Extending the wireless network

I've got a Netgear DG834G downstairs which I'm more than happy with. Using
3 wired connections for the PC's (same room), and wireless for an HP
Printer and laptops or other stuff if people visit, etc.

I'm thinking of putting a device upstairs, which only has a wired
connection, and wondered what the best option was for getting it on the
network. I assume a wireless bridge/ap such as the Netgear WG602 with a
switch if I need to plug in more than 1 device in the end?
--
Tony Evans
Saving trees and wasting electrons since 1993
blog -> http://perceptionistruth.com/
books -> http://www.bookthing.co.uk/
[ anything below this line wasn't written by me ]

Tony wrote:

> I've got a Netgear DG834G downstairs which I'm more than happy with.
> Using 3 wired connections for the PC's (same room), and wireless for an HP
> Printer and laptops or other stuff if people visit, etc.
>
> I'm thinking of putting a device upstairs, which only has a wired
> connection, and wondered what the best option was for getting it on the
> network. I assume a wireless bridge/ap such as the Netgear WG602 with a
> switch if I need to plug in more than 1 device in the end?

If you don't mind wired connections upstairs and can run a wire from the
spare port of the netgear why not use another cheap router?

Turn DHCP off in the second router, give it a fixed address on the same
range as the netgear but outside the range assigned by the netgear via dhcp
and put the netgear as the gateway for the second router.

AJH

In uk.comp.home-networking, andrew <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Tony wrote:
>
>> I've got a Netgear DG834G downstairs which I'm more than happy with.
>> Using 3 wired connections for the PC's (same room), and wireless for an HP
>> Printer and laptops or other stuff if people visit, etc.
>>
>> I'm thinking of putting a device upstairs, which only has a wired
>> connection, and wondered what the best option was for getting it on the
>> network. I assume a wireless bridge/ap such as the Netgear WG602 with a
>> switch if I need to plug in more than 1 device in the end?
>
>If you don't mind wired connections upstairs and can run a wire from the
>spare port of the netgear why not use another cheap router?

Can't easily run wires from the DG834G to upstairs, that's my main issue
hence hoping for a wireless option.
--
Tony Evans
Saving trees and wasting electrons since 1993
blog -> http://perceptionistruth.com/
books -> http://www.bookthing.co.uk/
[ anything below this line wasn't written by me ]

On 4/18/2010 1:41 PM, Tony wrote:
> In uk.comp.home-networking, andrew<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Tony wrote:
>>
>>> I've got a Netgear DG834G downstairs which I'm more than happy with.
>>> Using 3 wired connections for the PC's (same room), and wireless for an HP
>>> Printer and laptops or other stuff if people visit, etc.
>>>
>>> I'm thinking of putting a device upstairs, which only has a wired
>>> connection, and wondered what the best option was for getting it on the
>>> network. I assume a wireless bridge/ap such as the Netgear WG602 with a
>>> switch if I need to plug in more than 1 device in the end?
>>
>> If you don't mind wired connections upstairs and can run a wire from the
>> spare port of the netgear why not use another cheap router?
>
> Can't easily run wires from the DG834G to upstairs, that's my main issue
> hence hoping for a wireless option.

If laptops work fine upstairs with your existing setup it might be
cheaper to purchase wireless adapter for the box you want to move. You
can get internal wireless cards or go the Wireless to USB route. Both
methods should be cheaper than purchasing another router or wireless
repeater.

Personally I prefer the internal wireless card method to USB as
historically they have had less problems working properly but either may
work for you.

Have a friend bring their laptop over and give the upstairs a good walk
through and see how the existing setup works. If you have problems it
may take a minor relocation of the existing router (placing it higher or
just on the other side of a room) or a better antenna (if it has an
external antenna connector) to make things work.

On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 19:06:14 +0100
andrew <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Tony wrote:
>
> > I've got a Netgear DG834G downstairs which I'm more than happy
> > with. Using 3 wired connections for the PC's (same room), and
> > wireless for an HP Printer and laptops or other stuff if people
> > visit, etc.
> >
> > I'm thinking of putting a device upstairs, which only has a wired
> > connection, and wondered what the best option was for getting it on
> > the network. I assume a wireless bridge/ap such as the Netgear
> > WG602 with a switch if I need to plug in more than 1 device in the
> > end?
>
> If you don't mind wired connections upstairs and can run a wire from
> the spare port of the netgear why not use another cheap router?
>
> Turn DHCP off in the second router, give it a fixed address on the
> same range as the netgear but outside the range assigned by the
> netgear via dhcp and put the netgear as the gateway for the second
> router.
>
Why would he do that when he could just plug the cable straight into
the device he wants to use upstairs?
I imagine the reason he's asking about a wireless bridge is that he
can't/won't run a cable.

