Router over Secure School Network
 

I'm in a bit of a bind. I recently bought a Linksys WRT54G router and am attempting to run it in my dorm room so as to have wireless in the area. However, I can't get it to play nice with the school network. The entire network hands out IP addresses and every other piece of info, so all I want the router to do is to broadcast the signal, not hand out or do much else. Anyone have ideas on how to configure it?

The University that I attended required every MAC address that connected to the interal network to be registered with Technology Services before access would be granted.

Have you tried setting up MAC Address cloning on the WRT54G?

I'll work on that, although I doubt that is all that I would need. Shouldn't the computer's MAC address be enough though; what does cloning it do basically since the computer is still the same one?

Every endpoint on an ethernet network has a unique 6 byte number called a Media Access Control Address (MAC Address for short). Its basically like a postal address. I won't get into the details of the ethernet specification; all you need to know is that your WRT54G is an endpoint just like your computer, and it has its own MAC address†. When you put it between your computer and the school network, the school network will only see the router's MAC address, and not your computer's. This is a fundamental aspect of routing.

You're school network probably doesn't know about the WRT54G or its MAC Address, but it does know about your computer. That's what MAC Address cloning is for. When you use it, the WRT54G will set the MAC Address of its WAN side (the side connected to the school network) to the same Address as your computer. When it does that, it will appear to the school network that the WRT54G is actually your computer.


I should point out that the WRT54G, being a router, is not the best piece of equipment to do what you are asking for. What you really want is a Wireless Access Point (WAP54G). A router, by definition, segments networks. The WRT54G creates its own private network on one side, and acts as a gateway to join that private network to the school network on the other side.


†Actually, the WRT54G has two MAC addresses: one for the WAN side that plugs into your school network, and one for the wireless.