Repeater, Bridge or WDS

[Nicolas12]

Hello, I want to fulfill both of the following 2 requirements - which mode is best for it?
1 - extending range of wireless LAN to remote places with low signal (router is downstairs, mid signal on first floor, insufficient signal on 2nd floor)
2 - making printer available to all clients on wireless LAN via LAN connection of print-server to 2nd router on first floor

Thanx for any help!

 

[john-b691]

repeater and WDS are the same thing.

Best option is to extend a ethernet cable to someplace on the 2nd floor and put in a AP. Next option is to extend it to the first floor and put in AP.

If you can do neither then you use a repeater. You of course would have to put the repeater on the first floor because you can't repeat the signal if you can't receive it in the first place. You want to do this as a last option. It cuts you speed in half at the very minimum and you now have 2 radio units to give you troubles.

I would look at power line extenders and hook AP to those before I would try a repeater. Still a ethernet cable is much better than the powerline things so that is still my first choice.

 

[inzone]

The second router wants to be on the second floor , not the first and if you can extend an ethernet cable to someplace on the second floor then you'll have good signal that isn't repeated. The printer can be installed to the first floor router and will become a network printer but you do have to install the printer on each computer that wants to use it.
I ran an ethernet cable to my second floor and put a router there to get signal through out the second floor. An AP can also be installed in the second floor and some routers can be converted to access points.