Turning My Old Router Into A Wi-Fi repeater.

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Turning My Old Router Into A Wi-Fi repeater.

steve181

114 posts

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#123457 8-Jul-2013 17:49

I just changed ISP's to Vodafone. I have cable broadband now (router isn't connected to phoneline instead it's connected to an aerial type port in the wall).

The signal is extremely poor at the other end of the house. I know I can buy a repeater for $50 but thought I'd try using my old router as a repeater instead. It's a Dynalink 1025w. Will the old router work as a repeater if I plug it into a phone line or will that not work because I have cable broadband?

I plan to install the open-source DD-WRT firmware on my old router.

http://lifehacker.com/5563196/turn-your-old-router-into-a-range+boosting-wi+fi-repeater

Thanks.

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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#851107 8-Jul-2013 18:26

Wireless repeaters are a waste of time.

If you want to improve your wireless coverage at the other end of the house run some cat5e cable for Ethernet. You could reuse your existing DSL modem as an AP at the other end if you disable DHCP.

If running cable isn't an option buy some Ethernet over power adapters to extened the Ethernet.

steve181

114 posts

Master Geek

#851165 8-Jul-2013 19:33

Thanks for your reply sbiddle. Your right about the repeaters, before your reply I did some research & read they slow down the speed coming out of the main router which is something I don't want even if it was only by 10%.

The first thing I've decided to do is call Vodafone & try & get hold of the technician that came out to set everything up. He might agree to move the router to a more central location or think of something else given he had first hand knowledge of the house layout.

I don't want lengthy cables unless they are hidden behind the wall. I'm hoping Vodafone will step up (I'll call them tomorrow) because the network is not fit for purpose, but I dunno maybe I have no rights in that respect.

The house is small so it blows my mind have weak the signal is at the other end of the house even though we don't have thick concrete walls & what not.

raytaylor

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#853654 11-Jul-2013 00:45

You will find that vodafone's service is 'fit for purpose' to the point where the service is delivered to the ETP of the house. They give you a free wireless router / modem as a bonus. However we are lucky in NZ where all ISP's here let you use a different modem or router with their service to suit your own needs.

The vodafone technician probably also worked for chorus. They deal with many many houses and are usually contracted to do a specific job and usually dont specialise in home networking. To get them out again will cost you ~$100+ unless its a fault outside the ETP of the house, or you have a wiring fault with the telephone lines inside the house. You can move the router yourself to find the best space to put it, or vodafone can request a chorus technician to come out and install another phone jack at your cost.

There are a few options

1) NON-WDS repeating. Netgear? now make a dual-radio repeater unit that works with almost any brand of router. Because its not WDS it means you dont need a netgear master AP / router to use it. They dont suffer the 50% speed loss due to the store-and-forward single radio models. The backhaul side radio may be WDS though but basically i would guesstimate based on how your signal levels were, you may only loose 80% of your speed.

When you loose speed, you dont necessarily loose internet speed. One should be aware of this. A 802.11n network can run at 40+ mbps of thoughput quite easily. If you were to single radio WDS repeat that signal you would loose 50% of the throughput, bringing it down to 20mbps. However your ADSL2+ connection probably only runs at 16mbps so you wouldnt have any speed drop to the internet.

2) Cat5 cable to the far end of the house
Run a cat5 cable, change the ip address in your router, set the exact same wireless SSID/security type/passcode and disable DHCP. Your old router would then become a dumb access point. Your laptop/phone/xbox will connect to whichever it gets the best signal from

3) If you have an issue running cat5, look into Homeplug or HomePNA adaptors. These use ethernet-over-power (EoP not PoE)
A network cable goes into a wall wart unit at one end of the house, and comes out the wall wart unit at the other end and goes into the old router / dumb access point. Its the exact same result as running a cat5 cable to the other end of the house, just as fast in most cases (80mbps+) but the homeplug devices simply convert that cat5 data to radio and use your homes internal mains wiring to transport the signal. It bypasses walls and other obstacles that would block a wireless radio signal.
TP-Link make my favourite slimline ones, though netgear and Dlink also make them. You can get a pair of TP-Links for $150 to $200.

If you decide on using your old router as a slave unit, let us know if you are going to run the cat5 or use the homeplugs and we can then help you reconfigure it so that it becomes a dumb access point and will act as a slave to the master vodafone one.

Ray Taylor

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steve181

114 posts

Master Geek

#853743 11-Jul-2013 10:44

Thanks for your reply raytaylor.

I called Vodafone & they said for $60 a technician can move the router to a more suitable (central location) part of the house. I'm not sure if that price includes all possible additional cabling etc so I'll call back to confirm.

If it can be moved for $60 that to me is the most cost effective & most ideal solution.

Steve

webwat

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#855240 14-Jul-2013 13:19

If you still need a Cat5e cable to other end of the house after that, you may have some chance to run it under house or through the ceiling space. Its certainly the most reliable solution...

EDIT: do you have TV outlets anywhere else around the house? You may be able to put the modem there already, just change the plug to an F connector.

Time to find a new industry!

peejayw

1841 posts

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#869266 31-Jul-2013 13:09

Mighty Ape show the TP Link TL-PA211 kit for $93 and I am presuming that a kit means two units. Are these units any good?

I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

steve181

114 posts

Master Geek

#869336 31-Jul-2013 14:58

EDIT: do you have TV outlets anywhere else around the house? You may be able to put the modem there already, just change the plug to an F connector.

I had a technician come out today & he moved the router by the lounge TV which is a much more central location compared with before. The signal is still not strong in the areas I want it to be but so far appears to be strong enough to give a adequate signal (unlike before).

I'm upgrading my plan to 100mbps down (compared with 15mbps at the moment) so that will help as well.