Looking for a Layer 2 Translating Bridge

[BlackManINC]

 Well, as the thread title says, I'm looking for an wireless access point that I can connect to a modem using an ethernet cable, either directly to the modem or through a switch so that I can use it to translate 802.11 WIFI frames into 802.3 Ethernet frames. Do companies like Ubiquiti sell anything like this? Anyone else? If so, exactly which access point should I be buying that does this? I don't just want access points that that I can setup to work wirelessly like an extender, but more like what I typically see in enterprise environments, where WIFI devices are connected to an ethernet network without any routing or addressing decisions, basically akin to a layer 2 translating bridge. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

so a wifi access point?

 

You caon't just plug a access point into a modem, as a modem normally only gives one ip, and something needs to do dhcp.

 

Will a unifi ap work here?

[Kilrah]

That's just an access point, as opposed to a router. Although pretty much any router can be used as simple AP as well.

[BlackManINC]

24 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

so a wifi access point?

 

You caon't just plug a access point into a modem, as a modem normally only gives one ip, and something needs to do dhcp.

 

Will a unifi ap work here?

 

 Well that's the thing, I've seen some Youtube video's on how those Unifi AC pro access points are set up, but I'm still not entirely sure if that's what I'm looking for. From my understanding, the Unifi AC Pro model uses power over ethernet. You plug one ethernet cable from the AP and then into the power plug (the POE port), and another cable from the power plug's LAN port into the switch. But do I actually need a switch to do that, or can I just buy a twenty foot ethernet cable, plug it directly into the modem and call it a day? This is how this one dude in the video below explained it.

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

That's just an access point, as opposed to a router.

 Right, that's what I'm looking for. Its how I saw it set up in my school, where they connected a bunch of access points to each other using ethernet cables throughout the building, to serve as more like L2 translating bridges that allows wireless devices to connect to them. Its way more efficient than just connecting a bunch of WAP's, or routers wirelessly, since you are essentially still using an entirely wired connection. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

5 minutes ago, BlackManINC said:

Well that's the thing, I've seen some Youtube video's on how those Unifi AC pro access points are set up, but I'm still not entirely sure if that's what I'm looking for. From my understanding, the Unifi AC Pro model uses power over ethernet. You plug one ethernet cable from the AP and then into the power plug (the POE port), and another cable from the power plug's LAN port into the switch. But do I actually need a switch to do that, or can I just buy a twenty foot ethernet cable, plug it directly into the modem and call it a day? This is how this one dude in the video below explained it.

THey come with poe injectors(normally, depends on sku). THen you can plug them into whatever you want. A modem if you want, but it won't work well.

 

What modem do you have? You don't want a access point plugged directory into a modem, You normally want to have a router as the first thing thats plugged in.  A modem normally only lets one device connect, and the ap will be that one device, and won't allow any clients to connect.

[BlackManINC]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

THey come with poe injectors(normally, depends on sku). THen you can plug them into whatever you want. A modem if you want, but it won't work well.

 

What modem do you have? You don't want a access point plugged directory into a modem, You normally want to have a router as the first thing thats plugged in.  A modem normally only lets one device connect, and the ap will be that one device, and won't allow any clients to connect.

 I have the Xfinity modem linked below. It comes with an extra ethernet port on it. So I would connect the router into the modem directly, and then the Access point directly into the router? That's how its explained in the video below, where the entire network is entirely wired instead of wireless. This is how its set up in my school. Its not the most practical, but it works very well. 

 

Link: Xfi Advanced Gateway

 

 

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, BlackManINC said:

 I have the Xfinity modem linked below. It comes with an extra ethernet port on it. So I would connect the router into the modem directly, and then the Access point directly into the router? That's how its explained in the video below, where the entire network is entirely wired instead of wireless. This is how its set up in my school. Its not the most practical, but it works very well. 

 

THen you don't have a modem, you have a modem + router + ap + switch combo.

 

You can just plug a ap in and it will work fine.

 

Also im assuming your trying to extend the range? Cause I think the wifi on the xfi units will be better than what is in most of the unifi aps.

[BlackManINC]

3 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

THen you don't have a modem, you have a modem + router + ap + switch combo.

 

You can just plug a ap in and it will work fine.

 

Also im assuming your trying to extend the range? Cause I think the wifi on the xfi units will be better than what is in most of the unifi aps.

Yes, its just something I'm contemplating. The WIFI works pretty well as is, especially on the 5ghz band, and its not a big house, so that helps. I'm still thinking of ways that I can extend it though. So I in fact wouldn't need a router or switch with a Unifi AP? I can just plug it directly into my particular Xfinity modem/router? 

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, BlackManINC said:

Yes, its just something I'm contemplating. The WIFI works pretty well as is, especially on the 5ghz band, and its not a big house, so that helps. I'm still thinking of ways that I can extend it though. So I in fact wouldn't need a router or switch with a Unifi AP? I can just plug it directly into my particular Xfinity modem/router? 

You already have a router and switch in that xfi gateway. You can just plug in a ap and set it up and it will work fine, and the clients would be on the same l2.

[BlackManINC]

Just now, Electronics Wizardy said:

You already have a router and switch in that xfi gateway. You can just plug in a ap and set it up and it will work fine, and the clients would be on the same l2.

 Awesome, that will save me a lot of money then. Thanks for the help.