wireless-only LAN using wireless router

Question

I have one spare wireless router (Aztech Wireless G Router) with one WAN port to connect to a separate DSL modem and 4 LAN ports. I was wondering is it possible and how to set up a wireless LAN just by using such router as I have no spare DSL modem to connect to the router?

P/S: I tried connecting my laptop to the router using LAN cable to set up the wireless but I can't access my router page (192.168.1.1). Do I need a DSL modem to access such page?

Answer 1

If you already have an existing router to handle DHCP and DNS, you can use this as a switch+AP. Simply plug a cable from one of the ACTUAL router's LAN ports into one of the LAN ports on the Aztech. From there you can log in and configure the router accordingly.

Be sure to disable the DHCP server on the Aztech so it doesn't try to hand out IP addresses. Some routers have a "DHCP Relay" setting just for this purpose.

NOTE: Be sure to leave the WAN port on the Aztech empty.

As to your PS: that wont work, since at the point you plug your laptop into the router it, by itself, has no IP address.

once you have it configured as above, the other router should assign an IP address to the Aztech. Use that.

Here is a good, but a bit verbose, guide on setting this up:

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/11233

Answer 2

LAN and WAN are two different functions of the router. The LAN is your Local Area Network, or the computers connected to the router without using the Internet connection. The WAN is the Wide Area Network, which connects computers using an Internet connection. Here is some useful information about the different types of networks.

You can set up the LAN on the router to create a network of computers, including wireless connections. The router in most cases acts as the DHCP server assigning IP addresses to the connecting computers. You will need create a work group on all the computers for them to see each other if you plan on sharing over the network.

The LAN looks to the WAN to get an Internet Gateway address for Internet traffic. Leaving the WAN disconnected simply means there will be no internet connection available to the LAN computers.

You do not need a DSL modem connected in order to access the router's admin page. You did not give the model number, but according to Azrch's site;

By default, the IP address of the wireless router is 192.168.2.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

So, you should be able to access the router at 192.168.2.1, unless you changed it.