This topic has been marked solved and closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
Okay so I just upgraded my internet and TV. I am forced to use the ISP router to get my STB working. Anyhow I love my X10 and miss having my plex media center. So I want to incorporate it into my network. I was going to go out and buy a switch because this new router only has 4 LAN ports. Than I figured why when I have my X10. So I decided to place the X10 into bridge mode. Now I don’t know what I’m doing but I figured what the heck maybe someone can help me out. So I set the X10 into bridge mode. I connected a LAN port from new router to LAN port on X10. Everything seems to be good. Now I’m seeing people saying to connect the LAN port of new router to the WAN port in the X10. Should I do that instead? Obviously my goal here is to use my X10 as a plex server and network switch. Wireless bridge sounds good but I don’t want anything that’s going to slow my WiFi speeds down. Also I don’t want the X10 creating any interference or double NAT issues. I’m sorry as I have a hard time comprehending networks and how they function. Reading post after post with one person saying one thing and another saying something different. It’s hard to determine the correct way. Any advice would be great. Thank you!
> Okay so I tried a few things. First I tried LAN to WAN and that is not > right. [...]
Did you simply move the cable, or did you follow the instructions in the R9000 User Manual for "Use the Router as a WiFi Access Point"?
> [...] 1 is the access point [...] However I would need Ethernet ran to > the upstairs to really benefit from this.
Right.
> [...] I can do a wired bridge mode like I have. With Ethernet > connecting the 2 routers. [...]
That is not what Netgear calls "bridge mode". I don't know what you mean by "bridge mode".
> [...] Get the User Manual. Read. Look for [...]
Did you?
> [...] I than have X10 in bridge mode but not setup for wireless ( I > skipped that part of the setup). [...]
I don't know what you mean by "in bridge mode but not setup for wireless". The whole point of (real) "bridge mode" on an R9000 is to get a wireless connection between it and the main router (LAN). See "Set Up the Router in Bridge Mode" in the R9000 User Manual.
> [...] My main goal was to run my plex media server from the X10 and > allow more wired devices to connect to the router [...]
As explained before, that's what a wireless access point should do, if you can use an Ethernet cable to connect the R9000-as-WAP to the main router.
> [...] So I decided to place the X10 into bridge mode. [...]
Why "bridge mode"? Are you trying to connect devices wirelessly to your main router, when those devices are not wireless-capable?
Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look for Documentation. Get the User Manual. Read. Look for "Use the Router as a WiFi Access Point". (And "Set Up the Router in Bridge Mode". Compare.)
Some older Netgear router User Manuals included some helpful pictures intended to show how these different modes act, but they seem to have been omitted in newer manuals.
> [...] I connected a LAN port from new router to LAN port on X10. [...]
I'd consult the manual.
> [...] Wireless bridge sounds good [...]
For what?
> [...] Reading post after post with one person saying one thing and > another saying something different. [...]
Trust no one, I always say.
> [...] So I want to incorporate it into my network. [...]
Not the clearest description of your goal. Assuming that you can run an Ethernet cable from your main router to the R9000, I'd suggest configuring the R9000 as a wireless access point.
I chose bridge mode not because items don’t support wireless but because I prefer a wired connection whenever possible. The new router only has 4 Lan ports and instead of spending money on a network switch I figured I would just put the X10 in bridge mode and have access to more wired connections. The wireless bridge was interesting because i could hardwire devices on the second floor and possibly receive a better connection. Yes I understand and you are right. The manual is probably my best source for the setup process but the issues often found in certain setup modes aren’t always listed in the manuals. So real life talk to others might help in determining what typically works best.
> I chose bridge mode not because items don't support wireless but > because I prefer a wired connection whenever possible. [...]
Ok, but "bridge mode" would use a wireless connection between the R9000 and your main router. Moreover, I believe that the R9000 wireless (in that mode) would be dedicated exclusively to that connection to the main router.
> [...] The new router only has 4 Lan ports and instead of spending > money on a network switch I figured I would just put the X10 in bridge > mode and have access to more wired connections.
That's what wireless-access-point mode would do. And, it would give you a wireless access point (whose radios could be disabled, if you wanted).
A wireless access point is called that because it provides wireless access to client devices, not because it uses a wireless connection to the LAN. (It uses a wired connection to the main router.)
