Read this ... (which I just read myself to figure out the difference between setting up an additional access point (wired) versus a repeater (not wired):
Just looked that up.
Secondary access point is wired (which is what I have).
A secondary repeater is not wired (which isn't what I want).
Nope. The speed from a seperate access point is the same. No losses.
However, the *MAXIMUM* speed of a store and forward repeater is cut in half. Each packet goes through the air twice. Once between the AP and the repeater, and again between the repeater and the computah. Actually, 50% is rather optimistic as I've seen repeaters that cut throughput to about 10% of max speed. Note that a repeater has to operate on the same channel as the wireless router. Same opinion as before... repeater suck.
I suggest you use a different SSID from your Linksys wireless router so that the kids can choose which one to connect. Also, select a different RF channel (1, 6, and 11) so that there's no mutual interference.
Correct. You want an access point, not a repeater.
Ah, I got it. (I'm mostly from alt.home.repair ... so this is a 'new' revelation that is old hat to you on alt.internet.wireless).
ACCESS POINT vs REPEATER:
WE WANT AN ACCESS POINT:
Hi Jim, Your signal-strength problem & wiring situation 'appear' to be the same as mine (just substitute Toshiba for Wii).
Here's my first rough draft so that the others will correct our mistakes (before we make 'em!).
Note: These are just example numbers (yours & mine will vary). Note: This assumes Linksys WRT54G routers (the only one I know).
Write down the primary router information (note 1' === primary): a) SSID, security, & passphrase (e.g., WRT54G-1, WPA2/AES, & 'foobar') b) IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.1) c) DHCP range (e.g., 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.150) c) Channel (e.g., channel 2)
Set up your secondary router (note 2' === secondary): a) Temporarily connect a cable from your PC to the 2' router LAN port b) Set your PC IP address to the same subnet as the 2' router
- Linux: ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2
- Windows:
Hook up the 2' router as the access point downstairs: a) Don't plug anything into the 2' router's WAN port! b) Plug the cable from the wall jack to a LAN port on the 2' router c) See if you can connect to the SSID of the 2' router!
Note: I don't yet have that 2' router so I haven't actually done this yet; plus, I have an unused (Verizon) DSL router somewhere that I would use first ... so assume this is only an untested rough draft, submitted for comment & corrections.
Ok, I'll keep it simple.
I previously posted 3 URL's to sites explaining how to do it. Please re-read:
etc...
Turn off the DHCP server, RIP2, and Plug-N-Pray.
Nope. NOTHING goes into the WAN (internet) port on the access point. The CAT5e cable goes between any LAN port on the main wireless router, to any LAN port on the access point.
If you make the SSID the same, you might be lucky and get "seamless roaming" where it switches automagically to the strongest signal as you wander around the house. More likely, it will stay connected to the first signal heard, and not release even if the other signal is better. When you try to manually select which signal to use, you'll find that you have on choice with a single SSID, unless your wireless client is one of the few that allow for selection my MAC address.
If you put both on the same RF channel, you can realistically only use one system at a time, as the added traffic from a connection on the other radio constitutes co-channel interference.
I think the three of us are saying the same thing. Change the "nope" above to "yep" and we're all set.
Hi Jeff, I read 'all' the quoted references (see reference section at bottom). I'm sure I'll still make mistakes, but, here is my second draft of the plan (mostly for Jim Elbrecht & anyone else who has never done this but who has Linksys equipment), for review, for setting up a second Linksys WRT54G router as an access point in a typical home setting:
Write down the primary router information (note 1' === primary): a) SSID, security, & passphrase (e.g., WRT54G-1, WPA2/AES, & 'foobar') b) IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.1) c) DHCP range (e.g., 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.100) d) Channel (e.g., channel 1) e) All subnet masks for both routers are assumed to be 255.255.255.0
Set up your secondary router (note 2' === secondary): a) Temporarily connect a cable from your PC to the 2' router LAN port b) Set your PC IP address to the same subnet as the 2' router
- Linux: ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2
- Windows:
Hook up the 2' router as the access point downstairs: a) Don't plug anything into the 2' router's WAN port! b) Plug the cable from the wall jack to a LAN port on the 2' router c) Technically, you need a crossover cable to connect the 1' router to the 2' router but most routers support auto-crossover (MDI/MDI-X)
Test the newly set up access point by wire: a) Connect the PC by cable to a LAN port of the 2'router b) If you're not immediately connected, reboot routers & PCs in that order c) If still not connected, doublecheck the PC IP address is on the same subnet (see prior instructions above)
Test the newly set up access point by wireless: a) Disconnect the PC from the 2' router LAN port b) In wireless networking, search for & select the broadcast SSID c) Enter the 2' router passphrase and you should be connected wirelesssly!
