Wireless bridge needed HELP

Golf1.6 · 28 Sep 2018 at 16:04

Hi

I'm helping set up catering POS system at an event. I stupidly ordered ethernet receipt printers instead of a bluetooth model (which was about £80 more expensive) and now I'm panicking as I can't figure out a way to bridge the eternet devices onto the wifi network of the exhibition space.

I have an old internet router, I'm not sure if this is the right way to go about it, it does have a wireless bridge mode but it's terrible to configure it seems. This is their guide: https://www.tp-link.com/us/FAQ-264.html

Can't seem to get the router to talk to the "host" router which is another tplink device.

Are there more user friendly wireless bridges available that are easily purchased from the high street? I thought it was just a matter of entering the SSID and password of the host router and it's job done. But this seems to be quite convoluted.

bremen1874 · 28 Sep 2018 at 16:16

Golf1.6 said:
I thought it was just a matter of entering the SSID and password of the host router and it's job done.

For this you need a router that supports 'client mode'. One example is the TP-Link TL-WR802N.

So does the more modern TL-WR902AC by the looks of it.

Hyburnate · 28 Sep 2018 at 16:23

bremen1874 said:
For this you need a router that supports 'client mode'. One example is the TP-Link TL-WR802N.

So does the more modern TL-WR902AC by the looks of it.

This is exactly what you need.

There are other devices that allow you to power via USB and take the Wi-Fi and convert it to ethernet all in one device. "USB Wireless WiFi Network Dongle"

Can't comment on if it'll operate in a decent enough fashion.

Golf1.6 · 28 Sep 2018 at 16:36

bremen1874 said:
For this you need a router that supports 'client mode'. One example is the TP-Link TL-WR802N.

So does the more modern TL-WR902AC by the looks of it.

Thanks, any recommendations for device that has more than one Ethernet port? preferably 4? Or does the SSID method not allow more than one device to bridge like that?

bremen1874 · 28 Sep 2018 at 16:38

Plug a switch into it.

Or use one per device.

Golf1.6 · 28 Sep 2018 at 16:40

I'm looking for an all-on-one solution ideally.

bremen1874 · 28 Sep 2018 at 16:42

I know multiport routers that support client mode exist. You'd need to search the specs.

There's a good chance that DD-WRT supports it as well. If it does you'll have plenty to choose from.

Caged · 28 Sep 2018 at 17:00

The Aruba 501 or any Mikrotik device with enough ethernet ports and built-in Wi-Fi will do what you want.

Golf1.6 · 28 Sep 2018 at 18:07

bremen1874 said:
I know multiport routers that support client mode exist. You'd need to search the specs.

There's a good chance that DD-WRT supports it as well. If it does you'll have plenty to choose from.

Dont worry about it, thanks for the recommendation. I got the travel router from a nationwide chain place just now (walking distance from my office), this worked brilliantly, paired it up with an old £10 tplink switch. Got the devices talking to the network.

The next headache will be when I take it all to site and get the iPads and the switch to connect to their wifi - will it allow cross communication between devices or put the devices into network isolation mode.

bremen1874 · 28 Sep 2018 at 18:13

You'd need to ask them how their wireless in configured. No point guessing.

Caged · 28 Sep 2018 at 18:27

If you have iPads that need to talk to the PDQs over Wi-Fi then you're much better off (in future, appreciate this might not work for now) getting something with two radios in that can join to a hotspot via the 2.4GHz radio and then use the 5GHz radio to let your iPads talk to the PDQs on the wired ports. A MikroTik hAP ac would be perfect for this.