2
Main router/wap
Netgear WNR3500 (manual)
2nd wap
D-Link DAP-2553 (manual)
Goal of Network
The main router/wap (Netgear) sits in the corner of the house. The wireless tends to have a poor signal in the main area of the house. I picked up the D-Link so that I could add another wap to the main area of the house and provide a solid signal where most of the wireless devices hang out.
I'd like to have both the Netgear broadcast the wireless as well as the D-Link so that all areas of the house have good coverage and on the same SSID.
FYI: I have a wired connection between the D-Link wap and the Netgear router.
Netgear Settings
- Default IP address of 192.168.1.1
- Enable wireless router radio (yes)
- Enable wireless repeating function (yes)
- Set as wireless base station (yes)
- Disable Wireless Client Association (no)
- Added the MAC address of the D-Link to the repeater MAC address list
D-Link Settings
- Updated the static IP from 192.168.0.50 to 192.168.1.50
- Not sure which setting to choose from for the Wireless Settings Operational Mode. The options are:
- Wireless Client: AP acts as a wireless network adapter for your Ethernet-enabled device
- Access Point (AP): Create a wireless LAN
- WDS with AP: Wirelessly connect multiple networks while still functioning as a wireless AP
- WDS: Wirelessly connect multiple networks
Of Note: I have set both routers to be on the same SSID channel and security mode.
My Questions are
- Have I set up the Netgear wireless repeater options correctly?
- What mode do I set up the D-Link as?
- Am I even going about this the correct way? i.e., is the repeater option what I'm really looking for?
Thanks!
Try setting the Netgear w/o the repeating function, and the D-Link as an AP (& disable its router/DHCP). Since both units are wired together, there's no need to also have them communicate by wireless. If duplicate SSID is an issue, try turning off the Netgear's radio, since it provides poor coverage after all. – sawdust – 2011-12-31T22:17:44.820
@sawdust - that is what I had done at first (disable Netgear radio), but then the coverage where the main router sits (corner of house) is quite poor. What I'd like to achieve is coverage in both areas and for the attached device to switch to the stronger signal when in range. – Metro Smurf – 2011-12-31T22:25:38.723
Duplicate SSIDs can be problematic. So try different/unique SSIDs first. PCs can be setup to use a list of SSIDs to connect to. And if you have multiple PCs, you'll could get better wireless throughput using different channels. But turn off that repeater function in the Netgear! – sawdust – 2011-12-31T22:31:10.160
@sawdust- repeater function is off. I've set both waps with different SSID's for now. I was really hoping to set up something so that I wouldn't have to manually change the connected WiFi SSID on a device when in different areas of the house. Rather, one SSID for the entire house. – Metro Smurf – 2011-12-31T22:35:29.457
Once you get it working, then try a common SSID. But also try setting different radio channels on each WAP, at least 4 channel numbers apart – sawdust – 2011-12-31T22:48:16.313
Correction, the radio channels should be at least 5 channel numbers apart. E.G. ch. 3 and ch. 8. – sawdust – 2011-12-31T23:02:04.693
@sawdust - thanks for the advice. For now, I'm going to use two separate SSID's. I've tried with the same SSID/different channels (and same), but just didn't get the results I was wanting. – Metro Smurf – 2011-12-31T23:51:33.173