WIFI Range Extenders

[Wasted Memory]

I'm looking at getting the Netgear WN3000RP range extender in order to set up a PS3 in the basement. Can't get any signal down there and the wife is already complaining about me using the tv in the living room to much.

My question for the networking guru's here is this: Can I set up the range extender normally, i.e. connect to my wireless router and just have it rebroadcast the signal and then connect my PS3 to the extender wirelessly or do I need to set the extender up as a bridge? If it does need to be set up as a bridge is there anything I need to pay particularly close attention to when getting an extender?

Thanks for the help.

[The_Niddler]

I do not believe that an extender you have to worry about setting it up as a bridge or anything.
If it is a true wifi extender, it should be setup to do that already.

If you are using another wireless router, you have to turn off DHCP, so that your original router is the only thing assigning out IP addresses and it has to be hard wired to your original router to obtain an IP address itself.

As far as the extender, I would have to read up on how it hooks up, I have never used one myself. I have always just used another wireless router as an access point.

[Wasted Memory]

it has to be hard wired to your original router to obtain an IP address itself.

As far as the extender, I would have to read up on how it hooks up, I have never used one myself. I have always just used another wireless router as an access point.

Ok, so two more questions then.

1.Does the extender have to have an IP address? Hard wiring the two together isn't really going to be an option for me.
2. Is using another wireless router as an AP a better option than using a range extender?

[Hoos]

Yea, I think I would use a WAP instead of an extender. I think you might have a stronger signal with a WAP instead of the repeater because repeaters tend to diminish the signal. There should be all kinds of videos on YouTube that will help you setup a WLAN.

[The_Niddler]

it has to be hard wired to your original router to obtain an IP address itself.

As far as the extender, I would have to read up on how it hooks up, I have never used one myself. I have always just used another wireless router as an access point.

Ok, so two more questions then.

1.Does the extender have to have an IP address? Hard wiring the two together isn't really going to be an option for me.
2. Is using another wireless router as an AP a better option than using a range extender?

So from what I am reading, the advantage with a range extender is that you do NOT have to hardwire it to the existing router.
It uses the wireless network and re-broadcasts that signal.
So your devices can then wirelessly connect to the extender or most have 4 ports on them to hardwire stuff to.

1. It will get an IP address from your router if it needs one, which I am assuming it will.

2. The difference is that the extender needs to be able to pick up at least 1 bar a wireless signal and will then re-broadcast it out giving you a new access point.
A 2nd wireless router has to be hard wired to the original router, so it does not need to feed off of the original wireless signal and it will get an IP address through the hardwire and will then become an access point.

[The_Niddler]

Yea, I think I would use a WAP instead of an extender. I think you might have a stronger signal with a WAP instead of the repeater because repeaters tend to diminish the signal. There should be all kinds of videos on YouTube that will help you setup a WLAN.

Hard wiring the two together isn't really going to be an option for me.

The disadvantage is that another wireless router has to be hardwired to the first one.

[The_Niddler]

Also, having two routers is much trickier than using an access point/extender for your second "hot spot"

When you use 2 wireless routers in your house, The second one HAS to be hardwired to your first or to a HUB.

You then HAVE to turn off DHCP on your second router. It cannot assign IP addresses to devices on the same network as the first router.
So by turning off DHCP, you are allowing the first router to be the only one assigning out IP addresses.


The first one has it's default IP address of something like 192.168.1.1. You will have to change the second router to a default IP address of something like 192.168.1.2.


The other thing you will need to do is change the wireless channel that the second one is broadcasting out on.
If your first one is broadcasting out on Channel 11, you will want the second one broadcasting out on channels 1 or 5.


This explains some of it:
http://www.labnol.org/internet/connect- ... ers/13517/

[Wasted Memory]

Awesome info Niddler.

Sounds like a WAP would have been a good but difficult choice to set up for me. Looks like I'm investing in an extender.

Thanks.

[ReignOnU]

2 random questions...

