router not working on network

[burgessj]

Hello all. First time posting here. Great forum.

My question is about hooking a router into a network and the ability to share resources. What I have is this:

1 network with 172.16.42.1 gateway. This network has about 15 machines on it. I recently added 3 machines at the very end of the offices which ended up being all wireless so we would not have to run cable over recommended lengths. I bought a wireless G Belkin router. I connected the wirelss router into the network and assigned it a static ip of 172.16.42.50 and gave it the proper DNS and subnet to actually find the internet. I can ping the router from the server and other workstations.

I hooked up the machines with wireless, the hit the router, connected and can all query the net with no problem. I can also ping the server from these wireless machines. They all have 192.168.2.* extensions which were default with the router.

My problem is with our workgroup. I have a server at 172.16.42.29. I can ping this machine from the wireless machines with no problem. I cannot however, navigate to it through explorer. \\PCSGPCA1 is the correct name and I cannot connect at all. I know there are some settings wrong somewhere since I can ping it but can't see it in windows.

Any suggestions? I'm using Windows XP Pro, I have ZoneAlarm running on all machines with proper configuration for allowing networked machines to see each other. I have even tried connecting without the firewall and still nothing. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[jimbopalmer]

The main function of SOHO routers is to seperate 'your' network from a larger, more hostile one, usually the internet.

In your case, this is working to your disadvantage, as you have seperated the wireless from the wired.

Since you already have the router, lets make it the Wireless Access Point you really wanted.

Step one, which you have done, is to assign it a static IP in the subnet of the first router, but not in its DHCP range.

Step two is to disable DHCP in the Belkin Wireless G router

Step three is to not use the WAN port on the Belkin, but connect the two routers via their LAN ports.

Now all devices should be in the 172.16.x.x subnet and they should see each other in network neighborhood.

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[burgessj]

Thanks for the reply jimbo.

You guys make it sound super easy lol.

I actually tried to set the router up as an AP and I could never get past the router to anything else.

I think my problem is that I am trying to connect via the Belkin's WAN port rather than a LAN port. I'll try that and let you know how it goes. Thanks again.

 

[LawnBoy]

Well give the man a star! If he helped, he deserves it.

 

[burgessj]

I will if it works lol. Haven't tried it yet. Thanks.