Setting up router as Wi-fi Repeater

[Master&Puppet]

Morning all,

My gf has got an o2 wireless box 2 set up in her house as her router but the signal strength throughout the house gets pretty weak so I'm trying to extend the range.

She has an old router (netgear rangemax) hanging around which I'm trying to do configure as a wireless repeater but...well I really don't know what I'm doing and teh interwebz isn't providing me with detailed enough info on what exactly I need to change.

So far this is what I've been going from this:
http://www.voipmechanic.com/turning-off-dhcp-wireless-netgear.htm

1. Primary router is working fine so I think I need to set up the rangemax to connect to it and through black magic and fairydust it will repeat the signal?

2. So I know that I have to disable DCHP on the rangemax (because that does something bad apparently) so I can just uncheck that. Easy.

3. Now I'm trying to define the IP. So I can get into the o2 router and find the IP no problem but I'm confused on two fronts:
a) I'm guessing I just put it into the "IP address" box under "LAN TCP/IP set up. The router then wants me to restart the laptop to re-assign the subnet mask.
b) Do I type in the IP address as a direct copy? The example in this guide said "if the other [primary] router's IP address is 192.168.1.1 then you can change the [repeater] router's IP address to 192.168.1.254." and that complete confuses me since I don't remember 254 coming after 1 last I checked.

Any help Muchos appreciated. I going to restart the laptop and see how much I've buggered up the internet now.

M&P

 

[Master&Puppet]

Ok, so that didn't work.

I've reset the router now and done:

1. Unchecked use DCHP.
2. Re-entered the IP but changed the last three numbers.
3. Set RIP to "both" and "RIP-1".

That didn't work either. I have a feeling that I need to do some stuff in the initial set up but god knows what..

 

[Master&Puppet]

Having looked into it a bit further and also having upgraded the router's firmware it appears that this router (DG384PN) doesn't support WDS repeater service so I'll have to look into getting a dedicated repeater instead. Anyone got any suggestions?

M&P

 

[VengeanceUK]

probably the best bet (and easiest) get some homeplugs with wifi repeater built in.
my system is slightly more complicated as my homeplugs don't have wifi capabilities (bought em before was introduced), so from my office (where the main router is located),
i send the signal down a homeplugs into the front room, where my draytek vigor 2820n picks it up and then broadcasts a second wireless signal.

inelegant - yes, but it works 100%

 

[andrewmchugh]

b) Do I type in the IP address as a direct copy? The example in this guide said "if the other [primary] router's IP address is 192.168.1.1 then you can change the [repeater] router's IP address to 192.168.1.254." and that complete confuses me since I don't remember 254 coming after 1 last I checked.

They will need to have different IPs. I have mine main router on 192.168.0.1 and the access points on the lower floors as 192.168.0.2 and some thing else. But that is just so that I can configure it. The router as you are setting up should just act as a switch right off the bat so you don't even need to set the IP. Just set the SSID and security passphrase to the same as the main router. The clients (wireless computers/ect) will just see both wireless APs as the same connection and connect to the best one single wise.

So in short you can set the SSID and security passphrase to the same as the main router, plug it in to the other router via "ethernet" and forget about it.

 

[Master&Puppet]

They will need to have different IPs. I have mine main router on 192.168.0.1 and the access points on the lower floors as 192.168.0.2 and some thing else. But that is just so that I can configure it. The router as you are setting up should just act as a switch right off the bat so you don't even need to set the IP. Just set the SSID and security passphrase to the same as the main router. The clients (wireless computers/ect) will just see both wireless APs as the same connection and connect to the best one single wise.

So in short you can set the SSID and security passphrase to the same as the main router, plug it in to the other router via "ethernet" and forget about it.

Ah I see, so it has to be wired for this to work? What about repeating wirelessly to avoid trailing wires across the hall? Does that require a particular function like WDS? If it does then I'll look into the plugs Vengeance mentioned.

Thanks for the info about the SSID, I'll have a go just so I know how to do it anyway.

 

[andrewmchugh]

Ah I see, so it has to be wired for this to work? What about repeating wirelessly to avoid trailing wires across the hall? Does that require a particular function like WDS? If it does then I'll look into the plugs Vengeance mentioned.

Thanks for the info about the SSID, I'll have a go just so I know how to do it anyway.

Oh, you want it to be a wireless bridge and distribute wireless. On some routers you can do it, however, it would have to be dual band to support the two connections I would think (But im not 100%, if its like adhoc then it might work). The router from O2 would have to support been a base station.

http://documentation.netgear.com/wnr834bv2/enu/202-10243-01/WNR834Bv2_RM-06-13.html

If the 02 doesn't support it. Then you could have a look at the custom firmware which has a few more options.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Installation

Otherwise you will have to shell out on the power line option, you don't need to get the wireless enabled ones as you can just use the router as stated. But there might not be that much difference in the price anyway.

 

[Master&Puppet]

Wifi plugs it is then I think. I did update the firmware and the wireless repeater function still isn't there. That list for the custom firmware looks familiar actually (I was looking at tomato I think) but this router isn't supported. Time to hit Amazon

Thanks to you both!

 

[SoHappy]

Any luck yet?

I've been reading into this myself trying to get a decent repeater and found http://wifirepeaters.net/ which has a bunch of guides. I'm wondering how good they'd be compared to a DD-WRT version.

There are some WDS ones but from what I've heard about their security I'm not sure I'd go down that path. I'm thinking something from Amped or Netgear.

 

[mrapoc]

Wi fi home plugs will be your best bet.

Or get yourself a router, wire it in, turn off dhcp and NAT and set it to the same SSID/password.

Or...get a posh wifi repeater which basically connects to the existing wireless (bridging) and does the same as above

 

[andrewmchugh]

Wi fi home plugs will be your best bet.

Or get yourself a router, wire it in, turn off dhcp and NAT and set it to the same SSID/password.

Or...get a posh wifi repeater which basically connects to the existing wireless (bridging) and does the same as above

This brings nothing new to an old thread.

 

[mrapoc]

Just saw a new reply, replied and shared the love.