How do I make wireless router a "repeater"?

You could try that.... I don't think it would work, but it might. (Are you able to conncet with your laptop on a high shelf?) A better approach might be to get something like this....

this would be very likely to work if you happen to have a window facing the direction of the university transmitter.

-- Charlie Hoffpauir

Everything is what it is because it got that way....D'Arcy Thompson

Don't know have to get up there and give it a try.

Problem with device above is I do move around inside of apartment with my laptop and would prefer no wires attached to it

Get a big directional antenna and coax pigtail. Hang the antenna out the window and point it in the right direction. If you have line of sight, and minimal interference, tis migth work. 19dBi panel or 24dBi barbeque grill dish is about as big as they get.

You cannot use a router to connect to another router (unless you use WDS which isn't going to happen). What you need is a wireless client bridge (and a big antenna). Favorite of the week is:

Hang it on the back of your panel or dish antenna (so there's no coax cable losses). Use PoE to supply power and ethernet. About $40 to $70 depending on power level and accessories.

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[University WLAN] -> directional wireless antenna -> WAN port of wireless router -> LAN ports/wireless SSID of router ->

your stations

Any cheap broadband wireless router will work. There will be a WAN side and a LAN side. Let the WAN side pick up a DHCP connection from the University. YOu could use DHCP on the LAN side or configure a subnet of static ips. A LAN subnet will be a different subnet than the University. I.E., WAN side of router 192.168.1.x LAN side 192.168.128.x

Easy and will give you a chance to learn a little routing.

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Nitpick mode...the directional wireless antenna will not be connected to the router's WAN port, it will be connected to one of the antenna jacks, and the router will be configured as a wireless client bridge.

What would be a good brand/model wireless antenna to buy for such a use?

Big barbeque grill 24dBi dish antenna:

or 19dBi panel antenna:

There are plenty of other vendors selling similar antennas, most of which will work.

Also on eBay. Mating the antenna to the radio is the other half of the problem. It's generally best to attach the radio directly to the antenna, and use PoE to power the radio.

I personally don't like yagi antennas:

Note that this antenna is really a 200 ohm, not 50 ohm antenna, as is not properly matched.

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nit-nitpick: doesn't have to be a bridge. N.B. most ~cheap broadband routers are notorious for being hard to bridge and a lot of nsp modems have bridging blocked.

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The only two options I'm aware of are wireless client bridge, and wireless client. Neither option has you connecting anything to the router's WAN port, and in no case will you ever connect an antenna to the WAN port. Am I missing something?

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You're right. I was looking at some Hawking kit that had a directional and built-in wireless nic - but that is not the same thing.

Have you actually tried using your laptop over at the Univ ?

Most "free" Univ networks require you to login using your student ID, or have your hardware MAC address registered within the network...

Yes I have

But my laptop does not detect the Uni signal just one half block shy of my apartment!