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Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

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  • Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

    Please feel free to comment about our story entitled "Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point"

  • #2
    Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

    If DHCP is enabled on the main router, and you plug it into a lan port on the second router...it should basically work as a wireless switch...so DHCP should work over it as well. The IP range of the second router wouldn't matter...because it isn't used...just turn off DHCP. This has worked great for me many times and lets you retain DHCP.

    You can also setup the second router up on a different subnet, and plug the main router into the sub routers WAN port. The sub router pulls a DHCP address over the wan, and then supplies a DHCP over the wifi on it's separate subnet....much like you would get it from an ISP.
    Last edited by Grims; 08-28-2008, 01:40 PM.

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    • #3
      Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

      quoting the article:

      54Mbps (or 6.75MB/s) and at close range (within the same room), we should go pretty close to hitting that speed or at least around 36 – 48Mbps (or 4.5 – 6MB/s), which is enough to stream audio and even 720p HD movies.
      Actually you will be lucky to get more than 25 Mbit/sec over an 802.11G or 802.11A connection. Even tho it says 54 megabit that is more marketing schpiel than real world performance. There is so much overhead, it is a half duplex and contention based medium.

      Also as the other poster mentioned, adding another wireless access point in AP mode will essentially act as a layer 2 bridging device. Any services on the LAN are bridged to the clients connecting to the AP. So if it is set up properly, DHCP will still work.

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      • #4
        Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

        Now set it up without using a cable to connect the 2 routers together as this would be the situation for most users, as the idea is to bridge two areas a distance apart without cabling, otherwise you may aswell just run cables all over the place.
        Last edited by T-Bones; 08-28-2008, 10:48 PM.

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        • #5
          Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

          Originally posted by T-Bones View Post
          Now set it up without using a cable to connect the 2 routers together as this would be the situation for most users, as the idea is to bridge two areas a distance apart without cabling, otherwise you may aswell just run cables all over the place.

          Well for most cheap APs you would need third party firmwares that may not be available...so I understand why they didn't go there in this article. Their solution of Ethernet over power should work fine for a simple setup like this.

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          • #6
            Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

            Yep - I made a big mistake.

            I'm not sure what happened during my testing at the time but it wouldn't assign an IP from the main router DHCP but it does now.
            Cameron "Mr.Tweak" Wilmot
            Managing Director
            Tweak Town Pty Ltd

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            • #7
              Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

              Originally posted by Mr.Tweak View Post
              Yep - I made a big mistake.

              I'm not sure what happened during my testing at the time but it wouldn't assign an IP from the main router DHCP but it does now.

              I also noticed this
              Listen up here... the last number cannot go above 256 OR wherever the DHCP IP range on the main router begins at. Our D-Link router begins its DHCP IP range at 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.199, so don’t select an IP in the range between 100 and 199, to avoid conflicts with other networked devices. Set the subnet mask as 255.255.255.0, although it should do that for you automatically, once you’ve entered in the IP.
              I guess either I'm reading it wrong or you made a typo...As I'm sure you know networks can only go to 255 on the last octet, and 255 is the broadcast IP. So, it would not be able to go above 254.
              Last edited by Grims; 09-04-2008, 04:56 PM.

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              • #8
                Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                Hello,

                I followed the instructions to the letter, computer status shows that the computer is connected but I still cannot access the internet. Is there anything else that I can do? My main router is dlink dir 655 and the access point is dlink di-524.

                Thanks in advance

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                • #9
                  Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                  Originally posted by Mr.Tweak View Post
                  Yep - I made a big mistake.

                  I'm not sure what happened during my testing at the time but it wouldn't assign an IP from the main router DHCP but it does now.

                  So, what did you correct? Please explain? My wireless Internet radio device assigned itself its own IP address effortlessly but my daughter's laptop cannot access the Internet using the AP router. Yet, I see the new network with 5 bars when searching for available wireless networks.

                  I've tried everything and also followed your advice to the letter. Many laptops have two alternative programs for accessing the Internet and discovering available wireless networks.One is offered by the wireless card and one is offered in Windows XP. Which one should I be using? Must I assign an IP address? That will cause her laptop problems elsewhere on other free wireless services throughout town in which she uses the program offered by her wireless card. Also, is it really acceptable to use the WAN Port on the old router or not?

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                  • #10
                    Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                    If you are having trouble accessing the Internet, this is when you could try setting the manual IP rather than relying on DHCP.
                    Cameron "Mr.Tweak" Wilmot
                    Managing Director
                    Tweak Town Pty Ltd

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                    • #11
                      Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                      Trying to use a netgear rangemax wireless router as an access point. When I reassign the router ip, I lose connection (ability to communicate to the router) and have to reset it to regain. I did this before and decided to perform all steps and then change the IP, but I still lose the ability to communicate with the router. Any advice would be appreciated.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                        Originally posted by Earl H View Post
                        Trying to use a netgear rangemax wireless router as an access point. When I reassign the router ip, I lose connection (ability to communicate to the router) and have to reset it to regain. I did this before and decided to perform all steps and then change the IP, but I still lose the ability to communicate with the router. Any advice would be appreciated.
                        I suggest on the extended AP you disable DHCP, and plug the incoming ethernet cable into one of the non WAN ports (make sure both units dont have the same IP). This should make it act like a switch...you won't be able to connect to its web interface (unless the IPs are in the same range) but should have access.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                          Ok, I have internet access when I plug the old router into the new router. However I lose connection when I unplug. How do regain internet when not plugged in as I am trying to use this as a 1st floor (main router on the 2nd floor) or basement access point.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                            To do that you would need to setup a wireless bridge, the second AP will need to be close enough to the first so that it receives a good signal, but yet close enough to your node so that it receives good signal as well... basically a signal repeater. Most stock firmwares probably won't support this.

                            You may want to see of DD-WRT is available for your router.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Using an old router as a DIY wireless Access Point

                              I'm glad to see that people are still checking this post.

                              Recently set up a system as mentioned and having a weird problem.

                              I am using a D-link new and old router with DHCP off on the new router and a manually assigned IP address.

                              I am finding that I can connect to the old router for about 5 minutes and then lose the internet connection. I still have the wireless connection to the 2nd network but no access to the internet.

                              Any thoughts? I can list all the numbers if people need them.

                              Thanks by the way for the great write up and help. I had been searching for a while before I found this and it made setup/configuration pretty easy.

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