How to combine standalone router with hotspot without bridging?

[gokureturns67]

So, I have a Plex Media Server and I'm losing internet tomorrow. I am getting an unlimited data plan to use as a hotspot, and I've already figured out how to uses WiFi and Ethernet at the same time on Windows 10, so I'll still have internet and Plex. The problem is, for other people in the house, their PCs don't have wireless functionality. We could buy WiFi cards/USBs and I could repeat the WiFi + Ethernet on separate connections with their computers, but we'd have to wait several weeks to buy those since we're broke. That said, would there be a way to combine my standalone router with my hotspot? Their computers are both connected via Ethernet to the router. Ex: Having the router manage packets from the hotspot, so we could be connected to the router and still have internet. The problem is, I don't want to make my router a bridge since hotspot wireless signals are very weak - and should the hotspot turn off or lose range (I live in an apt, lots of wireless interference) I think it would be a pain to reboot the bridge every time I left the house for five minutes and came back. Now that I think of it, no matter what I did, that would happen... But, I'd still like to do this, since Plex is already set up through my router - and it's possible on hotspots, the port it uses would be closed.



Ideas?

 

[bill001g]

First your router must have a special bridge mode called "client" which many do not.

Not sure how you expect the router to work if you do not put it in bridge mode. It MUST use its wireless radios to talk to the hotspot...how else would it connect if yo do not let it use wireless. If the signal is not strong enough that is a different issue, even local cards in the pc would have issues if you do not have enough signal.

Read the fine print on your contract. Most so called "unlimited" plans have some form of limit when you are running in tethered/hotspot mode. Some have a fixed limit other degrade the server depending on traffic.

 

[gokureturns67]

First your router must have a special bridge mode called "client" which many do not.

Not sure how you expect the router to work if you do not put it in bridge mode. It MUST use its wireless radios to talk to the hotspot...how else would it connect if yo do not let it use wireless. If the signal is not strong enough that is a different issue, even local cards in the pc would have issues if you do not have enough signal.

Read the fine print on your contract. Most so called "unlimited" plans have some form of limit when you are running in tethered/hotspot mode. Some have a fixed limit other degrade the server depending on traffic.

Well, that is why I was asking. I can't exactly run my Plex Media Server on the hotspot network. I predict there will be issues, and it's not my network that I own to begin with. I don't have permission, and I don't think they'll grant it to me. Also, I have no idea if I can even run my Plex Media Server when my router is in bridge mode. To respond to your statement about the WiFi cards not having enough range, everyone in the house will have their own hotspot that they will use when they are at their computer, so that's not an issue. It's also not as much of a hassle as the bridge option, since Windows 10 will automatically reconnect to known networks. With the bridge option, all PCs will always be connected, but may drop connection frequently.

 

[markjarbour]

If your Internet Source is a WIFI hotspot , you can always go in your adapters settings and use ICS, Share your wifi connected device through your Ethernet card , that would be going out to your routers port , then you can use the router as a Switch to share the connections to the other ports/wifi. that shoult grant you Internet to your Router, Keep in mind the PC you are using to give the router Internet access will not show up in the network that your other computers are connected to via YOUR router. so make sure the pc you use to connect to the net/ share to the router does not need to be visible to your other PC's for file sharing.

I hope this is what you are asking , if not sorry and discard.

Thanks

 

[gokureturns67]

My Plex Media Server is on my main PC that I use daily, so that won't work. But, that will be very useful information when I need it, so I'll remember that! Thanks!


Now that I think about it, if I use someone else's PC (of which Plex is never accessed on) and gave my USB Wi-Fi Adapter to it and do what you said above, then that would give that person and everyone else, including me, internet access without disconnecting my Plex Media Server from my router.

I actually don't know much about what a switch is, or how it works/how to set it up, but I'll be researching it tonight, and once I test if this DOES work, I'll pick your answer as the solution. Until then, I'm open for more answers!