WAP or Router?

[Dano]

I've been asked to replace a Wireless access point at a house for some friends and while looking at the prices online for a new WAP (the old one is dead) I couldn't quite get over how much they are in comparison to cable routers and wondered if there is anything wrong with me using a cable router instead?

The main broadband line comes in via adsl to an adsl wireless router, this has the wireless enabled and feeds via ethernet to a homeplug, another homeplug feeds the signal to the (now dead) WAP at the other end of the property. Both the router and the WAP had completely different SSID's setup previously too, so I could just throw a wireless cable router in there and do the same right?

 

[PistolPete]

Most cable routers can be used as wireless access points.
Most of the time it simply involves disabling the DHCP server and connecting to the existing LAN using a LAN port, not the WAN port.

I've been using my WNR2000 as a WAP for ages in this way.

 

[Dano]

That's what I thought, and even then I could leave the DHCP server enabled as they were using a completely different SSID on that end previously, th eonly advantage of setting it up as a true WAP would be to enable them to roam the house and stay in signal but apparently they (the kids) don't ever use their machines at the other end so it's probably completely uneeded.

 

[bremen1874]

You can’t leave DHCP running on the router you want to use as an access point unless…

1. you connect it to the existing network via its WAN port.
2. configure it with a different subnet.

This would still work fine for internet access, but it could make life more complicated for anything else.

Normally you disable DHCP and then connect LAN-to-LAN and completely ignore the WAN connection. In this case it doesn’t matter if it’s a cable or adsl router you’re using.

I’m not sure of the cost, but you can get kit like this designed for extending wireless coverage using homeplug networking.

 

[Dano]

Good point, hadn't thought of that, thanks.