Using Two Wireless Router?

[HelixOmnimedia]

Apologies if this is in the wrong category.

I received a BT Home Hub through the mail this morning, as I recently upgraded to the top package for the monthly usage. I’ve been using a Belkin Wireless router for the last year and everything is perfect.

We have a large house and the Belkin is currently outside my room, I get full strength, and so does the PC across the hall. However sometimes I’m in the kitchen or through the front of the house the signal is that low I don’t get internet.

I was just wondering is there any way that I can use both wireless routers at the same time? And place the BT Home Hub somewhere in the kitchen, so whenever I move out of one routers distance I can switch to the other?

 

[Eraserhead]

Apologies if this is in the wrong category.

I received a BT Home Hub through the mail this morning, as I recently upgraded to the top package for the monthly usage. I’ve been using a Belkin Wireless router for the last year and everything is perfect.

We have a large house and the Belkin is currently outside my room, I get full strength, and so does the PC across the hall. However sometimes I’m in the kitchen or through the front of the house the signal is that low I don’t get internet.

I was just wondering is there any way that I can use both wireless routers at the same time? And place the BT Home Hub somewhere in the kitchen, so whenever I move out of one routers distance I can switch to the other?

You should be able to, as long as only one is set-up to do DHCP, though you would need to go through the settings on your specific router to know for sure.

 

[HelixOmnimedia]

as long as only one is set-up to do DHCP

Thanks for the quick response

I know nothing about networking or even the major technical side. What does DHCP stand for?
I can get into the setting for the Belkin, by accessing it thought a number in safari? But don't know how to get into the setting for the BT Home Hub as the install disc only works on PC.

I really appreciate any further help - from anyone
THANKS

 

[Eraserhead]

Thanks for the quick response

I know nothing about networking or even the major technical side. What does DHCP stand for?

DHCP basically hands out the IP addresses for your network.

I can get into the setting for the Belkin, by accessing it thought a number in safari? But don't know how to get into the setting for the BT Home Hub as the install disc only works on PC.

Don't they give a web address to access it from? You might need to call BT, its requirements do seem to be PC only so you might *actually need* a PC.

As it's not Mac compatible say you are cannot access it from your PC as you don't have admin rights for the computer (and cannot install applications) and are wondering if you can access it through the a web browser.

To be honest though to do this you are probably going to need to fiddle around with the network settings, the best solution may be to move one router to a better location in your house.

 

[Sesshi]

DHCP has nothing to do with linking the two routers together.

To link the two wireless routers together, you'll need a router which supports wireless bridging. I'd go to the belkin support site and see whether it does it. The wireless bridging will require you to enter a MAC address (an almost-unique identifier for each piece of networking kit which is usually stuck onto the device somewhere near the serial number) for the BT Home hub.

After this, the belkin router (once again, if it supports wireless bridging) will act as a 'slave' to the Home Hub.

You can only have one DHCP server on one network, so if the BT Home Hub is giving out IP addresses to your devices for now I would leave it as the server.

 

[HelixOmnimedia]

Thanks for the replies.

Well the people at BT weren't much help. I told them what i wanted to do, and they said that all i needed to do was plug the BT Home Hub into my second ideal location and that my Mac should automatically detect the wireless signal, and that the 'broadband' signal will automatically split between the two.
Guess what? It didn't.

I plugged the BT Home Hub into the kitchen (power and the broadband phone line cable) and the only light that flashes in the Wireless... which my Airport does lists it and find the signal strength Full, but it doesn't find the ADSL line to allow the internet to work through it... HOWEVER it does find the ADSL line when the Belkin power is turned off. But then when the Belkin is started again it can't find the ADSL line.
Both work independantly with the other switched off, but not both turned on. i don't really want to waste another 45min onto BT.

Any further help/suggestions
THANKS

Any further ideas on how to solve the problem?
Hope that wasn't too confusing.

 

[McScooby]

Install Disc

This works for both PC and Mac (10.2.4 upwards) - It says it on the disc.

Failing this you could try and find hub via safari to:

http://api.home/

use "admin" for username and password

and I believe configure from there - not sure how to do so as I've never had to do it myself, but think you set it up not as main adsl modem, but only to find wireless signal.

ps. Rather that using tech desk, check answers online at either bt.com or login to btyahoo.com and you'll prbly find the info there