Wireless Router as an Access Point

[choucove]

To extend the range of our existing office wireless network, we have been thinking of putting in a second wireless router, but want to run it only as a wireless access point to just basically extend the range of the original wireless network. We have two of the same wireless routers already, SMC Barricade N ProMax devices, and have one set up as the primary router for the network already. What I would like to do is connect up the second wireless router to the first one, but have the second just be a wireless access point utilizing the primary first wireless router as the actual router. This way, DHCP and internet access is all managed through the primary wireless router, but the computer uses the wireless signal broadcast from the second new router to connect with the network, and if moving from the coverage area of one wireless router to the second would not have to reconnect to different wireless networks.

I know that this can be done really, but I'm for some reason not doing it right as I haven't gotten it quite working yet. Any ideas to help out with this? Thanks in advance!

 

[jc1cell]

what have you done so far for your current setup. It would help in troubleshooting.

jc

 

[MikePro]

So you just need an extender?

 

[njshorts]

I can't offer any direct help, as I have no experience with SMC and google didn't provide many leads... But as a suggestion (if it won't work), we use a linksys WRT54G with DD-WRT. The Linksys option should cost ~20 bucks on ebay, flashing is simple and setup is so easy... well, you get it.

 

[tanneji]

I have done this in my house with Tomato ... I cant remember the steps but it wasnt too bad to do. I have an older ASUS g router that I put tomato on

 

[cgsigns_jamie]

I'd suggest using the DD-WRT firmware but I don't think SMC is supported.

How is the secondary router connected to the network now? I assume it's ethernet?

If the SMC is anything like Linksys routers, if you plug in the ethernet cable in one of the LAN ports (not the WAN) and ensure DHCP is turned off the wireless router should act more like a wireless switch. Shouldn't need anymore configuration.

If you're trying to use the router more as a repeater (extender), where the router connects to the network wirelessly, then you have a bit more setup ahead of you. That's where the DD-WRT firmware is so great, it literally take 2 minutes to setup because the firmware is so user friendly.

 

[HaroldDesign]

+1 Tomato

 

[jiarby]

I picked up a wrt54g v6 from the Goodwill store for $5.99, but it was 50% off day, so I paid $3..

Then came home and flashed it with DD-WRT and am using it as a bridge for my sublimation printers in the back room. (we have a Ricoh GX-7000 for color, and a HP 4050 Laser for B/W plates)

 

[choucove]

Thank you all for the input! First let me explain a couple more details that might help. So far what I did was to connect the second wireless router directly to the first wireless router using a Cat6 ethernet cable, plugged from one LAN port into another LAN port on each wireless router. I made sure that the new second wireless router had DHCP disabled, and that it had the information configured for the wireless connection (SSID and WPA2 password) but things still would not work quite right.

I think I'm down to just a simple matter of needing to configure some IP address information. All of our computers are configured with static IP addresses, but I believe there's still something else I'm missing!

 

[jiarby]

You have to tell the router it is an Access Point, not a router. It is acting as a stand alone router now, not as a partner to the 1st one.

Whether or not that is a function of your device is another thing.... that is why people have developed DD-WRT & Tomato. You can specify if the device is a router, a bridge, an access point, a print server... whatever you need.

 

[jtrainor56]

Take a look at this and see if it helps you...
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/11233

 

[signswi]

Tomato is the best but pretty much any wireless router will have an access point mode so it can be used like you're wanting. Log in to the backend (usually https://192.168.1.1) and put it into access point mode (check your manual).

 

[choucove]

The SMC router I have doesn't have an access point mode, necessarily, but I do believe I have found my problem. The link that Joe posted pointed out separate wireless channels, which I did not configure, so I will try that out once I can and see how that goes!