Okay, I need someone to sanity-check this for me, 'cos I think I might actually be going crazy. My layout: network in the office upstairs with two pooled DHCP servers, network in the living room downstairs with a router, both connected via a Homeplug mains networking pair. So far, so funky. Wireless signal strength in the office wasn't great, so I've picked up a cheap Netgear plug-through Wi-FI access point and connected it to the Homeplug via a short CAT5 tail. Set it up, configured it as an access point rather than range extender, job's a good 'un. Now here's where things get crazy. If I connect to the new access point, I can see the whole network no problem - upstairs and downstairs - and can communicate from the upstairs network to the internet via the downstairs router. Everything is as it should be. If I connect to the old router, I can see the downstairs network *but not the upstairs network*. Not a damn thing. I can't even get a DHCP lease from either of the upstairs servers. No, that shouldn't be possible, you're absolutely right: either the Homeplugs are working or they're not. If they're working, both networks can see each other; if they're not, neither network can see each other. I've reset and re-paired the Homeplugs: no joy. Reset the router: same. Running out of ideas here, and networking used to be my bread and butter! EDIT: Here's something fun: I've unplugged the new access point, and the network's *still* shafted. What the actual? EDIT EDIT: Right, rebooted the router after unplugging the new access point and the network's working again. So, let's try plugging the AP back in... EDIT EDIT EDIT: Dead again - I can only see the downstairs network from the downstairs router, but I can see both networks including the downstairs router from the upstairs network. I... WHAT THE ACTUAL? EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT: Gave up and tried it in "just be a stupid wireless range extender" mode: it doesn't even work as that. My network's fine, but the 'extender' refuses to admit any traffic in either direction. Guess this thing's going back, then!