On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:24:29 -0500
GlowingBlueMist <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> If laptops work fine upstairs with your existing setup it might be
> cheaper to purchase wireless adapter for the box you want to move.
> You can get internal wireless cards or go the Wireless to USB route.
> Both methods should be cheaper than purchasing another router or
> wireless repeater.

You don't seem to understand the difference between a wireless bridge
and a repeater, so possibly better that you don't try to advise on this
sort of thing.
>
> Personally I prefer the internal wireless card method to USB as
> historically they have had less problems working properly but either
> may work for you.

Except he said the the device only has a wired Ethernet connection -
why are you assuming that it has USB or internal expansion capability?

On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:49:48 +0100, Tony <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I've got a Netgear DG834G downstairs which I'm more than happy with. Using
> 3 wired connections for the PC's (same room), and wireless for an HP
> Printer and laptops or other stuff if people visit, etc.
>
> I'm thinking of putting a device upstairs, which only has a wired
> connection, and wondered what the best option was for getting it on the
> network. I assume a wireless bridge/ap such as the Netgear WG602 with a
> switch if I need to plug in more than 1 device in the end?

I believe the WG602 will work fine as a bridge to another WG602 or a WG302
in point to point mode, which would imply getting two of them and then
adopting a different SSID for the bridge from that used by the DG834G's AP.

I have no experience to trying to bridge to a DG834G that is working in AP
mode. Someone else here may know whether that is possible.

Maybe call Netgear 01344 458200.

Tony

"Anthony R. Gold" <not-for-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:49:48 +0100, Tony <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> I've got a Netgear DG834G downstairs which I'm more than happy with.
>> Using
>> 3 wired connections for the PC's (same room), and wireless for an HP
>> Printer and laptops or other stuff if people visit, etc.
>>
>> I'm thinking of putting a device upstairs, which only has a wired
>> connection, and wondered what the best option was for getting it on the
>> network. I assume a wireless bridge/ap such as the Netgear WG602 with a
>> switch if I need to plug in more than 1 device in the end?
>
> I believe the WG602 will work fine as a bridge to another WG602 or a WG302
> in point to point mode, which would imply getting two of them and then
> adopting a different SSID for the bridge from that used by the DG834G's
> AP.
>
> I have no experience to trying to bridge to a DG834G that is working in AP
> mode. Someone else here may know whether that is possible.
>
> Maybe call Netgear 01344 458200.

If "upstairs" has a wired connection (I assume you mean that there is an
Ethernet lead running from the router downstairs to a room upstairs) then
you don't need to bridge or repeat the wireless network. A wireless access
point will work: plug it into the upstairs Ethernet connection and configure
it with a different SSID (network name) and wireless channel to the access
point in the router downstairs. If you need additional Ethernet points
upstairs then you'll need a hub or a switch. As someone else has suggested,
maybe a second wireless router (with the ADSL connection unused) would be
the best solution.

But it is essential that you turn off the router's DHCP server and that you
hard-code its IP address to one which is in the same subnet as the
downstairs router's but which is not in the range that the router hands out
by DHCP.

For example, if the downstairs router uses addresses in the subnet
192.168.0.x, with 192.168.0.1 being the downstairs router's IP address:

- change the downstairs router's DHCP scope so it hands out addresses in the
range 192.168.0.3 - 192.168.0.255 (it will probably be set at present to
start at 192.168.0.2)
- give the upstairs router the IP address 192.168.0.2
- turn off the upstairs router's DHCP server


If you opt for a simple access point, the same IP address configuration and
turning off of DHCP server will be needed.

On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:17:00 +0100
"Mortimer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> If "upstairs" has a wired connection (I assume you mean that there is
> an Ethernet lead running from the router downstairs to a room
> upstairs) then you don't need to bridge or repeat the wireless
> network. A wireless access point will work:

And this will help his wired-only device how, exactly? If he had an
Ethernet cable upstairs he could just plug it in.

> As someone else has suggested, maybe a
> second wireless router (with the ADSL connection unused) would be the
> best solution.

Only if that router will run as a client in bridging mode.

"Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:20100419181106.561cfc2e@bluemoon...
> On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:17:00 +0100
> "Mortimer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> If "upstairs" has a wired connection (I assume you mean that there is
>> an Ethernet lead running from the router downstairs to a room
>> upstairs) then you don't need to bridge or repeat the wireless
>> network. A wireless access point will work:
>
> And this will help his wired-only device how, exactly? If he had an
> Ethernet cable upstairs he could just plug it in.

Ah, maybe I've misunderstood his phrase "putting a device upstairs, which
only has a wired connection". I assumed it was "upstairs" that had only a
wired connection (and no wireless reception from downstairs) but may be
meant that the *device* only has a LAN car and no wireless card, and that
there isn't an Ethernet cable to upstairs.

Right, yes, I agree he needs a wireless bridge - or else (if I may utter the
words without radio hams shooting me down in flames!) Ethernet-over-mains
Homeplug devices.

Now can a Netgear DG834G router work in bridging mode? Not sure about
that...