Wanted to repurpose a couple of WRT54 routers to give wireless access into a Nanostation so I don't have to run long CAT5 around a room (trip hazard, at the least).
I'm not a networking guru, but I have some experience (I can flash to DD-WRT! Gotta count for something, right? Haha)
Layout is :
| Laptop/IP Phone 1 = | = WRT 2 > | < Wireless > | WRT 1 = | = NS2M>> | < Wireless > | < Bullet = | = Simple Switch = | = PBX |
| IP Phone 2 = | = WRT 3 > | < Wireless > | ^^^^^^ | \\= IP Phone 2 |
== : CAT5
< > ^ : Wireless Links
WRT 1 WAN port goes to the NS, and is the main router, giving IPs to the downstream computer and phones.
Got the linking set up between the routers with WDS, and I can see through to the other nodes, but the IP phones seem to be an issue.
They connect and register to the PBX okay (FreePBX on a Pi), and I can see the PBX to configure it from the far end, but phones can't call each other.
I swopped phone 2 wired direct to the simple switch and then phone 1 could call and send audio to phone 2, but phone 2 couldn't call phone 1, or even send audio when phone 1 initiated the call.
My guess is that this is a port forwarding issue.
To try and keep a long story short-ish, I'm trying to keep this as simple as possible to deploy.
I don't want to need to do a big reconfigure on the routers if things get set up with a different NS, for example.
The basic use for the setup is to do Field Day logging (N3FJP), with phones and maybe another service or two.
I want a wired network out of the computer because I know mapping network drives can be tricky with wireless first segments (i.e. they drop occasionally) for logging software.
Is this essentially a futile effort? Should I just get an AirRouter or two instead?
Just want the ability to setup two or more workstations in the same large room, but physically separated. It's mainly a proof of concept for potential future deployments when we have a true multi-site network around town.
I know the AR will do this, and with our Field Day setup, even a low power AR would probably see the entire network as everything is fairly close, though some is outside the building.
Mainly was hoping to reuse the existing WRT's. I suppose they could just become basic APs; useful if we need to get tablets or something into the network.
I recently located a few WRT-54 Routers that are Version 3, which according to an earlier list, are able to be re-flashed to be used on 2.4 Mhz Chan 1.
Your comment is encouraging that these units can be used for local Mesh Network on a Field Day Site, and/or access to a backbone Ubiquiti Unit.
Comments Please.
Norm VE3CZI