Can an access point work through a switch?

[BD2003]

I need to extend wireless to the other side of a house. I have the router on one side of the house, wired all the way with to a gigabit switch in my office on the other side. The wireless doesnt extend that far, but I need it to. Can I just connect the access point to the switch, or does it need to be directly wired to the router?

Also, my router is N 2.4ghz. I dont have any real interference problems. Is 5ghz worth it for me? Can I buy a 5ghz access point and have it all work seamlessly? I assume the access point has it's own SSID?

 

[BD2003]

Alternatively, what about something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DAP-152...7576034&sr=8-1

Could this serve as both the switch for wired connections in the office, and extend the wireless signal into my office and yard at the same time?

 

[zephxiii]

The router is a switch but with additional routing capability through the WAN port. Plugging the WAP into another switch on that LAN isn't any different than plugging it into the router which acts as a switch between other devices on the LAN.

If you are going to use multiple WAPs you'd normally want them to have the same SSID, security setup but on different channels (1, 6, or 11) so that they don't interfere with each other.

Dual band is best, but not going to do anything for you if your end devices don't have 5ghz.

 

[BD2003]

The router is a switch but with additional routing capability through the WAN port. Plugging the WAP into another switch on that LAN isn't any different than plugging it into the router which acts as a switch between other devices on the LAN.

If you are going to use multiple WAPs you'd normally want them to have the same SSID, security setup but on different channels (1, 6, or 11) so that they don't interfere with each other.

Dual band is best, but not going to do anything for you if your end devices don't have 5ghz.

Thanks. I'd like it to be as seamless as possible. So I can just set both up with the same SSID and security, then as far as the devices are concerned its all the same network it wont struggle to connect to the original AP if I move out of range of one and in to the other?

I have an ipad and iphone 4 which I believe support 5ghz, although Im certain my laptop is only 2.4ghz. My main router is 2.4ghz N. I assume the 5ghz would have its own SSID?

So simplest and most seamless solution would be 2.4ghz access point, same SSID and security?

 

[zephxiii]

Iphone4 doesn't support 5ghz, I hear the iPad does though. Either way getting 5ghz is future proofing etc.

Devices will typically connect to whatever WAP is strongest. When you move out of range of WAP 1 and closer to WAP 2, the device will eventually hop to WAP2.

Yes you want SSID to be the same as well as security (they have to be identical), but the channels must be different. on 2.4ghz you have a choice of 3 non overlapping channels: 1, 6, and 11. So if you have two WAPs then you'll want one on channel 1, and the other on channel 6 or 11.

I have 3 WAPs set up at work and it works great.

 

[JackMDS]

Do as posted above by zephxiii

The second Wireless Router should be configured thus way.

Using a Wireless Router as a switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html