Quick Network Question

[Willie Xia]

So I've recently expanded down into my basement, but my router is upstairs and I expect to get very bad wireless connection downstairs. Is there any network expander where it doesn't connect wirelessly to my router which is unreliable, but through a cable. I just want to have wireless coverage and be able to get internet from my desktop without having to rely on the expander getting signal wirelessly.

[Guest]

It's called a router

[Willie Xia]

1 minute ago, dexxterlab97 said:

It's called a router

So have a router connected to a router??

[Guest]

Just now, Willie Xia said:

So have a router connected to a router??

yes.

[Unexas.]

3 minutes ago, Willie Xia said:

So I've recently expanded down into my basement, but my router is upstairs and I expect to get very bad wireless connection downstairs. Is there any network expander where it doesn't connect wirelessly to my router which is unreliable, but through a cable. I just want to have wireless coverage and be able to get internet from my desktop without having to rely on the expander getting signal wirelessly.

You can have multiple routers on one network just add another one.

[Willie Xia]

2 minutes ago, dexxterlab97 said:

yes.

 

2 minutes ago, Unexas. said:

You can have multiple routers on one network just add another one.

How would I have 2 routers? Where and how do I connect the wires?

[Guest]

Just now, Willie Xia said:

 

How would I have 2 routers?

imagine you are connecting your current router to a computer to have internet with cables. instead of that you connect it to another router to the internet port. 

 

ROUTER 1>INTERNET>ROUTER 2

[Unexas.]

Just now, Willie Xia said:

 

How would I have 2 routers?

connect another one to the router you already have

[Willie Xia]

3 minutes ago, dexxterlab97 said:

imagine you are connecting your current router to a computer to have internet with cables. instead of that you connect it to another router to the internet port. 

 

ROUTER 1>INTERNET>ROUTER 2

 

2 minutes ago, Unexas. said:

connect another one to the router you already have

So I use an ethernet cable?

[Guest]

Just now, Willie Xia said:

 

So I use an ethernet cable?

yes. use a regular ethernet cable connect it to your second router and put that router downstairs

[Unexas.]

Just now, Willie Xia said:

 

So I use an ethernet cable?

Yes

[Willie Xia]

1 minute ago, dexxterlab97 said:

yes. use a regular ethernet cable connect it to your second router and put that router downstairs

 

1 minute ago, Unexas. said:

Yes

Are there any further steps in terms of setting it up software wise?

[Unexas.]

Just now, Willie Xia said:

 

Are there any further steps in terms of setting it up software wise?

You will just set it up as "repeater" which should be in the basic settings for your router

[Sunshine1868]

actually it's an access point, not a router. most consumer "routers" call this feature "bridge mode" - it turns a consumer "wireless router" into a wireless access point

[Willie Xia]

3 minutes ago, Sunshine1868 said:

actually it's an access point, not a router. most consumer "routers" call this feature "bridge mode" - it turns a consumer "wireless router" into a wireless access point

Does all routers have this feature?

I'm thinking about getting this: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476287943&sr=1-1&keywords=router

3 minutes ago, Unexas. said:

You will just set it up as "repeater" which should be in the basic settings for your router

Where do I find this setting?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Willie Xia said:

Does all routers have this feature?

I'm thinking about getting this: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476287943&sr=1-1&keywords=router

Where do I find this setting?

just connect it no need to tweak anything. yes your router has internet port so should be good

[Enderman]

or

[Electronics Wizardy]

29 minutes ago, dexxterlab97 said:

It's called a router

No, its a wifi access point.

 

A home router has a wifi access point, a router and a switch in one box.

[Electronics Wizardy]

15 minutes ago, Willie Xia said:

Does all routers have this feature?

 

Where do I find this setting?

Id buy a wifi access point. THe unify ones are cheap and work well.

[Willie Xia]

5 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Id buy a wifi access point. THe unify ones are cheap and work well.

Should I just get this? https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-3-In-1-Wireless-Router-RT-N12/dp/B00DWFPDNO/ref=sr_1_12?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476289663&sr=1-12&keywords=router

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, Willie Xia said:

Should I just get this? https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-3-In-1-Wireless-Router-RT-N12/dp/B00DWFPDNO/ref=sr_1_12?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476289663&sr=1-12&keywords=router

Should work, just don't plug in the wan port.

[Oshino Shinobu]

What you want is an access point, not another router. Modern routers tend to have an access point built in, but you don't need the routing functions for just extending WiFi coverage. You're better off spending the same money on a good access point than on a router which has a load of extra stuff that you're not going to use. It can also cause issues if it doesn't have access point modes or doesn't like having things like DHCP and NAT disabled. 

 

Just now, Willie Xia said:

Should I just get this? https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-3-In-1-Wireless-Router-RT-N12/dp/B00DWFPDNO/ref=sr_1_12?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476289663&sr=1-12&keywords=router

No. You're better off spending that money on a dedicated access point. You're sacrificing Wireless quality for routing functions and additional ports that you're not going to be using. 

 

Ubiquiti's UniFi AP is pretty cheap on Amazon right now. They're fantastic (have 3 of them myself) https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-UAP-US/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476289795&sr=1-2&keywords=access+point

 

If you don't want to spend that much, have a look at the TP-LINK TL-WA901ND. I've used them before and they're very good for the money. https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WA901ND-Wireless-450Mbps-Repeater/dp/B002YETVXC/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476289795&sr=1-3&keywords=access+point

[Willie Xia]

52 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

What you want is an access point, not another router. Modern routers tend to have an access point built in, but you don't need the routing functions for just extending WiFi coverage. You're better off spending the same money on a good access point than on a router which has a load of extra stuff that you're not going to use. It can also cause issues if it doesn't have access point modes or doesn't like having things like DHCP and NAT disabled. 

 

No. You're better off spending that money on a dedicated access point. You're sacrificing Wireless quality for routing functions and additional ports that you're not going to be using. 

 

Ubiquiti's UniFi AP is pretty cheap on Amazon right now. They're fantastic (have 3 of them myself) https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-UAP-US/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476289795&sr=1-2&keywords=access+point

 

If you don't want to spend that much, have a look at the TP-LINK TL-WA901ND. I've used them before and they're very good for the money. https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WA901ND-Wireless-450Mbps-Repeater/dp/B002YETVXC/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476289795&sr=1-3&keywords=access+point

Problem is, how am I going to get internet from my desktop which requires ethernet connection?

[Oshino Shinobu]

9 minutes ago, Willie Xia said:

Problem is, how am I going to get internet from my desktop which requires ethernet connection?

You could buy a cheap 4 port Gigabit switch. Run a cable to where you want the access point. Plug it into the switch, then go from the switch to the access point and to your PC. 

 

Something like this will do https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Unmanaged-Gigabit-GREENnet-TEG-S50g/dp/B001QUA6R0/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1476293663&sr=1-6&keywords=gigabit+switch

 

 

[tt2468]

10 hours ago, dexxterlab97 said:

It's called a router

No, it's called an ACCESS POINT. 2 layers of routers just add more points of failure. An access point is what is needed.