BLU-RAY

[tw]

Originally Posted by BrianR

Blu-ray laser diodes have many other uses.

Just imagine what ET could do with one.

[SteveDallas]

Originally Posted by BrianR

look back at my post with explanation. I provided a link to both my bridge and antenna.

Yes, there is wifi but not through the bridge. I can get three (out of five) bars of signal. I'm hoping for better throughput with ethernet. I don't even have the bridge plugged in at this point. If I could just get a router going, I would be happy, but two routers don't play well together, in my experience.

OK, so how far did you get? Could you plug your computer in to the bridge and go through the wireless config wizard?

After you've done that, I'd start by trying to plug a computer in to the bridge with ethernet only and see if you can get it to work. If everything is working, it should pick up an ip address your router (passing through the bridge to get there) and you'll be fine. Off hand, my guess is that your player isn't, for whatever reason, picking up a good IP address.

[BrianR]

Yes, I can access the bridge with a computer via ethernet. I can run the wizard. But once the wizard is run, it reboots the bridge (normal) and slaps a password on the bridge so that I cannot get back into it without resetting the thing to it's factory configuration. No place in the wizard or other tabs shows this password or a box to disable it. There is no further access to the bridge via ethernet or wireless at that point. The devices can SEE the bridge on the network but not access it in any way.

Googling it finds me a hint that is a bit beyond me: Some recommend setting a static IP for the bridge in my router. I'm not sure how to do that.

[tw]

Originally Posted by BrianR

The devices can SEE the bridge on the network but not access it in any way.

I'm confused by that. If it is a bridge, then it does not have an IP address. As a bridge, the router only sees IP addresses of devices on the other side of that bridge.

BTW, to be clearer about another's post. Routers do play will together IF the first router has an IP address of 192.168.1.1. And the second router is 192.168.2.1. For some routers, one of the device ports might be disabled when the second router connects as a device to the first.

All devices connected to the first router get an IP address of 192.168.1.x. All devices connect to the second router get 192.168.2.x

Manual for the bridge or the manufacturer name and model number is what?

[SteveDallas]

Originally Posted by BrianR

Yes, I can access the bridge with a computer via ethernet. I can run the wizard. But once the wizard is run, it reboots the bridge (normal) and slaps a password on the bridge so that I cannot get back into it without resetting the thing to it's factory configuration.

The default seems to be user: admin, password blank. If it's unilaterally assigning something after configuration, that's very odd.

This video probably tells nothing useful that you don't already know.



But it does suggest using WPS, which I have never used. It also seems to suggest plugging all your devices in before you run the configuration--though it's a bit ambiguous, you might try it.

I don't know if a static IP address would help. Theoretically you should be able to look at the router and see what address was assigned to it. Of course, theoretically once the bridge has authenticated itself onto the wireless network, the devices plugged into it should see the network on the other side of the bridge, and that doesn't seem to be happening. At any rate, you ought to be able to give the bridge itself a static ip address--just tell it not to use DHCP.

tw is correct that a bridge, strictly speaking, does not need to have an IP address. But they often do, so you can connect to it over the network to configure it. (This address may be "in band," part of the network, or "out of band," a completely different network only used for the admin connection. In fact I wonder if that may be what's happening here.)

At any rate, this is getting very close to the limit of what help I can give without having the devices in my hands and using a hammer on them.

[BrianR]

Re: the hammer. Do NOT tempt me!!

Assigning static IP addresses is not one of my strong points. Nor do I understand a lot about DHCP. I treat router and bridge configuration like I treat editing my registry. I avoid it unless I have EXACT instructions and a road map.

There is too much possibility of something going horribly wrong and we might lose our internet connection. It is used for business as well as pleasure.

[SteveDallas]

In this case the static ip is (or ought to be) a red herring. Its only purpose is to allow you to configure the device through a web browser, and not by plugging in a serial cable and using a VT100 interface. (Everybody who knows what a VT100 is... DRINK!! If you actually used one, two drinks.)

I'd suggest taking a look at the router config. It should have a page telling you what devices are actively talking to in on the LAN side. You can at least confirm (or not) that the bridge got onto the network and picked up an address.

