Setting up a Belkin N150 router as a 2nd router...
n1evh
Enthusiast - Level 2

Since Verizon can't seem to tell me when OR if they are going to be offering an 802.11n wireless router for their FiOS customers... I went out and bought a Belkin N150 wireless router.

Now I've looked thru some messages on here and I've looked at some links that have been posted to other websites. I gig what was said to do in those links... but I can't seem to get the wireless router to work right.

Here is what I've done...

1) went into my Actiontec router and set my "Start IP Address" to 192.168.1.20 (so there are some static addresses available for setting up devices).

2) Connected my Belkin router to my laptop.  Took a few tries at getting into it as it has a default IP address of 192.168.2.1.  If I try to change it to anything but this... I can't' get into the router with Internet Explorer.   If I leave it set to 192.168.2.1... then I can get into the router with Internet Explorer.

3) I turned off the DHCP server in the Belkin router.

4) I went into the wireless settings and selected the wireless encryption and set a password.

5) I connected the Belkin's WAN port to one of the LAN ports of my Actiontec router and rebooted the Belkin router.

Now if I connect a network cable to my laptop to the Belkin router... I can connect to the internet.  If I disconnect the network cable and turn on the wireless card in my laptop... tell it to connect to the Belkin wireless router... put in the wireless password that I set... my laptop will say that I'm connected to the router... but I can't access the internet.

When I click on the "Network and Sharing Center" icon on my desktop (running Windows 7)... it shows the Belkin network thru my wireless connection and it says "No Internet Access".  If I tell my laptop to connect to my Actiontex router thru a wireless connection... it says there is internet access.  If I connect my laptop to the Belkin router with a network cable... it says there is internet access.

So... I can connect to the internet thru my new Belkin router if I have a network cable between my laptop and the router... but I can't connect to the internet if I use a wireless connection between my laptop and the Belkin wireless router.

Anyone have any suggestions???

Thanks,

Mike - N1EVH

Re: Setting up a Belkin N150 router as a 2nd router...
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Since you have disabled the DHCP server on the Belkin, you should connect the Belkin using one of the Belkin's LAN ports, to the ActionTec's LAN port. This will basically make the Belkin serve as if it were a switch.

For some additional tips regarding speed and stability, ensure the Firewall and UPnP is Disabled on the Belkin. Those only work on the WAN port and there's no need to use them at this point so it is safe to unload them from memory. In addtion, to make the best use of Wireless N, you MUST be using WPA2-PSK Encryption, not Multi-mode, not WEP or WPA, but just WPA2. In addition, WMM QoS on the Wireless must also be enabled. Avoid using 40Mhz channels on Wireless N except on the 5Ghz band, but instead stick the radio to only use 20Mhz Wide channels on the clearest channel you can get. Also, N works best when all devices are N. Wireless G devices will slow down the network while they are transmiting or receving data, and the same goes with B devices. With WPA2, B devices are taken out of the mix automatically, so here's my suggestion to you as well in this regard: Run N devices exclusively off of the Belkin. All Wireless G devices should be run from the ActionTec, which should also be set to "G Mode" only and WPA2. Both wireless radios must be set to either Channels 1, 6, or 11, whichever is clearest and they must not use the same channels.

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Re: Setting up a Belkin N150 router as a 2nd router...
viafax999
Community Leader
Community Leader

You'll probably find it far easier to run the belkin as a second subnet. - which is what you were trying to do except you turned off dhcp which effectively cut off access to the internet as you won't get an ip address from it.

Leave the base setting at 192.168.2.1 and set the wan setting to a static IP address on the 192.168.1.x  Actiontec subnet, say 192.168.1.2., gateway 192.168.1.1 and dns 192.168.1.1

Enable dhcp on the belkin

set the wireless setting on the belkin to whatever you like, not the same as the actiontec - I suggest you use wpa2 rather than wep

connect a lan port of the actiontec to the wan port of the belkin

start using the wireless connection on the belkin

in addition I would connect any other wired devices to the belkin as they will then all communicate between themselves at gig speeds.

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