Wireless Range Extenders.

BoomAM · 3 May 2007 at 17:21

Hi.
Does anyone here have much experiance with wireless range extenders?
We currentely have 1 access point at our place that we'd like to extend to the entire site, with extenders, so only one SSID/WPA Encryption is ever needed wherever you go on site.

Are wireless range extenders any good, or can anyone suggest another way of achieving the same?

Thanks in advance all.

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Uhtred · 3 May 2007 at 17:28

Humm, if you simply have the same ssid+wpa key for two wireless networks then won't that do the trick? They might use different wireless channels but to the user that will be seemless

BoomAM · 3 May 2007 at 17:59

Zap said:
Humm, if you simply have the same ssid+wpa key for two wireless networks then won't that do the trick? They might use different wireless channels but to the user that will be seemless

Doubt it'd be that easy tbh, as as far as the computer is concerened, its still two seperate networks.
And Windows doesnt do the best of jobs to seemlessly switch between wireless networks.

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bringans · 3 May 2007 at 18:59

Its not too hard, but can be a pain if ya dont know a few things.

tbh I have not done this for a bit as I use a standalone box with linux to handle all the stuff.

but I seem to remember a way is to add your AP ( access point) to the current router wired (lan to lan do not use the WAN on the AP)
make sure NAT and DHCP off.
Set up the lan to somthing like 192.168.1.2 , mask 255.255.255.0
and if need set dns as the router gateway addy (192.168.1.1 or what ever it is)

set all wireless settings the same on both, so somthing like

SSID: XXXXX
WPA key: xxxxxx
channel: 6

think thats it.

Ohh yer if there old kit, you might need to use a crossover cable to join the 2 routers, but tbh I do mean old

BoomAM · 3 May 2007 at 23:02

bringans said:
Its not too hard, but can be a pain if ya dont know a few things.

tbh I have not done this for a bit as I use a standalone box with linux to handle all the stuff.

but I seem to remember a way is to add your AP ( access point) to the current router wired (lan to lan do not use the WAN on the AP)
make sure NAT and DHCP off.
Set up the lan to somthing like 192.168.1.2 , mask 255.255.255.0
and if need set dns as the router gateway addy (192.168.1.1 or what ever it is)

set all wireless settings the same on both, so somthing like

SSID: XXXXX
WPA key: xxxxxx
channel: 6

think thats it.

Ohh yer if there old kit, you might need to use a crossover cable to join the 2 routers, but tbh I do mean old

Unfortunatelly, thats not exactely a feasible solution to a network the size of the one we have here. Its not a home network fyi.

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bringans · 4 May 2007 at 07:54

Ya never said that

, but tbh the way i said can still be done on a small size company.

I use the Linux method for alota companys, there are many ways to do it and all you need to run it is one Intel box, headless. running a Live CD Linux server, and all the AP's you need. just chain them.

You can set the box to run as a stand alone Hotspot, thus letting people use the wireless like a Hotspot, leaving the main NW totaly safe, if you wanted too.

.walls · 4 May 2007 at 10:13

Probably not the most professional solution...

pringles cantenna

BoomAM · 4 May 2007 at 17:58

bringans said:
Ya never said that , but tbh the way i said can still be done on a small size company.

I use the Linux method for alota companys, there are many ways to do it and all you need to run it is one Intel box, headless. running a Live CD Linux server, and all the AP's you need. just chain them.

You can set the box to run as a stand alone Hotspot, thus letting people use the wireless like a Hotspot, leaving the main NW totaly safe, if you wanted too.

So the linux box essentially acts as the control hub for the access points?
How is that achieved then?

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bringans · 5 May 2007 at 00:48

Just in from friday night beers, will post tommorow , or if want send me a PM so we can go into MSN. a lot easyer to chat.

zetec452 · 5 May 2007 at 09:36

I've used 3com wireless devices in the past and bridged them together to form a rather large wireless network.

Depending on your wireless access points you should be able to bidge a load of them together.

BoomAM · 5 May 2007 at 13:28

bringans said:
Just in from friday night beers, will post tommorow , or if want send me a PM so we can go into MSN. a lot easyer to chat.

There is no PM system on OCUK. Better to chat here imo, as this info could be handy for others.

JonRohan said:
I've used 3com wireless devices in the past and bridged them together to form a rather large wireless network.

Depending on your wireless access points you should be able to bidge a load of them together.

So bridging them would have 1 of the points acting as the 'hub', connected to the network, and the rest, setup as a bridge, but not connected to the network?

Surely that wouldnt work? IIRC, bridging basically provides a wireless link where a wired one cant exist?

##EDIT##
Yup, just googled, and as i thought, bridging isnt a way of extending a networks range. Prehaps you mean they are in repeater mode?

zetec452 · 5 May 2007 at 15:44

These 3com units work in a bridge and repeater mode. We extending a single WAP covering half an office to three units covering the whole office and outside patio.

Neither of the units were a Hub but each unit could speak to another unit to give better range.