1. Home
  2. Wireless Networking
  3. Extending wireless network wirelessly

Extending wireless network wirelessly

I need to extend the range of my network to the very back of the house next door.

[This is a side-by-side duplex, and we own both sides, run a b&b on the other side. Wireless range is fine everywhere except for Macs in the very back downstairs room. Most Windoze laptops seem to work fine back there. Airport is less Extreme than it pretends.]

I can (and eventually will) run gigabit ethernet back there under the house, but I want a wireless solution for now and as well. The bonus is that if I do it right (put a new router in the back kitchen), I'll get wireless into the back yard.

The "master" router is a DGL-4300 that I quite like, it just sits there and works, connects gigabit to our office computers. Wireless for guests and visitors: I use WPA2 with auto-fallback to WPA and nice long pass-phrase that's easy for folk to keep in their heads. Its firmware is up-to-date, it doesn't accept DD-WRT (which doesn't really interest me anyway). I'm not interested in "upgrading" to 802.11n.

This is my understanding: I buy another router to extend the network _wirelessly_ and (in the new router):

-- turn off the DHCP server

-- assign it an IP address in the range of the "master"

-- give it the same SSID (and broadcast the SSID)

-- listen on a different channel

-- use the same security settings

-- use the same pass-phrase

If there's anything I'm missing, I'd like to know. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm looking at this (WBR-2310):

formatting link
costs about $60 CDN. When I need gigabit back there, I'll wire it directly or put a switch in the way.

Thanks!

Reply to
Warren Oates
Loading thread data ...

On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:22:38 -0400, Warren Oates wrote in :

Is the new wireless to be wired to the existing wireless router (greatly preferred), or is it to be a wireless repeater? If the former you'll actually be setting up a wireless access point, for which a wireless router can be used if configured as described in the wiki below. To determine what channel(s) should be used, do a site survey to see what other wireless exists.

Reply to
John Navas

The specs say nothing about it having client adapter or repeater capability.

: Device Management : : Internet Explorer v6 or later; or other Java-enabled Browsers : DHCP Server and Client

I read this to mean the router can be set up to get its ip-adresse from a DHCP server. That's not wht you want.

You need a device that can function as a client adapter or a repeater, although a repeater halves your speed.

Or tunnel.

These are examples and will give you the wireless connection you want:

D-Link DWL-G700AP - client adapter, also repeater

Belkin F5D7330 - client adapter only

Both those above are obsolete.

DAP-1522 - client adapter, also repeater

formatting link
WNHDEB111 - kit with 2 WNHDE111, tunnel solution

formatting link
There are many more. Look for the client adapter- and/or repeater function. Or tunnel.

Reply to
Axel Hammerschmidt

Thanks, John. I'd forgotten about the wiki entry. The only other wireless is my next-door-neighbour, using one channel only. He'd change channels if I asked him anyway. I'd like to do the whole thing wirelessly if I could.

Reply to
Warren Oates

Thanks. I need to be pointed in the right direction.

Reply to
Warren Oates

On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:32:30 -0400, Warren Oates wrote in :

If it's all to be wireless, then you're talking *repeater*, which needs to be on the same channel as your wireless router.

Be warned that a repeater cuts throughput by half.

If you can afford it, a cleaner solution is to use a wireless Ethernet bridge and a wireless access point wired together:

+----------+ +----------+ +----------+ | Wireless | | Wireless | | Wireless | --+ Router |.................| Ethernet +-+ Access |... | | | Client | | Point | | chan 1 | | Bridge | | chan 6 | +----------+ +----------+ +----------+

If you do go the repeater route, be sure to get a unit that supports WPA in repeater mode.

Reply to
John Navas

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.