Network question

[sweetpants]

I had a question on this home network...

I have a single wireless router in my living room that connects to an Xbox and my cable modem. The other three systems in the house connect to it. However, my two room mates have a hard time connecting. (Makes sense because it's behind 2-4 walls).

So I went and bought a new Netgear wireless router to act as an access point. The network that was created with the first router (belkin) was secured.

Now my question is this:
Will my Netgear router (acting as an AP) automatically pick up on a secured signal? (broadcast by my Belkin router)? I basically just want to extend my network.

 

[Guest]

How did you connect the Netgear to the Belkin router? It will have it's own wireless SSID that is not secure unless you secure it. You should have bought a wireless range expander.

Grumpy

 

[sweetpants]

connecting wirelessly. I should have but I didn't want to wait 3-4 days to get one when I could pick up another router that could act as a AP right away.

 

[Iceblue]

An access point provides the ability to connect wireless computers to a wired LAN.

What you want is a wireless-to-wireless bridge (aka range extender).

With the equipment you have purchased, you will need to run an ethernet cable from your existing router to the new one and then have it operate in access point mode (same or different SSID, doesn't matter, but make sure it is on a different non-interfering channel). You will need to set up the security encryption on the new router.

What you should have purchased was either high-gain antennas for your router or your roommates adapters, a signal booster for your router, or a range extender (wireless-to-wireless bridge).

Be careful with nomenclature, too. Sometimes you will see a wireless router being described as being put into "bridge mode." This means a bridge between the wireless network and the wired LAN; typically this mode is used to connect two separate LANs using the wireless network as a go-between.

 

[sweetpants]

Ahhh that makes sense. Well since I bought it last night I will take it back to best buy...

Since my main router is a Belkin, any particular wireless-to-wireless bridges (range extenders) you would suggest?

 

[Iceblue]

My only experience with trying to put in wireless range extenders was a bad one; the range extender refused to connect with the router. They were two different vendors; I don't know if that had anything to do with it - it shouldn't, since everything was standard "g" wireless. But, I gave up and put in a signal booster and high-gain antenna on the router.

My only suggestion would be to stick with Belkin and with the same technology. IOW, don't mix and match standard "g" with the proprietary "super g" or "turbo g" or whatever trade name Belkin gives it. But, this suggestion is not based on experience with Belkin; just general caution about the fussiness of range extenders.

 

[sweetpants]

Aye...

my Belkin router has "MIMO technology" so basically I would be looking for a bridge that would also incorporate MIMO?