Can all routers be used as Wireless Access Points

joey1211 · 17 Feb 2015 at 16:02

I've been asked to recommend a router for adding wireless to an upstaris flat which can connect to the router in the basement. Can all routers be setup to do this?

Don't want to recommend something which does not work!

Thanks!

bremen1874 · 17 Feb 2015 at 16:14

Most can. Many now have AP mode as a selectable option in the firmware.

If it's a separate flat you could be better using a router as a router and keep some separation between the networks.

MissChief · 17 Feb 2015 at 16:14

Most third party ones yes but an ISP supplied one is unlikely to be configurable like this. What about a set of powerline adapters with a WAP at one end?

Sin_Chase · 18 Feb 2015 at 02:37

Why would you buy a router to do the job of a Wireless Access Point?

Just buy a Wireless Access Point!?

This is a valid question if you are re-purposing an old router but you are not...you appear to be buying something...so buy an access point!

Unless you are connecting upstairs with downstairs over wired (be it ethernet or powerline) then ensure whatever access point you buy supports Wireless Network Extension/Bridging.

joey1211 · 18 Feb 2015 at 09:13

Sin_Chase said:
Why would you buy a router to do the job of a Wireless Access Point?

If a router can do what an access point can do and more for the same price, why wouldn't you buy a router. He'll then have a router when he moves out and gets his own place/connection.

neil_g · 18 Feb 2015 at 12:03

depends.

ive found that some routers will not let you statically set another gateway and/or see another DHCP server on the network (linksys).

Minstadave · 18 Feb 2015 at 12:09

I'd just use powerline adapters, a standard one at the router end and a wifi extending one in the flat.

Sin_Chase · 18 Feb 2015 at 12:48

joey1211 said:
If a router can do what an access point can do and more for the same price, why wouldn't you buy a router. He'll then have a router when he moves out and gets his own place/connection.

A router wont be the same price

mmj_uk · 18 Feb 2015 at 14:20

Sin_Chase said:
Why would you buy a router to do the job of a Wireless Access Point?

Just buy a Wireless Access Point!?

The only good value ones that I have seen only seem to have a 100Mb/s RJ45 port, which is a bit strange when they're Wireless N 150Mb/s etc.

EDIT: WN203-100UKS looks pretty good actually, but it's not 5ghz unlike a lot of equivalent priced routers.

Minstadave · 18 Feb 2015 at 14:22

Wireless N won't saturate 100mbps Ethernet under nearly all circumstances so I wouldn't worry about that.

joey1211 · 18 Feb 2015 at 14:28

Can anyone a router that they are currently using as an access point only. I can then recommend both types and let them choose

mmj_uk · 18 Feb 2015 at 14:40

Minstadave said:
Wireless N won't saturate 100mbps Ethernet under nearly all circumstances so I wouldn't worry about that.

But even the good value 300Mb/s access points only seem to have 10/100 port(s), Edimax EW-7416APn for example. It seems a bit silly to me, assuming you get a good signal you're going to be bottlenecked by the wire?

Minstadave · 18 Feb 2015 at 14:51

Even 300Mbps wifi won't saturate 100Mbps lan unless the device is really close to the router.

mmj_uk · 18 Feb 2015 at 14:57

Seems like false advertising with regards to wifi then, I always assumed the advertised speed was close to the actual speed (minus a bit for overheads).

Minstadave · 18 Feb 2015 at 14:57

mmj_uk said:
Seems like false advertising with regards to wifi then.

Yup pretty much, same with homeplugs.

mmj_uk · 18 Feb 2015 at 15:08

What's the actual speed you would see (roughly) with a Wireless N 150 AP and Wireless 300 AP then? is the 300 twice as fast as the 150 in real world or just theoretical?

MissChief · 18 Feb 2015 at 17:12

Theoretical. I would say you wouldn't see the max speed from the N150 anyway so the N300 won't have a problem.

JimboJet · 18 Feb 2015 at 18:40

My dlink router works fine as an access point. Only had to disable UPNP and DHCP on the dlink router and then assign a fixed/reserved ip address for it on my main router (Netgear R7000 Nighthawk). Only other thing to note is that you need to plug the rj45 cable into one of the 4 lan ports on the 'ap' router not into the internet port.

Then for wireless, just set up the ap router with the same wifi data as your main router. (to access your ap router you have to use whatever ip address you fixed for it as above eg 192.168.0.99 or whatever instead of 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.)