Question Using a second router as a extender/access point?

[austay666]

I am connected to the internet from the modem/router my ISP gave me and it seems the wireless signal isnt the best so Im trying to connect a second router I have. The router/modem is all in one so i cant just connect the 2nd router to the modem and call it good.

I followed instructions from https://www.wikihow.com/Connect-One-Router-to-Another-to-Expand-a-Network.

Have DHCP enabled on the main router and disabled on the second. I also changed the IP so that the first 3 sets are the same and changed the last number. Also the ssid and pw is the same and connected LAN to LAN per the instructions.

My question now is how do i know what I did worked? When i connect I see 1 ssid and looking at the IP looks like the original router. How can i know if the 2nd router is even working and the settings I put work at all? THanks in advance!

 

[kanewolf]

Start by having a unique SSID. Use that for testing. If all works, including a wired connection from the access point, then change the SSID to match. There is no guarantee that devices will smoothly roam between the WIFI sources. That is strictly under the device control.

 

[austay666]

I just realized I can get into the 2nd router setup page by going to its IP wirelesssly. Would that be an indicator its workin?

 

[austay666]

Also, is there a way to do this wirelessly without connecting a cable from router 1 to 2? For ex. If i have router 2 in a different room that picks up a good signal next to a room that doesnt, can I connect the router wireless since I dont have a long enough cable?

 

[kanewolf]

Also, is there a way to do this wirelessly without connecting a cable from router 1 to 2? For ex. If i have router 2 in a different room that picks up a good signal next to a room that doesnt, can I connect the router wireless since I dont have a long enough cable?

Unknown, but most routers don't support wireless extender mode. What is the model of router you are trying to use as an access point?

 

[kanewolf]

I just realized I can get into the 2nd router setup page by going to its IP wirelesssly. Would that be an indicator its workin?

The only way to be sure is to either disable wireless on your primary router so that only the access point is available or change the SSID on the AP and connect to it. If your WIFI device has full internet access and can access the admin pages of your primary router then it is working as desired.

 

[austay666]

The only way to be sure is to either disable wireless on your primary router so that only the access point is available or change the SSID on the AP and connect to it. If your WIFI device has full internet access and can access the admin pages of your primary router then it is working as desired.

So i was able to disable wireless on the primary router and found the ssid in the network list and was able to connect to it successfully.

 

[hackster]

Remember that buying a wifi extender that's designed to do the job is not a huge outlay, you should be looking at around 20-30 of whatever currency units you use!

Depending on what router you already have, you may even be able to sell it for more than a new extender would cost.

 

[kanewolf]

So i was able to disable wireless on the primary router and found the ssid in the network list and was able to connect to it successfully.

Then I would say your old router was successfully converted to an access point.

 

[hackster]

As a neater alternative, if the preferred router is also a modem, it may be possible to get it to connect directly to the ISP and remove the ISP's provided modem/router completely.

This may involve copying across a few settings and/or cloning the MAC address of the provided modem, depending on how fussy the ISP is. It may also mean that they grumble and/or don't want to offer support if you ever have a connection problem, in which case you'd need to swap back to theirs until whatever issue is resolved.

I never used an ISP's own modem in all the time I used a wired connection.