> The wireless bridge was interesting because i could hardwire devices > on the second floor and possibly receive a better connection.
You'd get a better (wired) connection between client devices and the R9000-as-bridge, but you'd then have a wireless connection between the R9000-as-bridge and your main router. That could be useful if you can't run an Ethernet cable (or equivalent) between the main router and the R9000 ("on the second floor"?).
This is where my confusion is. From what I am understanding I have 3 options. 1 is the access point This would in a sense creat a mesh network. However I would need Ethernet ran to the upstairs to really benefit from this. I know you said I could disable the wireless radios and use it like I want. 2) is bridge mode. Now from my understanding I have 2 options in bridge mode. I can do a wired bridge mode like I have. With Ethernet connecting the 2 routers. This disables the radios. Or I can do wireless bridge mode. This allows me to move the router upstairs and connect devices to it. They would than have a wireless connection to the main router. So with those options AP mode would work if I disabled the wireless radios but I’m failing to see what the difference is between a wired bridge setting and an AP with radios disabled. The wireless bridge mode isn’t really at all what I am looking for. I really appreciate your help with this. You are helping a lot as it is beginning to make more sense. The manual says nothing about a wired bridge setting. I am getting info on that from other posts that said it’s possible. Just don’t setup the wireless connection portion. By doing this you are just making the X10 a switch. No wifi connection. Than comes the contradictions. Some say with this setup you need to do LAN to LAN others say you can do LAN to WAN. If you think I am wrong please let me know. I will change this. Thank you again
Okay so I tried a few things. First I tried LAN to WAN and that is not right. No internet access when I do that. So than I disconnected the Ethernet between the main router and the bridged X10. No internet access. Now I’m sure this is because I never setup the wireless portion of the setup. With the way I have it I am happy. My plex server is working on all my devices. Things connected to the X10 are getting internet and are on the same network. So I guess now I’m just trying to understand the difference between the AP mode if I disable the antennas and my current setup. Just to refresh I have internet from modem to G3100(main router). I than have X10 in bridge mode but not setup for wireless ( I skipped that part of the setup). I than have Ethernet connecting both routers LAN to LAN. My main goal was to run my plex media server from the X10 and allow more wired devices to connect to the router without the need to go out and buy a switch. My current setup is working exactly as I would like. However I have no idea if it’s going to creat issues. I can’t find any real information about this being setup like I have it leaving me to worry its wrong. I am so sorry if my stupidity is aggravating but I really value your input. I don’t know much about networking and how they work. It is very interesting and I’m learning a lot from what you are saying. I greatly appreciate it.
> Okay so I tried a few things. First I tried LAN to WAN and that is not > right. [...]
Did you simply move the cable, or did you follow the instructions in the R9000 User Manual for "Use the Router as a WiFi Access Point"?
> [...] 1 is the access point [...] However I would need Ethernet ran to > the upstairs to really benefit from this.
Right.
> [...] I can do a wired bridge mode like I have. With Ethernet > connecting the 2 routers. [...]
That is not what Netgear calls "bridge mode". I don't know what you mean by "bridge mode".
> [...] Get the User Manual. Read. Look for [...]
Did you?
> [...] I than have X10 in bridge mode but not setup for wireless ( I > skipped that part of the setup). [...]
I don't know what you mean by "in bridge mode but not setup for wireless". The whole point of (real) "bridge mode" on an R9000 is to get a wireless connection between it and the main router (LAN). See "Set Up the Router in Bridge Mode" in the R9000 User Manual.
> [...] My main goal was to run my plex media server from the X10 and > allow more wired devices to connect to the router [...]
As explained before, that's what a wireless access point should do, if you can use an Ethernet cable to connect the R9000-as-WAP to the main router.
Yes so I don’t know what it would be called. All I did was click on bridge mode than apply. I didn’t click on the button saying setup wireless bridge settings. Anyhow you were absolutely right. Although my current setup did work I decided to try AP mode as you suggested. I set it up as stated in the manual. I than deactivated the WiFi from the G3100 to use the WiFi from the nighthawk instead as it is more powerful. I am now getting over twice the WiFi speeds I was originally getting from the G3100. Plex works and LAN ports work. You are a genius and I should have listened to you in the beginning. This was better than I thought. Thank you so much!!
