Network Bridge

[InsightGoalie]

So, I remember hearing/reading about network bridges on this site. Yet, I can't seem to find the threads... Anyway, I have two routers, one downstairs the other upstairs next to my PC and TV. Well, I want to use my PC as the network bridge (downstairs has the internet) and enable the upstairs router with internet. Then I can finally move my 360 up in my room. With that said I've already set up the network bridge and it seems to work ok. Thing is, it's not sharing the internet connection. How do I get it to share the internet? Does anybody have experience with this, or know a good website? I'm looking but, if anybody already knows that would be a big help. Thanks

[Romanc]

Why not start with a tutorial?

[InsightGoalie]

TBH, that tutorial doesn't help at all. I know what a bridge is and how to set it up. I just can't figure out why it isn't sharing the internet. There is a PC hooked up to the upstairs router and it can't access the internet.

[rounds1]

So, you have the wireless or wired router plugged into the PC downstairs, correct? And then another wireless or wired router plugged in upstairs?

You haven't really explained your situation all that well.

[rounds1]

Maybe this link will help?

Windows XP Home Networking: Building Network Bridges

[rounds1]

After some thinking, I believe I see what you're saying now. You have no PC upstairs, but you're trying to build a network?

If your router is wireless, why build a network? Get a wireless adapter for the 360 and you're all set. Otherwise, you'd probably have to hook it up to your 360 first so you could configure the sharing. I don't think that stuff automatically happens.

Edit: Wait...I re-read again. You DO have PC's both upstairs and down? WTF?!?!?!? If that's the case, you probably didn't configure it correctly or don't have the proper hardware.

[chedabob]

Connection bridging on Wi-Fi is the most unreliable thing in the world. Buy yourself a 30ft CAt5 cable and use that until you can afford the Wi-Fi adaptor or a pair of Ethernet over Powerline adaptors.

[Romanc]

I would think it would be much easier to use an access point upstairs, basically extending your downstairs network to include upstairs, instead of setting up two separate networks and then bridging them.

[rounds1]

If you want me to be honest, what he's doing I don't think is in any way possible.

Not only that, but he's building a network between 2 PC's so he can get his 360 on there? That makes no sense to me, but I'm also no expert. Just using logic...

[superslug]

You can set up a single network using two routers so there is no need for any sort of bridge. Basically you can use one router as your dhcp server (assigning ip's to devices on the network) and the then can be used basically like a switch or access point. The only problem is I think you would have to have a wired connect between the 2 routers.

1.Leave the router that has direct internet access as the dhcp server (should be default) and turn it off on the other one. You should be able to do this from the routers configuration page

2. Make sure the 2nd routers ip is on the same network as the first. An IP address is has 2 parts: a network address and a computer address. eg. For the address 192.168.1.1, 192.168.1 identifies the network and the .1 at the end identifies the computer. Set your 2nd router to have the same network address as your internet router but a different computer address eg. If your internet routers address is 192.168.1.1 set your 2nd router to 192.168.1.2.

3. As I said i think you would need to connect the 2nd router to the first via cat5 or cat6 cable. I haven't ever tried it with 2 wireless routers though so it might be possible