[tw]

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

tw is correct that a bridge, strictly speaking, does not need to have an IP address. But they often do, so you can connect to it over the network to configure it.

When configuring, the device is not a bridge. Once its configuration is enabled, the bridge is enabled and IP addresses no longer exist. A bridge only echos packets. Looking at an IP address means higher level functions that a bridge always ignores.

Once put into bridge mode, there is no login or password. No DHCP. Does not care what any IP addresses are. Does not know nor care if addresses are static or dynamic. Ignores and does no encryption. Those are higher level functions that a bridge ignores. A bridge simply echos all incomng packets onto other networks. Does not look at any packets. Therefore would not see any IP address. And no longer has any login functions.

How to login to a bridge? Reset the hardware. Then it is no longer a bridge. Then it has a default login and password. Then it has an IP address.

[SteveDallas]

tw, that is not the way this or this work, both of which I have in production on my network at work. I assure you they retain their IP addresses after initial configuration. Does that mean every product works that way? Of course not. But clearly some do.

[tw]

Originally Posted by SteveDallas

I assure you they retain their IP addresses after initial configuration. Does that mean every product works that way? Of course not. But clearly some do.

What they have called a bridge is actually a bridge and another device - a server. No IP utilities can see the bridge. And that is the point.

Using the Linksys as an example, critically important are the two lights on its front panel to report on the 'incoming' connection and 'outgoing' connection. Without those lights (and some statistics from the server), then nobody can say with certainty what the bridge is doing. If its connection is even working. (Except maybe if operated in an ad hoc mode which apparently is too complex here.)

Is BrianR's bridge just a bridge? Or is it a bridge and separate server? Manual for the bridge or the manufacturer name and model number is what?

[BrianR]

This is the manual for the bridge. It is a .pdf, be warned.

From what I can tell, the bridge NEEDS to have an IP since it is acting as a router.
DHCP may or may not be dynamic. I might need to set IPs for all the devices since I can't run two DHCP servers. This is where I get to things that are above my paygrade. I'm about to chuck the whole concept of a wireless network and a hard wired outbuilding and just have someone else come in and bury the proper data cable. Of course, that would be a week before the wife tells me that she wants to move the camper to the BACK yard. :/

Pam the Befuddled

[tw]

Originally Posted by BrianR

It is a .pdf, be warned.

OK. Due salesman and other useless entities, most of the first seven pages say nothing. The bridge is not just a bridge. It is a router and a bridge with a server to configure both.

I read the first twenty pages. And will continue later tonight. Meanwhile, you must provide some essential information.

Start with your computer. A network (ethernet) cable connects to it. What are lights (typically) adjacent to that cable reporting? If the other end is properly connected to some working ethernet device, then at least one and probably two should be lit.

Second, goto Command Prompt (typically in Start>All Programs>Accessories). Enter the command
IPCONFIG /ALL
Many important numbers will be displayed. Relevant are numbers in "Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection". Especially numbers labeled IP Address, Subnet mask, Default Gateway, and DHCP server. Most (except mask) will be 192.168.x.y. Those numbers are essential to start a solution. And so that you might learn something from the experience.

Next, in the browser (IE, Chrome, etc), enter 192.168.x.1. (x is the actual number discovered in that previous paragraph). That will connect to a server inside some router. Which router is displayed?

Third, what is connected to what? For example, the computer's ethernet cable connects to what? What other network devices also connect to that router and to which receptacles? Is the 'Dlink' also connected to that router? If yes, then where?

For each connection should also be a light on the router's front panel. For each connect and disconnect, does that light illuminate and extinguish?

Fourth, if the 'Dlink' connects to another router, then which 'Dlink' socket is the ethernet cable connected to? And again, when the ethernet cable is connected and disconnected, then what front panel light illuminates and extinguishes?

Information necessary just to know what you have long before trying to ask relevant questions.

[BrianR]

wow
I'll try for that info as soon as I can. Can you tell me what info you want, such as IP info, in Linux-speak? the computer in question is a Ubuntu 10.04 machine, not Windows, and I'm not as well-versed in command-line usage as I wish I were.

[Undertoad]

Instead of

IPCONFIG /ALL

Go to a command prompt as root and type ifconfig

[Happy Monkey]

You may need to do /sbin/ifconfig