*, your router needs a rule that if it sees traffic going to 192.168.2.*, it has to be sent to the machine with the wireless connection to the others network, which is setup to bridge the connection between the to networks. This would allow you access to both networks in there entirety from any machine on either network. If you only want to access each others file servers, it gets much simpler. Just put a wireless card in each file server, in addition to the wired connection to your own LAN, and connect it to the others network. This means its a client on both networks, and you can pull files off of the others file server from any machine on your network, but they are limited to just your file server and visa versa. I must admit I'm on shaky ground here. I think either should work, but if anyone has spotted a flaw in my ideas, please point it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothCriminal Posted December 20, 2007 Share Posted December 20, 2007 I was just realizing a mesh network will not work for your situation. Vako you have a good idea (don't quite understand it), but I am pretty sure that the routers they have won't handle that. Bridging is a good idea, but then you are not using your own network recources. Maybe, if you buy another router, and setup DD-WRT on that, then bridge with that one. You can connect to both networks. It is not quite what you asked for, but getting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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