Home »
Networking
»
Wireless Networking
Summary: Depending on what you're planning, you can use a second wireless point to extend your wireless network.
|
Can I use a second wireless access point to extend my wireless network? |
It depends on what you're planning.
If your access points will be wired together, you're probably okay. But if you're looking to use the wireless access point to avoid more wires ... well, as odd as that sounds, maybe not.
•
If you plan to have both access points wired together, and perhaps placed a fair distance apart then this should work. This diagram illustrates that scenario:
The important thing is that the access points are actually wired to each other and, say, your internet connection.
On the other hand, if you want to connect some computers and the internet to one wireless access point, and then connect some wired computers to the other access point as in this diagram:
And you're expecting the access point to access point wireless connection to act as a virtual extension cable then this will probably not work. Access Points typically do not communicate with each other.
A better approach for small installations might be to set up a computer with both a wireless card and an ethernet card, and then use connection sharing to share the wireless connection to other computers on the ethernet connection. The only drawback here is that you stand a good chance that these other computers will essentially be "double NAT-ed" - which means that they are effectively behind two NAT routers. The bottom line to that is that some software will not work, and there's a slight performance penalty.
Related:
How should I set up my home network? Once you add a second computer, you're faced with setting up a network, at least to share the internet connection. Here are some general guidelines.
What's the difference between a Hub, a Switch and a Router? Hubs, switches and routers are all computer networking devices with varying capabilities. Unfortunately the terms are also often misused.
Article C2103 - July 7, 2004
This is completely wrong.
I have setup long distance wireless LANs using Linksys WAP54g access points.
I have a home office with cable internet and I had to tie in a trailer at a construction site about a block away. I used 2 Linksys WAP54Gs with External Hawking directional antennas. It worked perfectly for over a year until we moved the trailer. The key is to use the same brand/model at each end.
I've since used the same WAP54Gs at home as external wireless NICs for an old iMac that I didn't want to upgrade with an airport card. I'm now using the same WAP to connect my Direct TV HD Receiver to the wireless network to download my On demand movies. I can easily stick a switch on that end and add as many devices as I want.
It's do-able and easy. Leo, you should check your facts before publishing that this would 'probably' not work.
Posted by: ivan at February 7, 2009 7:40 PMIvan
Could you provide info with how your direct tv setup is done? I'm hoping I can stay away from running cat cable.
Posted by: LB at March 12, 2009 8:17 PMGreat bit of advice, and I hadn't even thought about the negative translation effects. However I believe manufactures could design a router that allowed the router to logon to one network location, then you could setup a new LAN. In fact it probably wouldn't be that difficult. Not much of a demand though.
Posted by: Nonya at March 15, 2009 8:41 AMHi Leo
You say that using a WAP as an extender works when wired to a router adsl modem but maybe not wirelessly. Is this really impossible? I want to extend the wirless range of the router but wiring in the WAP next to it doesn't do that.
TIA Rex
16-Mar-2009
Access Point could be used as a repeater to extend coverage of a WLAN. More APs could be added to the chain, as long as they are configured as repeaters apart from the root(first) AP.
So guys, Edy specifically. Dont panic, it is possible to use many APs to extend the coverage. According to Leo's theory, extending Wireless coverage with wire connected between APs doesnt really make sense to me.
Guys just search for how to configure them as repeaters and how far you need to put them apart.
hope this helps,
Posted by: Omar at March 17, 2009 4:29 PMOmar.
i use an engenius ap contected to my router to extend my wifi and until a few days ago it ran very well, but i am having problems staying connected now, the ap has the dhcp turned off as it gets this from my router is this the correct way to have it set up? my friend lives close by and uses my ap to go on the net she has an ethernet bridge set up to get onto my ap that has a fixed ip so she dosent use dhcp and she has no problems staying on line, can you please addvise me on the best settings to use, thank you.
Posted by: matt at March 29, 2009 3:27 AMI have a D-Link Dir-625 connected to my modem on my top floor with the wireless network set up. I have a laptop 2 floors below running off the wifi. My question is I have 2 wired desktops in the basement next to the laptop. Is it possible to use my D-Link Di-524 and connect that to my laptop, therefore sharing the wireless connection from the laptop to the wired desktops through this router- I would like to do this rather than spend money on a dedicated wireless bridge, as the desktops are only on when the laptop is on.
Posted by: James H at April 12, 2009 2:06 PMSimilarly to David way back in December, I'm considering either having two access points or one access point and a repeater. If the coverage of the two signals intersect what kind of interference problems can occur? Could there be a problem with the requesting computer receiving the same packet multiple times?
Posted by: Mike Maxson at April 22, 2009 11:51 AMIts possible i connect internet & sharing network to my office and my house?
this is the set up. My house near from my office its around 150 meters away i have a dsl in my office.but in my house i have no internet connection its possibly i connect using AP to AP connection? In my office i have 3 computers 1 router & 1 AP.In my house i have 16 port HUB & 1 AP 1 computer...pls help me... thanks
Posted by: Toyang at June 5, 2009 3:28 AMI'm trying to setup something like the second diagram in the article except by using wireless routers which cannot be wired together. My situation is kind of strange and I need to have my router provide a way for my two hardwired computers to access the internet. Any ideas on if this is possible and if so, how I'd set up my wireless router?
Posted by: Ethan Cunningham at June 8, 2009 8:36 AM