What would be better an access point or a router, or any other suggestions?

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xDeadHeadx

xDeadHeadx

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Mar 5, 2014
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I have been using our Cisco DPC3825 router supplied by Shaw Cable for over a year and have very weak or no WiFi signal strength in our basement. Our router is on the top floor where the main family computer is and would rather not move it. We get great WiFi strength in the top and middle level of the home but once you get down to the third level you can barley connect. Three family member live upstairs and my son live downstairs in the basement along with our media room where WiFi would be useful. We have Cat5 running throughout the house and we have put two RJ45 Jacks in, one in the media room to connect our computers and one in my sons where he has his computer, both on the bottom floor.

What I am wondering is what would be the best way to get a stronger WiFi signal in the basement?I would like to hard wire it in to get the best signal strength as possible and then repeat it so the WiFi covers all of the basement. We tried a WiFi Range Extender but it was useless. Would something like this wireless access point be our best bet http://www.ncix.com/detail/tp-link-tl-wa901nd-wireless-n-access-e9-53103.htm or should I get a new router with Access Point capabilities, I have a few of these laying around so more ports aren't a necessity http:// or should I get a new router and bridge it? I have an old D-Link DIR 625, anything we can do with that? Just looking for some suggestion or any help as to what the best way to do this would be. All the computers are wired in its just phones and tablets we need it for.

Thank you for any help
 
Solution
ngrego
All wireless routers can work as AP/switches, no special firmware needed.
All you need to do is make a few changes in the configuration and you will be set!

Before connecting it to your network connect to your main router (Cisco) and check a few things out.
Enter the config and go to LAN settings.
Note the LAN IP address and Subnet Mask and if you have a modem the gateway address also.
Go to the DHCP settings and note the IP range your router is issuing. It would be best to leave out a few addresses for static network devices.

e.g. Modem: IP:192.168.1.1 SM:255.255.255.0 GW:192.168.1.1
Main Router: 192.168.1.2 SM:255.255.255.0 GW:192.168.1.1
DHCP Range: 192.168.1.3 - 192.168.1.254

Change to:
Main Router...
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ngrego

ngrego

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So your media room is in the basement where you and your son live and also where there are two RJ45 sockets already installed, correct?
You also have spare wireless routers just laying around?
All you need is to set up two of these routers and install them on either RJ45 socket in your basement.
They will give you a better wireless signal and also a few Ethernet ports for cable connections without having to spend a penny!
 
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xDeadHeadx

xDeadHeadx

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Mar 5, 2014
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Thank you for the reply and my son lives down stairs, me my wife and daughter live up stairs, 2 levels above the basement and media room. We want to keep our current router exactly where it is, so not relocating it as it covers the first 2 floors with WiFi. Also my spare router doesn't have Dd-wrt and I was under the impression you needed that to make a router act as an access point? I'm just trying to figure out the best way to extend the range of WiFi for downstairs (The basement) I tried using the spare router to get WiFi to pass through it but it wouldn't work, I could use the port for it and hard wire into a computer but I need it to send off WiFi signal.

 
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bill001g

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Aug 9, 2012
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You can use any router as a AP there are detailed instructions for most routers and even youtube videos. Basically all you do is use the LAN port instead of the WAN, turn off the DHCP and assign a ip address that does not conflict with one on you current network.

You should be able to plug it into the ethernet jack in your sons room and it will provide wifi and more ethernet ports.
 
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ngrego

ngrego

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Jan 25, 2012
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All wireless routers can work as AP/switches, no special firmware needed.
All you need to do is make a few changes in the configuration and you will be set!

Before connecting it to your network connect to your main router (Cisco) and check a few things out.
Enter the config and go to LAN settings.
Note the LAN IP address and Subnet Mask and if you have a modem the gateway address also.
Go to the DHCP settings and note the IP range your router is issuing. It would be best to leave out a few addresses for static network devices.

e.g. Modem: IP:192.168.1.1 SM:255.255.255.0 GW:192.168.1.1
Main Router: 192.168.1.2 SM:255.255.255.0 GW:192.168.1.1
DHCP Range: 192.168.1.3 - 192.168.1.254

Change to:
Main Router: 192.168.1.2 SM:255.255.255.0 GW:192.168.1.1
DHCP Range: 192.168.1.10 - 192.168.1.254

Doing this will allow for 8 static addresses on your network (8 Static Devices).

Add these settings to your other routers.
Second Router:
Router: 192.168.1.3 SM:255.255.255.0 GW:192.168.1.1

Third Router:
Router: 192.168.1.4 SM:255.255.255.0 GW:192.168.1.1

You can use the Gateway address as Primary and Secondary DNSs.

That was the hard part.
Now all you need to do is turn OFF DHCP (Very Important) on Second and third routers. I always turn off all other Router specific services like NAT/PAT, firewall etc. your main router will be handling all of that so no need for the others to have it.

For the WIFI setup it is good to use the exact same SSID, Security setting (WPA etc.) and password. This will give the network a seamless connection throughout the house. So when a user moves from one routers range to another the connection will stay up.

I think that is pretty much it, now all you need to do is connect the routers Ethernet port to an RJ45 jack and you're set!
Use a second cat5 cable to connect the device that was using that RJ45 jack to an Ethernet port on the router.

If you have any questions I would be glad to help out!
 
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Solution
xDeadHeadx

xDeadHeadx

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Thank you, I got it working now, everything is up and running!
 
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Jjhocevar

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Jjhocevar

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Question: so only the first router assigns addresses? The router are all being assigned address within the same range by tbe first router? I ran a cable and have router one 192.168.2.1 and ran another cable to second part of house. Not sure if I should have router or access point here. An access point shares the addresses of the first router. I thought a second router would have to have a different address 192.168.4.1 for example. I did not know I could share addresses and SSIDs with a second router. My routers are linksys ea6500. If I get this right, I could just turn of DHCP and assign a Static address to the second router. I could have the same SSID on both routers. I have an Amped Wireless access point, it requires me to have a different SSID then the router and that defeats the purpose of the access point in my mind. Anything else I would need to do on the second linksys ea6500?
 
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