REFERENCES:
I appreciate it, too. There is no tutorial better than one written by someone who doesn't just do this stuff all the time without having to think through every step.
And we get the benefit of the guys who *can* just throw this together looking over our shoulders and pointing out mistakes.
Thanks all- I'll start shopping for my second router. Jim
The phone (Moto Droid Razr) will connect to my routers fine but my ThinkPad won't connect to the phone when it's doing G3 or G4. I got it to work twice out of perhaps two hundred attempts. My EeePC connects without problems. Hmm, I should try my wife's ThinkPad (much newer)...
I moved my DLink DIR-655 GigE/N router to the far end of my house and dragged a cable under the house, so I could hardwire a couple of DirecTV boxes. I only use that WiFi for the Wii.
It seems to be an excellent box.
The reason it is at the far end of my house is because I have a SamKnows Whitebox NETGEAR WNR3500L as my primary router. I do this to participate in the FCC survey of broadband providers, but it is not as good a router as the DLink. The WiFi range is less, and some devices connect to it at
65Mbps, but none at higher, and some at only 54Mbps. I suppose tat could be because of the non-standard firmware load from SamKnows, but their support isn't helping, and I think the lack of good N speeds is a hardware fault.
It's helpful to have a checklist of the things you need to change, probably following one of Jeff's cited pages correctly.
I'd done it a few times, and did it again recently, but I had to do it several times from hard reset because I kept cutting off my own communication from the new box before finalizing the config. Gotta do the steps in the right order, or you'll need the weird cabling that Jeff posted a long time ago to get admin access to the box.
Since the WAN port is unused, I've thought of enabling "remote admin" and then I could plug a laptop in to that port, but the idea of remote admin being live bugs me.
Need a new cell phone, apparently.
My Thinkpad W510 (Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6200 AGN) will only connect to my Netgear WNR3500L WPA2-PSK [AES] at 54MBps. It connects to other routers at up to 240Mbps, and other devices connect to the Netgear at 65Mbps, none higher.
This thread is so long, I didn't go back and look: If you just need a little signal boost, maybe a reflector is the right solution.
In some of my installations there's a use for 5 LAN ports rather than the usual 4, so I assign the WAN port to the LAN switch. (dd-wrt) No need to enable remote admin when you're coming in on the LAN side.
Just stock here (except for the SamKnows special. No DD-WRT. I think I have a little tiny GigE 100BaseT switch in the garage somewhere. The Netgear was easier to find, and put WiFi two feet from the Nintendo, instead of 50 feet.
My neighbors apparently turn off their routers when they aren't using them (leftover habit from dialup days?), since I see them sometimes and not others.
It *is* a new cell phone (Moto Droid Razr).
It is *not* a new ThinkPad (T61P).
UPDATE: Last night was a 'storm' (in California terms, which isn't much of a 'real' storm after all) ... but nonetheless, I heard a crashing shaking the roof and thought it was thunder. Turns out a roof tile fell down from one roofline to another! :)
In addition, the antenna, which is just stuck into the ground into an abs plastic 2"-to-3" bushing reducer, twisted a bit in the storm - so my reception dropped from -64dBm to -88dBm. Yuck.
I twisted it back into place (about a half inch of twist) but now I know I need to better secure the antenna base so it doesn't twist (we get
I watched the antenna in the wind & rain last night, and it didn't 'bend' the 2" thick water pipe at all. I don't think I need guy wires at all as it's pretty sturdy. The only problem is that it's a 2" pipe stuck three feet into a 3.5" hole!
Here's a picture this morning (in the early morning light) of the antenna.
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BTW, do you think this slight sidewise tilt of the planar antenna matters?
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