[SOLVED] Question about Repeaters/Extenders

TwinDenis

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May 8, 2014
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Hi, I recently had a device that demands ethernet cable to operate for an office however the router is located in a totally different floor and there are no telephone lines on that particular place, I was told to purchase a repeater to cover this, I would like to ask how do they work and if I can use them for that purpose.
Specifically I was looking at TL-WA860RE or similar, I would like to ask if they get the signal from the wi-fi of my router and feed it through ethernet to the device.
The product description on the online store were a bit vague so I didn't know if this was the right purchase for this need.
Thanks.
 
Solution
This is not what I was looking for, I want to connect the repeater with ethernet to feed the signal to the device via ethernet the, I do not care to have wi-fi on that floor,
That device claims that it can be configured as a WIFI client (client bridge as @bill001g said).
You would configure the device to RECEIVE WIFI and provide that network to ethernet devices. That is a client bridge.
Yes you could configure the device I linked as an access point. But the specifications say it can be configured as a client.
Look at page 8 in the manual -- https://static.tp-link.com/2020/202001/20200107/1910012719_TL-WA901N_UG_REV6.0.0.pdf
What you actually want is called a client-bridge. These used to be very common when tv and game consoles only had ethernet and no wifi.
Now days they are hard to find because so called "extenders" can do that function. You need to check that it has that ability but most do. The only real difference is when you run it in client-bridge mode it does not retransmit the signal like it does when it runs as a wifi repeater

The only gotcha you have to be some what careful of is to run as a repeater it uses a function called WDS. This many times is disabled on the router or must be configured. You do no actually need WDS since that is really only used when you have mulitple devices (ie mac addresses) behind. You only have 1 so you do not need that feature. Key will be making sure if WDS is not active on the router that your "extender" runs in simple client bridge mode.

I would have to read the manual for you to say anything about that device. If you can't find something ubiquiti outdoor bridge devices I know can do it and much more. I suspect though that the device you list will work.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
Hi, I recently had a device that demands ethernet cable to operate for an office however the router is located in a totally different floor and there are no telephone lines on that particular place, I was told to purchase a repeater to cover this, I would like to ask how do they work and if I can use them for that purpose.
Specifically I was looking at TL-WA860RE or similar, I would like to ask if they get the signal from the wi-fi of my router and feed it through ethernet to the device.
The product description on the online store were a bit vague so I didn't know if this was the right purchase for this need.
Thanks.
I wouldn't recommend that type device. It may require WPS to establish the link.
A device like this -- https://www.tp-link.com/us/business-networking/desktop-access-point/tl-wa901n can act as a WIFI client.
To get optimum signal up/down between floors, you might end up putting so the antennas are horizontal rather than vertical.
 

TwinDenis

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May 8, 2014
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I wouldn't recommend that type device. It may require WPS to establish the link.
A device like this -- https://www.tp-link.com/us/business-networking/desktop-access-point/tl-wa901n can act as a WIFI client.
To get optimum signal up/down between floors, you might end up putting so the antennas are horizontal rather than vertical.
This is not what I was looking for, I want to connect the repeater with ethernet to feed the signal to the device via ethernet the, I do not care to have wi-fi on that floor,
Since getting a very long ethernet cable is out of the question I have to find another way.

What you actually want is called a client-bridge. These used to be very common when tv and game consoles only had ethernet and no wifi.
...
I would have to read the manual for you to say anything about that device. If you can't find something ubiquiti outdoor bridge devices I know can do it and much more. I suspect though that the device you list will work.
Does this mean I can just use an extender and cover the need like that?
Does the extender send the received signal back to and via the ethernet cable to my device?
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
This is not what I was looking for, I want to connect the repeater with ethernet to feed the signal to the device via ethernet the, I do not care to have wi-fi on that floor,
That device claims that it can be configured as a WIFI client (client bridge as @bill001g said).
You would configure the device to RECEIVE WIFI and provide that network to ethernet devices. That is a client bridge.
Yes you could configure the device I linked as an access point. But the specifications say it can be configured as a client.
Look at page 8 in the manual -- https://static.tp-link.com/2020/202001/20200107/1910012719_TL-WA901N_UG_REV6.0.0.pdf
 
Solution

TwinDenis

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May 8, 2014
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That device claims that it can be configured as a WIFI client (client bridge as @bill001g said).
You would configure the device to RECEIVE WIFI and provide that network to ethernet devices. That is a client bridge.
Yes you could configure the device I linked as an access point. But the specifications say it can be configured as a client.
Look at page 8 in the manual -- https://static.tp-link.com/2020/202001/20200107/1910012719_TL-WA901N_UG_REV6.0.0.pdf
ok good but wouldnt the same thing be possible with this though as well?
https://www.tp-link.com/gr/home-networking/range-extender/tl-wa860re/
If so, how is it typically configured?
Thanks

PS: The manual link is not working here.
Oh also, if both the main router (provided by ISP) and the device I want to connect with ethernet happen to be in the same telephone line, can this be an alternative workaround? If so, how?
 
Last edited:

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
ok good but wouldnt the same thing be possible with this though as well?
https://www.tp-link.com/gr/home-networking/range-extender/tl-wa860re/
If so, how is it typically configured?
Thanks

PS: The manual link is not working here.
I guess TP-Link doesn't like linking their PDFs. Here is the same manual in their web format -- https://www.tp-link.com/us/user-guides/tl-wa901n_v6/chapter-2-connect-the-hardware
Paragraph 2.3
Could the 860re do it? Maybe. It doesn't specifically identify a client mode.
Is this a commercial setting or home setting? I am not a fan of using home products in commercial settings. The requirements are so different between the two situations.
 

TwinDenis

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I guess TP-Link doesn't like linking their PDFs. Here is the same manual in their web format -- https://www.tp-link.com/us/user-guides/tl-wa901n_v6/chapter-2-connect-the-hardware
Paragraph 2.3
Could the 860re do it? Maybe. It doesn't specifically identify a client mode.
Is this a commercial setting or home setting? I am not a fan of using home products in commercial settings. The requirements are so different between the two situations.
nothing too commercial to be honest, it is not a big company or anything if that is a concern, there are not high risk factors to consider or anything like that.

I will repost this:
if both the main router (provided by ISP) and the device I want to connect with ethernet happen to be in the same telephone line, can this be an alternative workaround? If so, how?
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
nothing too commercial to be honest, it is not a big company or anything if that is a concern, there are not high risk factors to consider or anything like that.

I will repost this:
if both the main router (provided by ISP) and the device I want to connect with ethernet happen to be in the same telephone line, can this be an alternative workaround? If so, how?
No. Only one modem per phone line. To share it needs to be ethernet or WIFI.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
In the tp-link website it says about "TL-WA860RE" that "Besides, it could act as a wireless adapter to connect wired devices like Blu-ray® players, gaming consoles, DVRs and Internet TVs."
Doesn't mean that it can do what I need?
All I can say is maybe. I didn't see the words that make me comfortable in the manual. It isn't the device I would buy.
You seem to have your mind made up. Good luck.
 

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