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Router guru assistance needed

  • Thread starter Av8tor1
  • Start date
Current config:

I have my lab and office networked through a Linksys WRT1900ac v1.0 (has cooling fan)
My router is connected to the school's Ethernet and 400+ mb/s up/down is possible
I run DD-WRT firmware on the router with openvpn client enabled.
Enabling the VPN client slows my connection down to 25 mb/s each way. (lack of adequate processing power I believe)

(I also have a WRT3200ACM and with it openVPN speeds are much higher during my experiments at home, but no stable DD-Wrt FW is available for it yet..... I need uber reliability)

I have my office desktop connected to the Ethernet port on the router.
It is configured as the lab server using MS Server 2008 R2, as many as 20+ wireless clients accessing the server through the router.

I also have my Synology NAS connected to the router via Ethernet port. The NAS has my surveillance utility plus it is part of my home NAS cloud.

The typical wireless client load is approx. 20 laptops, a phone, 3 security cameras

Due to restrictions on the school network, I can only access the lab cameras remotely with the OpenVpn client running, likewise my cloud client/server utilites will only connect with OpenVpn.

I want the desktop to be a wireless hotspot(correct term?) for the cameras and a wired hotspot for the NAS. That way the desktop can perform the encryption duties and not the router. Then the desktop could route this encrypted data to my WRT1900AC.

I was thinking of using virtual router software with a wifi card on the desktop but I have other routers, It seems like there should be a way to use one of them instead of buying a wifi card.
I have spare routers with dd-wrt I can use, but don't know if that will work or where to begin.


Hope this makes sense, I even confused myself writing it LOLOLOLOL

TIA
Av
 
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So it's been years since I built networks, but it sounds like it should work. Start with the smallest part and build up... the cameras and their dedicated router. Once that works, get the computer acting as a router and connect them. Then intrerface with the school network. Testing at each stage should allow you to easily ID any problems.
 
Not sure if that helps, but I hope so.
 
Thanks FLT, sort of but where I am really lost is with all the various router modes.... I've never had a networking class so much of the terminology is confusing

AP mode � this is the default, most common mode for all wireless routers, also called Infrastructure mode. Your router acts as an central connection point, which wireless clients can connect to.

Client mode � The radio interface is used to connect the internet-facing side of the router (i.e., the WAN) as a client to a remote accesspoint. NAT or routing are performed between WAN and LAN, like in "normal" gateway or router mode. Use this mode, e.g., if your internet connection is provided by a remote accesspoint, and you want to connect a subnet of your own to it.

Client Bridged mode � The radio interface is used to connect the LAN side of the router to a remote accesspoint. The LAN and the remote AP will be in the same subnet (This is called a "bridge" between two network segments). The WAN side of the router is unused and can be disabled. Use this mode, e.g., to make the router act as a "WLAN adapter" for a device connected to one of its LAN ethernet ports.

Repeater - In general, a repeater simply regenerates a network signal in order to extend the range of the existing network infrastructure. A WLAN repeater does not physically connect by wire to any part of the network. Instead, it receives radio signals (802.11 frames) from an access point, end user device, or another repeater and retransmits the frames. This makes it possible for a repeater located in between an access point and distant user to act as a relay for frames traveling back and forth between the user and the access point.

Repeater bridge - A wireless bridge connects two LAN segments with a wireless link. The two segments are in the same subnet and look like two ethernet switches connected by a cable to all computers on the subnet. Since the computers are on the same subnet, broadcasts reach all machines. DHCP clients in one segment can get their addresses from a DHCP server in the other segment.

Ad-Hoc mode � This is for peer to peer wireless connections. Clients running in Ad-Hoc mode can connect to each other as required without involving central access points.

and secondly, im lost how the connection will be made between the subnet (not sure if that is right term) to the primary router via Ethernet or wifi.
Or will my desktop need two Ethernet ports so both routers connect to it (using a switch maybe if the desktop has only one Ethernet connection?)

or will using virtual router software and buying a wifi card for the desktop be the simplest and easiest path?

weeeeee....
 
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the school's local IT guy doesn't have much experience with DD-WRT and OpenVPN so he's not a lot of help.
But he has cautioned me that if the NOC see's two routers trying to access the internet on the one line I will get a nasty phone call from someone.

So I take this to mean my router's data path to the school's Ethernet must be in series not parallel
 
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