Could you hook up a wireless router to a laptop as a wireless adapter

[bobbyrln28]

i have a verizon fios actiontec router. which everyone knows the range on that sucks. i did bridge a linksys router to extend the range but it wasnt much better and now theres a cable thats an eye sore and in the way. my question is could i take the linksys router and hook it up to a laptop and use it like an network adapter. cause the wireless on the laptop sucks to
thanks

 

[eibgrad]

If the linksys router supports either dd-wrt or tomato third party firmware, you could configure it as a wireless ethernet bridge, which essentially converts it into a wireless client adapter. You just need to check the model and version number of the Linksys router against the the dd-wrt or tomato compatible lists.

 

[bobbyrln28]

thanks for the info, so its possible? thats great. i appreciate it. but im not really good at this. so how do i check that? its a linksys wireless g broadband router with speed booster. model wrt54g. essentially i just want it to connect to the laptop without interfering with the fios signal.

 

[bobbyrln28]

ok, i just checked and it does support dd-wrt i believe. now which port do i plug into and is it as simple as plug and play? or do i have to configure it etc?

 

[eibgrad]

You believe? You better be SURE or you'll brick the router! It has to match the compatibility list for make, model, and revision.

You have to follow the directions at dd-wrt for installation (and no, it's not plug and play). You're basically going to reset the router to defaults, connect to the router using a wired connection over a LAN port, and install the firmware update. The firmware update can be a bit tricky depending on the make/model of router. Once dd-wrt is installed, you then configure the router as a wireless ethernet bridge (aka, "client bridge" under wireless setup).

So first things first, locate your Linksys router (make, model, revision) using the dd-wrt database. Select your revision and follow the link. You’ll see “Additional Information “ and a link to the wiki for that dd-wrt install. Follow the directions. If it seems a bit overwhelming, or you just get lost (a lot is assumed about your networking knowledge), come back here and ask questions (and provide the revision # so we know which wiki is applicable).

If you only need a client bridge, it’s possible tomato is also supported and might suffice (some ppl find it easier to install and configure).