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I have a dsl modem w/a wired linksys router, model befsx41, (2 pc's and 1 business type printer - each w/a static ip). I have visiting baseball players each w/a wireless laptop (2 total) and 1 wireless linksys router, model wrt54g. I plugged the wireless router into the 4th port on the wired router, but the laptops don't get any connectivity. I think I need to access the wireless router and give it a static ip address so that all will work w/my existing network, but don't know how to do this - where to go, how to access the wireless router settings, etc. Or am I missing the boat completely?

I tried plugging the wireless router into the modem, and then plugged in my 2 pc's and printer, but only the laptops get connectivity. [pretty sure this has to do w/the static ip addresses existing for my network.] So, I reverted the configuration back to my original (w/the wireless router connected in my 4th port on the wired router), so that my 2 pc's work.

Thanks for any help! As I'm a newbie, simplicity helps.

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Quick answer for and follow-up to : treat the WRT54G as a simple access point/switch on your existing LAN rather than as a second router. That keeps everyone on the same subnet (so the laptops can see the printer and PCs) and lets the wired router remain the network gateway to the Internet.

Practical steps (do them in order):

  1. Temporarily connect a laptop to the WRT54G by Ethernet and open its admin page (the router’s LAN address).
  2. Assign the WRT a fixed LAN address that is unused but inside your main router’s subnet (and outside the main router’s DHCP pool).
  3. Disable the WRT’s DHCP server. Save and reboot the WRT.
  4. Connect the WRT to your wired router using a LAN port on the WRT (not the WRT’s WAN/Internet port). Wireless clients will now get addresses from the main router (or you can give them static addresses on that same subnet).

Quick troubleshooting checklist if Internet still fails:

  • On a wireless laptop, check the IP, gateway and DNS: run ipconfig /all (Windows) or ip a / ip route (Linux/macOS). Confirm the default gateway is the wired router’s IP.

  • Ping the wired router, then an outside IP, then a hostname to isolate the problem:

    ipconfig /all
ping <wired-router-IP>
ping 8.8.8.8
nslookup google.com

If pings to the wired router work but 8.8.8.8 does not, the wired router isn’t connected to the Internet. If 8.8.8.8 works but DNS fails, set DNS to a public resolver or the wired router’s DNS. If you intentionally want a separate wireless subnet, use the WRT’s WAN port and leave its DHCP on, but know that will isolate wireless clients from wired devices (double NAT).

Security note: enable WPA2 (if available) with a strong passphrase. This approach follows ’s idea of bridging the wireless — just implement it as an AP (LAN-to-LAN) and it should give you both visibility and Internet access.

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Member Avatar for fiveokid

I changed the ip addy on the wireless router to and plugged this router into the 4th port on the wired router. The laptops see the printer and 2 pcs on my existing network. The laptops still have no internet connectivity. What do I do now?

Member Avatar for Xlphos

I believe you have to set the wireless router up as a bridge, does the wireless router not have any ethernet connections?

What you should be able to do is replace the wired router with the wireless one.

If you are using a wireless router don't forget to put a password on it!

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