DGN3500 + DG834GT Access Point

jmizoguchi wrote:
matching the unit is better when you are doing SAME SSID if you are not planning to roam throughout the location use different SSID and let each wifi device to use specific SSID.

My thoughts exactly but another problem has emerged.

I had already set up both routers with the same SSID, Channel, Encrytion and key but quickly realised that, because the DG834GT only supports 54Mbps because the encryption is only WEP or WPA-PSK (TKIP) whereas the DGN3500 Is Dual Band Wireless N and supports up to 300 Mbps, the wireless speed would default to the slowest, namely 54 Mbps. When I had one SSID setup I had to set encryption on the DGN3500 to WPA-PSK to match the DG834GT instead of the better WPA2-PSK, which support faster speeds namely wireless N. Anyway, this method worked perfectly, one WIFI network to access, no switching, simples.

Considering that I had already swapped my wireless card in my laptop for an Intel Advanced Ultimate N 6300 and re-wrote the bios so that the HP laptop accepts it so I could get the 300 Mbps speed there I wasn’t willing to trade my 300 Mbps WIFI for 54 Mbps !!

After further testing failed to yield results I Decided to set up two diffrent WIFI networks set up two different SSID's. I assigned the DG834GT a different IP address (192.168.0.250) disabled DHCP.

When it came to the WIFI part I set up a different SSID, channel and security (WPA-PSK) on the DG834GT and changed the settings on the DGN3500 to orignal SSID, channel and WPA2-PSK encryption. Whilst having the DG834GT plugged into the DGN3500 and the laptop plugged into the DG834GT (wireless disabled when testing LAN) I tested both SSIDs, both networks showed up in searching for networks and I could connect to both via wireless and LAN. Once I knew everything worked I moved the DG834GT into the kitchen and plugged it into the network cable that I had run in earlier and powered it up. This still showed up in the "attached devices" in the DGN3500 so I knew that the cable I'd run in was good.

I took my laptop into the kitchen and connected to the DGN3500’s SSID with no problems but when I tried to connect to the DG834GT’s SSID I kept getting "unidentified network". Yet 5 minutes earlier all was fine in the office !! Then the first SSID would suddenly not be able to connect at all as if the 2nd SSID was interfering with it.

Just to be sure it wasn’t the DG834Gt that was at fault I used another router, the D-Link 264OS to test. This was brand new and still in the box. I followed this set up guide again just to be sure I wasn’t going insane and during the testing stage everything worked just like before, so I relocated the D-Link into the kitchen to test (WIFI) and started getting "unidentified network" again. I tried with LAN connected with wireless disabled and I get a perfect connection.

I moved to the lounge and I could see both SSID’s and could connect to the SSID of the DGN3500 perfectly but not the DG834GT's SSID, showed connected but unidentified network.

Next, I disconnected the LAN going to the 2nd router (from the first) to test the router, I connected to it's own IP (192.168.0.250) wirelessly via the D-Links own SSID and got into the router status page whilst the SSID still showed unidentified network. I can connect to 192.168.0.250 via the DGN3500's SSID no problem, I can connect to the main router's page (192.168.0.1) with it's own SSID with no problems.

Any advice on the unidentifed network issue would be greatly received.