How to make secondary router send out same signal as modem/router combo

[davebth777]

I have a modem/router combo that was provided by my ISP and I recently bought powerline adapters since that modem/router is on the third floor and I'm going to move this second router I have down to the first floor. I know that I can set the second router into AP mode, but the problem with that is, I heard that even if I set the AP's SSID and password the same as my first modem/router's SSID and password, that laptops and other mobile devices will switch between the networks when the signal gets low, but also on the first floor I have a wireless printer, and I would like to print to it with my desktop which is on the third floor, and I heard that since it is technically two separate networks, it won't detect my printer. Is this true?

 

[bill001g]

If you run as a AP it is all one network. The SSID switching does not work as well as most people would like. It tends to only switch when the signal is unusable. You could be connected to one router/ap walk over and place your device on the other router/ap and it will not switch unless it thinks the first signal can not be used at all.

Still the switching is almost impossible to even do if you were to use the second device as a router and had a different IP block on it.

It should work fine the way you plan and your printer should be able to be shared. Generally if you use the same SSID or different ones is a personal preference thing. I tend to like different SSID so I rather than the stupid PC can control which radio it is connecting to.

In a corporate environment there are actual special pc clients you can load that let the AP work with the end devices to do a better job of switching.

 

[JoakimL]

No, if you put the second router in AP mode it will still be the same network as the other router. Look in the manual for your router for instructions on how to set it up as an AP.