WGR614 as range extender / WAP

Jan 02, 2005 4 Replies

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Charles Hawtrey 21 years ago

Hello all,

I picked up a Netgear WGR614 for really cheap ($19) with the idea of using it as a range extender (or WAP, if that would be the correct term). I've got another WGR614 that I've been using as a router from our cable internet connection, serving both wired and wireless machines. It works well but I'd like to add the second WGR614 to provide a stronger wireless signal in the parts of the house where the signal from the existing WGR614 is a bit weak. Any ideas how I can go about this?

I've connected the second WGR614 to the first one using a wired connection, plugged into the second WGR614's "internet" port. But I'm having a bit of trouble working out how to configure the second WGR614. I've tried various options for DHCP, etc. but can't quite get there. (Leaving DHCP for the second WGR614 turned on sort-of works, but it seems laggy and unreliable.) The two WGR614s are configured to use different 802.11 channels.

I've tried googling but haven't found any instructions for this specific model. Anybody out there who has successfully daisy-chained two WGR614's and would be willing to share their wisdom? Thanks.

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Jeff Liebermann 21 years ago

Nope. The WGR614 is a "wireless router" or an ethernet router with a WAP (wireless access point) in the same package. A "range extender" is a marketting term and is something completely different.

Sure. See:

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, you leave your existing main WGR614 router alone. No changes are needed there.

The 2nd WGR614 router get configured with: 1. A different IP address from the first WGR614. If the main WGR614 uses 192.168.1.1, then the 2nd one should be 192.168.1.2 in the same Class C IP block. 2. Turn OFF the DHCP server. Only one DHCP server on the LAN at a time. 3. Nothing gets plugged into the WAN port. Connect a crossover ethernet cable between one of the LAN ports on the main WGR614 and one of the LAN ports on the 2nd WGR614. This converts it from a router to a WAP. 4. Use the same SSID on both wireless boxes. However, use different non-overlapping channels (1, 6, 11) to prevent mutual interference.

Mostly wrong. Nice try. See above instructions.

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Charles Hawtrey 21 years ago

Thanks for your help. It's working fine now. Just one small correction, for the record:

The cable should be a "normal" ethernet cable, not a crossover cable.

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TV Slug 21 years ago

For this unit, it can be either. The ports are auto-adjusting. Many other routers would either need a crossover cable or have a pushbutton switch to change a port to cable it to another router.

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dold 21 years ago

The cable should be a crossover to make this a set of instructions that applies to any router, and by network design. A normal ethernet cable only works for you because the WR614 has auto-sensing ports.

Quoting from the users' guide: " The WGR614 v4 router incorporates Auto Uplink technology (also called MDI/MDIX). Each LOCAL Ethernet port will automatically sense whether the Ethernet cable plugged into the port should have a normal connection (e.g. connecting to a PC) or an uplink connection (e.g. connecting to a router, switch, or hub). That port will then configure itself to the correct configuration. This feature also eliminates the need to worry about crossover cables, as Auto Uplink will accommodate either type of cable to make the right connection. "

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