How do I get this PC on my LAN?

[GetOffMyLAN]

I understand that this discussion involves wireless routers, but my thread is primarily about their wired capabilities. Hope this isn't violating any forum rules!

Here we go.

I have 2 routers. One of which was provided by my ISP and essentially just sits in the living room as a modem in bridge mode. My other is an aftermarket router which has been flashed with DD-WRT, Linksys EA6500v1, if that's of any relevance.

I have a 50ft Ethernet cord running through the wall outlets into my room, powering my DD-WRT router's WAN port to create an unrestricted, full speed PPPoE connection of its own. This router is used for all Wi-Fi devices and nearby Ethernet devices, essentially acting as a primary Gateway router.

However, I have a desktop computer located in the living room where the ISP router is, and the only way it can get an internet connection is by hooking it up to the ISP router via Ethernet, also establishing PPPoE. As you can imagine, this creates various problems. I'd like to avoid having to buy a Wi-Fi card for it, as the wireless connection gets heavily degraded in that particular room.

What adjustments must be done to both routers that would allow me to somehow have this desktop computer hop over from the ISP router to my DD-WRT one? Perhaps I should look into LAN-to-LAN?

The firmware of my ISP router is highly limited, meaning that I have little options to do things such as create static routes on it.

I'm already anticipating that I'll have to reclarify my issue many times as/if this thread moves forward. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and maybe even replying with your two cents.

 

[netwrks]

Since your ISP device is bridged, it acts as a modem, not a router. Buy an Ethernet cable and run it from your living room, to your Linksys, or, as an alternative, investigate powerline products (search powerline) or buy a wireless card...

 

[CaptainSTX]

Since your ISP device is bridged, it acts as a modem, not a router. Buy an Ethernet cable and run it from your living room, to your Linksys, or, as an alternative, investigate powerline products (search powerline) or buy a wireless card...

If you don't need the PC connected to the ISP router to communicate and share resources with your other devices on your DD-WRT router double NAT your DD-WRT behind the ISP router after you have put it back in the router mode. Turn disable the WiFi on the ISP router if you don't want to use it.

 

[RMerlin]

You could connect the modem directly to the router next to that PC, connect the 50ft cable to a LAN port of the router, and at the other end put a network switch to feed the devices in the other room.

So first room has modem. router and PC. Other room has network switch and other Ethernet devices.

 

[Samir]

Unfortunately, there's not really an easy way to get that system connected to the access point/router that you want while still having access for the wireless devices.

Cheapest solution will be to run another 50ft cable back to that computer from your access point/router.

Other solution is to use a wireless card as you mentioned.

Another solution would be to move the access point/router to the same room as the modem and PC. But then you need another access point for where the first one was (unless you still get good coverage).

 

[Dreamslacker]

Use a pair of VLAN capable switches to "split" the existing ethernet cable.
E.g.
Assign VLAN 10 for LAN, VLAN 20 for WAN.
On the living room side:

• Assign 1 port on the switch to VLAN 10 in Untagged (Access) mode. Connect this to the ISP router "LAN" port.
• Assign 1 port with VLANs 10 & 20 tagged. Connect this to the cable going to the other room where the DDWRT router resides.
• Assign the rest of the ports as VLAN 20 Untagged (Access). These can be used for the rest of the devices that need to sit on your DDWRT "LAN".

On the room where the DD-WRT router resides:

• Assign 1 port with VLANs 10 & 20 tagged. Connect this to the cable going to the living room where the ISP router resides.
• Assign 1 port on the switch to VLAN 20 in Untagged (Access) mode. Connect this to the DD-WRT router "WAN" port.
• Assign 1 port on the switch to VLAN 10 in Untagged (Access) mode. Connect this to the DD-WRT router "LAN" port.
  
• Assign the rest of the ports as VLAN 10 Untagged (Access). These can be used for the rest of the devices that need to sit on your DDWRT "LAN".

That's all you need to do.

 

[Samir]

Use a pair of VLAN capable switches to "split" the existing ethernet cable.
E.g.
Assign VLAN 10 for LAN, VLAN 20 for WAN.
On the living room side:

• Assign 1 port on the switch to VLAN 10 in Untagged (Access) mode. Connect this to the ISP router "LAN" port.
• Assign 1 port with VLANs 10 & 20 tagged. Connect this to the cable going to the other room where the DDWRT router resides.
• Assign the rest of the ports as VLAN 20 Untagged (Access). These can be used for the rest of the devices that need to sit on your DDWRT "LAN".

On the room where the DD-WRT router resides:

• Assign 1 port with VLANs 10 & 20 tagged. Connect this to the cable going to the living room where the ISP router resides.
• Assign 1 port on the switch to VLAN 20 in Untagged (Access) mode. Connect this to the DD-WRT router "WAN" port.
• Assign 1 port on the switch to VLAN 10 in Untagged (Access) mode. Connect this to the DD-WRT router "LAN" port.
  
• Assign the rest of the ports as VLAN 10 Untagged (Access). These can be used for the rest of the devices that need to sit on your DDWRT "LAN".

That's all you need to do.

I forgot about VLANs. That's definitely another solution, especially if you don't want to run cabling.