Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 5:25 Post subject: repeater mode won't broadcast virtual SSID
<edit 10-Jan-2010>
Sorry for the crappy post. I should have started with this:
Linksys WRT54GL v1.1
Firmware: DD-WRT v24-sp2 (07/22/09) mini
dd-wrt.v24-12548_NEWD_mini.bin
I am attempting to create a repeater with a separate subnet. I cannot get it to broadcast the SSID of the new subnet. It appears on a site survey as a non-broadcasting network.
I need to put this router in my neighbor's house, for him to use my internet connection. I don't want his porn-infected machines on my subnet, however, so I set up my own wireless in my house (SSID= 'myhouse') and a repeater in his house (SSID= 'neighbor'). He is to connect his machines to 'neighbor'. All works fine, including different keys, and even separate encryption methods if I so chose, EXCEPT it won't broadcast SSID 'neighbor'. That is, we can connect to 'neighbor' just fine. But is appears on a site survey as a 'nonbroadcasting' network. His wife won't be able to remember the name (including case sensitivity) of his network without having it presented as a 'menu option'.
If the original thread for the same problem pointed toward an answer, please redirect me there, as I didn't understand it if it did so.
Thanks,
jimbo
Last edited by jimbo123 on Sun Jan 10, 2010 16:03; edited 2 times in total
You didn't mention your exact hardware or firmware. You can get around the non-broadcasting for the wife problem by just creating a static profile for the connection in whatever OS she has. _________________ Read the forum announcements thoroughly! Be cautious if you're inexperienced.
Available for paid consulting. (Don't PM about complicated setups otherwise)
Looking for bricks and spare routers to expand my collection. (not interested in G spec models)
Dope-slap for me. I added the following info to the first post, where it should have been so it will be correct for any future searchers.
Linksys WRT54GL v1.1
Firmware: DD-WRT v24-sp2 (07/22/09) mini
dd-wrt.v24-12548_NEWD_mini.bin
Thanks for the advice for the workaround. I have already done that. 'Twas is the manner by which I determined that everything else works. The 'wife problem' is not exact and complete, it was simply a more concise method of stating 99% of:
Configuring it for them manually only works until the next time they add a new computer, reinstall their OS, buy a new iPhone, reset their wireless printer to factory defaults, have a guest who wants to connect, etc. etc. Since I don't want to be 24 hour life-time support every time they need to connect to their wireless network, nor make them wait for a week for me to return from vacation before they can resume printing their urgently needed document, I'd like to make it work properly instead of using the workaround.
It appears that others have it working properly, so I think I am this [holds fingers close together] close. Does anyone else have my hardware and configuration working properly?
Wow. Thanks. It didn't work the first time, doing it in exactly that order, but after seeing some things changing a bit, I tried all sorts of different combinations of ordering Save and Apply. At first, hitting Apply would cause it to stop broadcasting the secondary SSID, but after a whole bunch of random monkeying, the Apply button can now be pressed without pooching it. I am TOTALLY confused now about the functions of the Save and Apply buttons, as they do not seem to be consistent or intuitive. Is there some explanation of that somewhere?
I now have the secondary SSID being broadcast. Now to move on to other issues that have cropped up in the meantime...
I think I get it. The Apply button on the page saves and applys some of the settings on the page but not all of them when in repeater mode. Thus, doing a 'save' when another mode is selected causes the new SSID setting to be saved to the correct location in nvram. Then switching back to repeater mode sets the mode correctly and leaves the previously corrected SSID in place. It is simply a bug in the code that I might have found if I had the source and stepped through the logic.
If I had a more complete understanding of how to describe the bug, I could likely submit it via a bug reporting forum or tool.
Thanks for the help. It will be helpful in future efforts as well as this one.