Workgroup through router

I have a question that I hope is a no brainer, but I cant quite figure it out. I have a domain, we'll call it "office.org" and everyone in our building is on that domain.

however, there is one computer, in its own corner on its own workgroup we'll call it "public"

The receptionist occasionally needs to print to the printer on this computer. This was working fine, when the computer was plugged directly into the RJ-45 jack on the wall (going to the switches in our server room and thus linking with the rest of the network)

The problem arises when I plug a router\wireless access point into this jack, and in turn plug the public computer into that router.

Now instead of using the 10.x.x.x that the rest of the computers are using, its getting the default 192.168.x.x through the router.

The symptom I am experiencing because of this is that the "Public" workgroup no longer broadcasts itself to the other computers, as if it wont go past this router\WAP

so the receptionist, who used to be able to browse to this computer and add its printer, can no longer even see it or its workgroup, until I plug it back into the wall.

so, is that how it works? do workgroups just broadcast through switches but not routers, is there some setup that would allow it to work as it did when connected to the wall?

Thanks in advance.

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Comments

captobvious

Routers and Broadcast Traffic

Hope this gets you started.

CompuTron99

Are you using the Wirless Routers as a Router or just as an access point?

It looks like the wireless router is giving out DHCP, which is giving you the IP address range of 192.168.x.x.

If you are not using the wireless router as a router, but just as an access point, I would log into the router and disable the DHCP function and set the router with a static IP address for your network. This should allow the wireless router to act as a "Switch" and the workgroup PC should pick up the 10.0.x.x network.

Also I don't know which brand/model of router you are using, but make sure if using it as an access point, to NOT use the WAN port.

Good Luck.

MachX85

Computron, gah, that seems so obvious, just set the access point to be on the same subnet as my domain. ok, but about not using the WAN port, I think I have to use the WAN port to feed internet to the Router, right?

L0gicB0mb508

You really don't have to. It just depends on how you want to configure it. You should be able to just use a switch port on the WAP and configure the IP address/gateway etc.etc.

MachX85

Woooooooowww this comes as a revalation to my tiny network brain.

L0gicB0mb508

MachX85 wrote: »

Woooooooowww this comes as a revalation to my tiny network brain.

I think you were looking for something maybe a little more complex. Keep it simple

RobertKaucher

L0gicB0mb508 wrote: »

You really don't have to. It just depends on how you want to configure it. You should be able to just use a switch port on the WAP and configure the IP address/gateway etc.etc.

Be careful about this. Make sure the "router" is configured properly. You should turn off DHCP and all of the routing features. If you don't you could end up with a rogue DHCP server on your network handing out addresses that are already in use.

Most consumer wireless routers allow you to turn the features off allowing it to be used as just a WAP rather than a wireless router/DHCP server.

L0gicB0mb508

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Be careful about this. Make sure the "router" is configured properly. You should turn off DHCP and all of the routing features. If you don't you could end up with a rogue DHCP server on your network handing out addresses that are already in use.

Moust consumer wireless routers allow you to turn the features off allowing it to be used as just a WAP rather than a wireless router/DHCP server.

Yeah definitely make sure its just a WAP and not doing anything else. Thanks for saying this, I guess I didn't clarify enough.

MachX85

alright, i dont meen to complicate things but... using my linksys wrt54gs, i dont know how to Not use the wan port for internet. when i set it to static routing, it demands that i put in a WAN ip address. so to humer it, I give it one that nobody else is using. for example 10.10.10.a then when i set its dhcp on the lan side to 10.10.10.b it says i cant do this because they are the same, i take that to mean, they are on the same subnet. and since routers seperate netwoks into subnets by defanition, i dont see how this setup would work, any ideahs?

MachX85

oh, never mind, i just read the last posts.

but how can a wireless client get an address if dhcp is off?

L0gicB0mb508

MachX85 wrote: »

alright, i dont meen to complicate things but... using my linksys wrt54gs, i dont know how to Not use the wan port for internet. when i set it to static routing, it demands that i put in a WAN ip address. so to humer it, I give it one that nobody else is using. for example 10.10.10.a then when i set its dhcp on the lan side to 10.10.10.b it says i cant do this because they are the same, i take that to mean, they are on the same subnet. and since routers seperate netwoks into subnets by defanition, i dont see how this setup would work, any ideahs?

If memory serves me correct you will set up a LAN IP address and a WAN IP address. Set up the DNS and the default gateway. I would advise disabling DHCP and statically assigning your client ip addresses. If you turn on DHCP you may end up with a rogue server giving out IP addresses. If need be I THINK the Linksys can actually forward DHCP requests from your network if you absolutely need DHCP.

CompuTron99

MachX85 wrote: »

oh, never mind, i just read the last posts.

but how can a wireless client get an address if dhcp is off?

The client gets the IP address from your DHCP server. The WAP is acting like a Switch, just no wires.

L0gicB0mb508

CompuTron99 wrote: »

The client gets the IP address from your DHCP server. The WAP is acting like a Switch, just no wires.

Yeah get the term router out of your head haha. It's basically a switch/gateway at this point.

MachX85

thanks for your help guys, it looks like i will just have to throw a switch in front of that wall jack.

because i dont think my router can forward dhcp requests, and because i need my laptops to use dhcp and because i havent been able to set the wan and lan addresses to the same range.

L0gicB0mb508

MachX85 wrote: »

thanks for your help guys, it looks like i will just have to throw a switch in front of that wall jack.

because i dont think my router can forward dhcp requests, and because i need my laptops to use dhcp and because i havent been able to set the wan and lan addresses to the same range.

I believe It should do it automagicly since you aren't using the wan port. When using the wan port it requires a pass through. If you aren't getting DHCP you may want to log onto the AP and try to ping your local DHCP server, just to make sure it can get there.

ColbyG

MachX85 wrote: »

thanks for your help guys, it looks like i will just have to throw a switch in front of that wall jack.

because i dont think my router can forward dhcp requests, and because i need my laptops to use dhcp and because i havent been able to set the wan and lan addresses to the same range.

If you're not using the WAN port (plugging everything into switchports) then the device is acting as a switch, everything is on the same broadcast domain, so DHCP will work fine. Don't use the WAN port for anything, leave it empty and set the inside address of the router to something in your 10.x.x.x subnet.

RobertKaucher

MachX85 wrote: »

thanks for your help guys, it looks like i will just have to throw a switch in front of that wall jack.

because i dont think my router can forward dhcp requests, and because i need my laptops to use dhcp and because i havent been able to set the wan and lan addresses to the same range.

You don't need to do that. If you give the device an address so it can be managed, 10.x.x.x whatever is free and in your static scope, it does not have forward DHCP because there is no place to forward them to. All of the devices are on the same lan including the "router." Anything connected to the LAN ports and via wireless are using a switch. They will still get DHCP from the DHCP server, they will still get DNS from the DNS server and their DFG will be whatever the DHCP server says it is.

MachX85

OMG you guys, its working

Just like you said. Im just using 2 cables from the lan port. One to the computer and one to the wall jack (rest of network). I have dhcp turned off and the wan port set to 0.0.0.0
and my wireless clients are getting addresses strate from our dhcp server and can totally surf the web. Also, that problem with the "Public" workgroup not broadcasting over the router is solved now, cause as you say, its just going through a switch.

This is seriously amazing to me. thanks guys.

L0gicB0mb508

Glad it's working.