Using old routers for wireless connectivity.

Whiffle

Whiffle

Whiffle

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27 Jul 2009
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I have just moved two computers (a desktop and a NAS) to a room that has no ethernet socket in it - something that I hope to put in within the next few months.

I was looking into buying a couple of cheap wireless USB adapters to tide me over but have come across a number of sites talking about using old routers, from ISP provides, to connect you to your network, wirelessly, but via ethernet.

If I could connect both computers to a single router and connect this to my home network, that would be the perfect (and free solution). However, it does look like this sort of thing gets pretty complicated. Is it worth going down the rabbit hole with this or should I just buy the USB adapters?
 
If you're after this...

Phone Line <-> Wireless Router <-> #### Wireless Connection #### <-> Wireless Router <-> Ethernet <-> PC

...then your average ISP supplied router won't do what you want (not with the original firmware anyway).

What people do often use ISP routers for is creating cheap wireless access points. That's not going to help you because it relies on Ethernet for the backhaul.
 
Avoid.

I'd just get access points. Have seen cheap routers do odd things even with DHCP disabled.
 
Thanks guys - shall just buy a cheapy device to keep me going.

There seem to be a lot of terms out there, what is the different (if any) between the following):

* Access Point
* Repeater
* Range Extender
* Ethernet Bridge

I don't want to end up buying the wrong thing.
 
Whiffle said:
Thanks guys - shall just buy a cheapy device to keep me going.

There seem to be a lot of terms out there, what is the different (if any) between the following):

* Access Point Just does wireless. Usually from an Ethernet connection.
* Repeater Receives a wireless signal and transmits a new version of it.
* Range Extender Different name for the above.
* Ethernet Bridge What you were describing in the opening post.

I don't want to end up buying the wrong thing.
Click to expand...

Personally, I'd prefer Powerline adapters.

I'd actually pull my finger out and install the Ethernet if that's the eventual plan.
 
As @bremen1874 says, what you describe in your original post as wanting to achieve is to re-provision a router as a bridge - some let you and some (nearly all ISP provided ones) do not. I've had some success with cheap TP-Link bridge devices where speed wasn't important. I think they cost me about £30 from amazon. However, in the end, wires are always better if you can lay some Ethernet.

Another alternative, although not cheap, is a mesh system where the nodes also have ethernet ports. Unless you also have WiFi dead spots to fix as well this couldn't be considered a cost effective solution to your problem but thought I'd put it out there.
 
I have one room in my house that doesn't have cabled sockets, in that room I have basically used on of these - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tenda-a9-wireless-n300-universal-wifi-range-extender-nw-01b-td.html - but one that has an ethernet port in it. I then connected a little switch to the port on the extender, then anything connecting to the switch is basically made wireless back to the main router.

Its not fantastically amazing, but depending on how good the electric wiring is and how good the original wifi unit is, it can be better.
 
I use powerline adapters to connect to a switch upstairs from my router downstairs and have no issues. In the switch, I connect in my PC, NAS and Raspberry Pi with spare slots if needed. You can get powerline adapters with built in wireless too should you need wireless access also.

Bear in mind that the speed from using these does depend on the wiring and how far the signal has to travel.
 
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