I have a BlueRay player with only a Ethernet port and a Netgear router, what do

use another router or bridge to connect wirelessly to the main router. here is the DD-WRT database to check which router can be upgraded with DD-WRT firmware to sued your needs.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database

You need a wireless ethernet bridge (aka, client bridge, gaming adapter). Some routers support reconfiguration as a wireless ethernet bridge w/ their stock firmware, while others (as Emerald suggests) would require third party firmware (e.g., dd-wrt, tomato). But the latter may be a bit overwhelming for some users. For them, it’s probably easier to just buy a suitable standalone device.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

The above is just an example, not necessarily a recommendation. Just so you know what to look for.

Before I posted this question, I read some postings about bridges are not in the protocol standard and bridges from different manufacturer may not work together. Is it true that since my router is by Netgear, I should get a Netgear bridge?

Before I posted this question, I read some postings about bridges are not in the protocol standard and bridges from different manufacturer may not work together. Is it true that since my router is by Netgear, I should get a Netgear bridge?

Depends on the type of bridge. An older technology called WDS (Wireless Distribution System) was never a wifi certified protocol, so implementations vary, leading to incompatibilities, and so often don't work across brands. That’s probably what those ppl were referring to.

In more recent years, the industry has moved to "universal" bridging. In this case, the bridge connects to the remote AP as a client using wifi standard protocols (B/G/N), so it’s just as compatible with your router as any PCI/USB wireless adapter using those same standards. If the bridge also supports repeating (some do, some don’t), then it can establish its own AP for that purpose.

The link I provided is a universal wireless bridge (it was mere coincidence I provided Netgear as an example). It only supports a wired client, it does not support repeating.

Thanks.