Need help for my setup

IAmAndre · May 31, 2014

Hi everyone,

I'm not very comfortable with networking so I'd like to know if what I'm trying to do is possible. I've been using a modem/router for a couple years, but with time its range is only getting smaller (not sure why) and now it only covers the living room. I bought a TP-LINK TL-WR841N (which is a wireless router without modem) to extend its range at first. I've read in an article that the new router should be used as an access point. That's what I will do in the worst case, but I'd like to take advantage of having two routers to set two networks. As the first router has a very short range, I'd like to use it when I'm in the living room for video streaming only (from Android devices to my TV), so that the other devices of the house use the new router without altering the movie streaming experience. I also would like to redirect the internet traffic of the old router (only) to my own server located in the US so that I can access videos/podcasts that are not available in my country. If the last part is not possible, then I should be able to redirect the traffic from the devices themselves.

So is such a setup possible to make? If it's not, what other solutions do you have? If it is, then please let me know where to look for information, and if it's stupid, let me know why.

Thank you

skywake · June 1, 2014

I've always found trying to run multiple access points more trouble than it's worth. The problem is that in a typical home the space between the access points is never big enough so you'll have large areas over overlap. If you can get them far enough apart then you end up with a low reception zone where devices can't decide which network to connect to in the middle of the house. Right where you want the reception/performance to be the best. My advice would be to disable the wireless in the lower performing access point. Use the other one as just a modem/router. Then find the most central location that's feasible, preferably hard wired to your network and high up, and put the access point there.