#1 - Do you have a router that you can just swap out the antennas on to get a strong signal?
#2 - Do you have a concrete floor separating the basement? If so, you might be SoL or have to very strategically place that 2nd wireless device. (ex, near doorway to lower level)

[Hoos]

Yea, I think I would use a WAP instead of an extender. I think you might have a stronger signal with a WAP instead of the repeater because repeaters tend to diminish the signal. There should be all kinds of videos on YouTube that will help you setup a WLAN.

Hard wiring the two together isn't really going to be an option for me.

The disadvantage is that another wireless router has to be hardwired to the first one.

True, I haven't messed with a WAP but I guess you would have to plug into the LAN port to get it into the network.

[Wasted Memory]

2 random questions...

#1 - Do you have a router that you can just swap out the antennas on to get a strong signal?
#2 - Do you have a concrete floor separating the basement? If so, you might be SoL or have to very strategically place that 2nd wireless device. (ex, near doorway to lower level)

The main router is on the outside edge of the house. Piss poor planning on my part when having everything installed. I tried to run a Cat5 cable from the router into the wall and then down into the basement. From where the router is though it is actually a crawl space with little to no room to actually reach where the cabling comes out below the room and then runs into the concrete wall where the basement begins. For the life of me I can't figure out how the installer did it. Half tempted to just pay him to come out and run a new cable for me.

Where I have the set up in the basement at is on the exact opposite end of the house and there is concrete the signal has to go through, it is attenuating so badly that the PS3 can't even see the router. But since the router is on the 1st floor of the house I believe if I put the extender in the room directly above the PS3 in the basement I should be alright.

[Hoos]

Running a cable would solve your problems and give you the best connection possible. I would actually get him to run several cables and put in a box. It shouldn't cost very much.

[Wasted Memory]

I agree Hoos. I would much prefer to run a cable down there. I'm a tad on the impatient side though and know I'd have to wait a week to a week and a half to get them out there...and my mother in law is visiting this weekend. Going to need to be able to escape to the basement!

I may have to figure out some way to do this on my own any way though.

[Wasted Memory]

You're the man Niddler!

Went ahead and purchased a new router today and tried to set it up like you said. I did check out that website you attached, but I ended up doing a bridge instead. Works like a charm. My PS3 in the basement is downloading all the latest system updates, etc, etc, etc, and then I'll be ready to go in the basement.

On a side note, I still haven't figured out how to run the Cat5 cable down through the wall and into the basement yet. Right now it's strung out from the study, into the living room and then down the steps into the basement. That'll teach the wife to complain.

[The_Niddler]

You're the man Niddler!

Went ahead and purchased a new router today and tried to set it up like you said. I did check out that website you attached, but I ended up doing a bridge instead. Works like a charm. My PS3 in the basement is downloading all the latest system updates, etc, etc, etc, and then I'll be ready to go in the basement.

On a side note, I still haven't figured out how to run the Cat5 cable down through the wall and into the basement yet. Right now it's strung out from the study, into the living room and then down the steps into the basement. That'll teach the wife to complain.

Lol.
I can see the wire running all the way to the basement.


Ok, so you have the new router hard wired to your existing router....if you dont need wireless down there, once you get more of a permanent cable ran, you can just use a switch instead of a router to give you 4 more ports in the basement.
But again, it has to be hard wired to your existing router and does not broadcast wirelessly.

I used a switch in my living room. Ran a wire from my office upstairs through the wall to the outside of the house, down into the basement then up into the living room.
Then I plugged the switch into that and it gave me ports for my Boxee and PS3 when I take it to the living room sometimes.

But since you have the router already setup properly, I would leave it. Never hurts to have another wireless access point.
And I bet you can get an installer to come to your house and run the cable on the side for you so the money goes in their pocket and it will be cheaper.

[jsence2]

Just a suggestion, on your router, make sure you're running a 2.4gHz network w WPA, rather than a 5.0 gHz network with WPA2, you will lose some speed but you'll gain much more range.

This might be an alternative.

[Wasted Memory]

Just a suggestion, on your router, make sure you're running a 2.4gHz network w WPA, rather than a 5.0 gHz network with WPA2, you will lose some speed but you'll gain much more range.

This might be an alternative.

Thanks. I did/do have 2.4GHz set up on both of them. It was just to much concrete and distance for the signal to do me any good.