Sharing the wireless connection using the ethernet and then a second router

[tiagocs]

Hi, I'm sorry if I use the wrong terms, I'm very ignorant in the subject.

What I'm trying to do is the following:

1) I have a router that connects to the internet and them distributes it through its wifi.

2) I have a iMac connected to this wifi. I configured it to share its wifi connection through the ethernet cable.

3) I have a second router (RTA-04N1T1R) without internet connection, which I connected to the iMac through the ethernet cable and I want it to redistribute the internet through its wifi. But this isn't working

I've attached a drawing of what I want to happen

thanks!

 

[mbreslin1954]

The drawing didn't come through. Why do you need two routers each sharing their wifi signal? Instead of tethering your second wifi router to your iMac via an Ethernet cable, why not just make it a wireless access point (AP) to the first router? Your Internet signal is coming to the iMac via wireless anyway, why not just let that wireless signal from the first router come directly to the second? Then the second router can re-broadcast it from where it is. I assume you're doing this because of coverage issues?

 

[tiagocs]

Yes, that's the reason. And that's a good alternative. I didn't know I could make my second router access the wireless signal of the first and re-broadcast it. Could you explain the procedure?

 

[SirSub42]

tiagocs can you please post the model of your router if you want specific instructions on how to configure your second router as a wireless repeater. A second option can be found here. This option may be a bit advanced and/or impossible depending on what kind of router you are using, but if you are up for a project, I would say go for it.

Back to the topic at hand, the easiest way to set up your second router as an access point is to disable DHCP on the second router, and setting the IP address to 192.168.1.2 (rather than the default 192.168.1.1 routers are usually set to). Your first router will still have the IP address 192.168.1.1, so we change this in order to not have two units with the same IP address. You will also need to configure the first router so that the DHCP does not attempt to assign the 192.168.1.2 address. You can not connect the two routers together via an ethernet cable, plugging each end into one of the "LAN" ports rather than the "WAN/Internet" port. This setup allows the traffic which may come from any device connected to the second router to be able to access the internet via the first router.

One last option is your router may have a built in option similar to the setup on DD-WRT (The url I provided up top) where you can simply select the "Wireless Repeater" option in your default setup screen on your router. Once again this would depend on the specific model you are using, so if you can provide that information, we can narrow these options down a bit to determine the easiest for you.

Hope this helps and best of luck with your endeavors. - Sub

 

[tiagocs]

Hi, Sub. Thanks for the reply.

The router I'm trying to use as a repeater is a RTA-04N1T1R by baytec http://

The original router is a TD5130v2 by technicolor.

I can use the first as the source and the second as the repeater, but the RTA seems to have more options to configure.

I've already changed it's IP to 192.168.1.2 and disabled DHCP in it. But I can't find a "Wireless repeater" option anywhere in it.

 

[SirSub42]

So I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I do not believe what you want to accomplish is possible with your current hardware. Both of your routers are not compatible with DD-WRT, and neither has a built in repeater option. You have two options from here. Locate and purchase a router with either built in repeater functions or DD-WRT compatible. Or you can purchase what is known as a "Wireless Extender" which is basically just a dedicated wireless repeater. Either of these options will connect directly to the first router's wireless access point and extend the physical size of the network's reach.

Sorry this didn't work out as we had hoped, but there is still the possibility I am wrong in my understanding and someone else will come along and correct me. Until then, best of luck to ya. - Sub

*Edit* On second thought, how close is your second router to your first one? Would you be capable of connecting the two with an ethernet cord with each end connected to a lan port on the router? If you can, try that and see if the second router boosts the first's network.

 

[tiagocs]

well... thanks anyway...
I wanted to improve my coverage without having to spend more or cross my house with cables. It's not that I need everywhere to have internet access, but it would be nice.

I've tried using the second router to boost the first but noticed no change... the signal was reaching a little further but no page would load when in that "extra coverage".

 

[mbreslin1954]

You need one of these, which will connect wirelessly with your primary router, then just extend the signal to areas that aren't reached by the original, primary router.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833127487