What is the easiest way to set up a base station/ap type thing? I've moved into a house with a modem I have no control over and I'm living in the far end of the house where the wifi connection is almost non-existent. If I could set up a device half way through the house that could relay the wifi signal this would help me to no end.

Everything I've read about WAPs though indicate that I need to hook the WAP up to the modem wired and mess with the modems configuration (ie bridge mode). I can't help but think that there must be a way to simply capture the wireless signal and rebroadcast it.

Google isn't much help to me when I can barely get a page to load. Fingers crossed this will post :p

Pretty easy to use an old wifi router if you understand basic networking, if not there are devices made for this purpose:
http://wi-fi-booster-review.toptenreviews.com/

Copied from the intertubes:
wireless network adapters.
wireless access points.
wireless routers.
add-on wireless antennas.
wireless signal boosters.

Each computer WLAN must possess a wireless network adapter. Wireless adapters are sometimes also called NICs.

Home net-workers typically install an access point when they already own a broadband router and want to add wireless computers to their current setup. You must use either an access point or a wireless router.


One wireless router supports one WLAN. Use a wireless router on your network if:

you are building your first home network, or.
you want to re-build your home network to be all-wireless, or.
you want to keep your WLAN installation as simple as possible

Try to install your wireless router in a central location within the home.

The way Wi-Fi networking works, computers closer to the router (generally in the same room or in "line of sight") realize better network speed than computers further away.

If you need dial-up support, be sure to purchase a router having an RS-232 serial port.


Your router and all computers on the WLAN must share the same SSID. Although your router shipped with a default name set by the manufacturer, it's best to change it for security reasons.
set all wireless adapters to use ad hoc mode.

You'll see a separate setting for channel number. All adapters on your ad hoc wireless LAN need matching channel numbers.

All devices connecting via ad hoc wireless must possess a working Wi-Fi network adapter. These adapters must be configured for "ad hoc" mode instead of the more typical "infrastructure" mode.
How to build a wireless net work.
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wire ... ldwlan.htm



PS if this is not what yer lookin for let us know.

And don't forget to put one of these in the ceiling.

just plug it in install software that come with it

Thats the thing with the newer booster/repeaters, no cables, no software just push the auto setup button on the device and you're good to go!!

It depends whether you want a cable between your router and access point, or if you want a completely wireless setup. There is hardware that does both options, cable being of choice. And you don't need to bridge. Bridging is used when you want something behind the router to negotiate the DSL connection. All you should have to do, worst case, is configure your access point (SSID, Pass, etc), then directly plug it into the original router.

Woah, overnight responses, thanks guys.

Thanks Bait, I'll check out that link.

@Zaraq:
What I'm after is more like this:


What I have now is more like this:


Router 1 is a Billion 7300G RA. It supports WDS/WPS/the one click thingy-whatever-its-called, but I have no control over its configuration if such a thing would be required of it.
Router 2 is whatever I can come up with, I do have my old Billion 5200G R4 to spare but it doesn't support WDS/whatever and I got a bit confused trying to connect it to the existing network. I didn't try using the same SSID because I thought it would conflict with the existing setup, instead I was looking for a place to enter the default gateway as being router 1 and set router 2 up as a secondary network carrying the first networks signal, but perhaps I just made it way too complicated for myself. Will give shared SSIDs a shot.

... Hmm, nope. It's just hijacking the network instead of relaying. I also tried removing my USB wireless dongle in my computer and hooked router 2 up to it via ethernet and there's no connectivity to the rest of the network at all. Router 1 has the IP of 192.168.1.254 and I set router 2 to 192.168.1.230. I really wonder if I'm missing something simple-ish or if it just really hates not hosting a network.

Second hmm. Browsing MSYs listings for things like the things in Baits' link thing reminds me of ethernet over power. Seems like the cheaper option, though I know nothing of the effectiveness of the tech.

There is no need for an SSID to be the same. In fact, in some cases, it can be a detriment if the computer keeps wanting to connect to the weaker network (for whatever reason), and even then requires fine tuning to make it right. Use a seperate SSID.

It should be as easy as this, with nothing else to add:

1: Configure your access point to have enabled DHCP (on default) and to share it's Ethernet port across the wireless.

2: Configure the new AP's SSID and network login information.

3: Plug the new AP into the back of the current router using Ethernet.

4: Enjoy wireless internet.

Hotcakes, just quickly looked at the manual for your billion, I'm a bit second hand so forgive any errors.

Bridge mode is only WAN side so no good.
Not sure how the following router setting change exactly and if they might bring up other options.

Wifi on another SSID but on the same channel and setup.

On the Lan interface setup.
You set the router local IP to 192.168.1.130, 255.255.255.0 correct. this may change with the next setting.
DHCP set to relay. set IP of other router?
DNS try with Auto, if not try relay with the the other routers IP in primary and secondary.

Your computers Wifi dongle should find you new SSID and hopefully working internet.
If not then buy a repeater, cause my brain hurts ATM lol.

Thanks again Bait. This does my head in a bit too, networking has never been a forte of mine
Neglected to try DHCP in Relay mode. Moot point now anyway, bought one of the repeaters mentioned in your link. Hopefully it's as simple as one or two button pushes.

EDIT : OK so it wasn't one button push, turns out WDS and WPS are two different things :p Still, easy to connect and configure. Not a bad waste of $60

Once again, thanks Bait. That link really helped.


I refer you to the topic title.

Glad you got it all sorted mate.

Got a back yard hammock for xmas to rest my old body in while using my ipad but the wifi connection went down to one bar or none and slowed the web to a crawl. I plugged in a NETGEAR WN3000RP WiFi Range Extender for $70 from my local pc store to an outside power point and it fixed ipad to as fast as inside speeds. I just flick the switch on when i want to use wifi outside and it just does it thing automatically. Noob friendly