New wireless MVP option @ compUSA

[afriend1]

For all those looking for a wireless connection to your MVP, CompUSA has a new product out, a wireless 54 G router with WDS (sku #333628). I bought two and now have a wireless connection to my MVP.

Set up (for me) was tricky; documentatoin is cheesy and tech support wasn't very knowledgeable and aren't quick to return phone calls. So it took me a week to get it working. It finally seems stable now.

The great thing about the router is that it's $20 after rebate through Jan 31st. My rebate for doesn't say there's a limit on how many can go to one household. I called my local CompUSA to confirm this, and the sales rep said the website didn't say anything either. He was surprised, as this isn't normal. I called the rebate center as well and they confirmed there's no limit. With two more MVP's I need two more routers.

With a WDS setup, I also can connect to the network/internet with my wireless laptop, which previously wouldn't "reach" my old router from my bedroom. Now I'm watching my favorite recordings and surfing the web in bed.

PM me if you want help setting them up.

[kaiger]

I've already got a decent linksys 802.11g router set up that I'd rather not change. Can I use this router with the WDS and connect to my current network or is WDS a proprietary thing that requires two identical routers?

[afriend1]

I'm not a network guy so I can't say for sure that it will talk to your linksys. But in all the reading I did, interoperability between brands is iffy. One site i read said even the same brand might not work if you have different models with different chipsets. You have 21 days to return it at CompUSA, so you could buy one and try it.

WDS (Wireless Distribution System) alllows for two networks to talk to each other. So it is possible they'll work together. WDS is not proprietary; it doesn't require two identical routers. But two identical makes it more likely they'll talk to each other. It also may be that all routers on the network need to have the WDS capability for them to work together. Good luck!

[lucille84]

Can you advise, from your experience, whether it will work in a situation as follows

DSL line input
-------
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[DSL + Router + Voip adapter required in this position for VoIP & DSL]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - || - - - - - - - - - - - - || - - -
[-----------------] - - - - - [--------------] - - - - - - [------------]
[CompUSA Router1] - - - - - [Computer # 1 ] - - - - - - [Computer #2]
----------------- - - - - - - [GBpvr PVR350 ]
|
wireless
|
-----------------
CompUSA Router 2
-----------------
||
------
MVP
------
||
----
TV
----

Or have I got this wireless hookup concept AFU ???

Thx for any help you can give,
Lucille84

[thunder]

I'm interested in the answer to lucille84's question as well. My situation is very similar except I have cable instead of DSL.

Also, does the video play smoothly with these CompUSA routers. I've been wanting to try the wireless for a second MVP in the bedroom but I didn't want to spend the $$ to try it and have the video be "jumpy". I don't mind trying it for $40 though.

thunder

[ggee]

I don't have those routers specifically, but something similar. Assuming I understand the diagram correctly which didn't post very well, what you are doing is fine. Just remember that in this situation, the 'CompUSA Router' should only have cables pluged into the LAN ports in this setup. Don't use the WAN ports of the 'CompUSA Routers'.

Greg

[afriend1]

That setup should work - I would think. I have a cable/internet phone modem, so I don't know for sure if DSL is different. I would guess it is not.

Lucille84, which is your DHCP server, the DLS router or the CompUSA1 router? In my setup, my CompUSA 1 router is the DHCP server, with the cable modem in the WAN port and two desktops wired to the other ports. You can only have 1 DHCP server on the network! If your DSL router is the DHCP server, I'm not sure exactly how to set it up. But I would assume that for both CompUSA routers the DHCP should be turned off. Also, with WDS, each router has to know the MAC address of the other router on the network (see next paragraph).

If the Comp1 is the server, make sure the Comp2 DHCP is turned off. Also, you have to put the MAC address of each CompUSA router into THE OTHER router on the AP/BRIDGE page. Also, I set my Comp2 to a fixed IP one number less (99) than the dynamic IP pool range (it was 100-200 by default). MVP goes in a normal LAN port, not the WAN port.

Thunder, the video is great...unless the microwave is running. I simply pause the video until the cooking is over . I should mention that I do have a Hawking high gain corner antenna on my serving router. I'm sure that makes a difference, but I still think it worth trying.

The only thing I haven't setup yet is WEP. I will probably do that tonight.