Wireless Network Question

[Brainonska511]

I have a wireless router in my room to connect myself and my roommates to the net. My apartment is kind of long and the signal drops off a lot in the living room and near one of my roommates' room. If I got a 75ft cat5e cable and hooked another wireless router up to create a wireless access point at that end of the apartment, would I create problems for my network by having the second wireless point broadcast the same SSID and password as my existing router?

I'm interested in creating the first setup described here to make a wired access point for my WoW crazed roommate and a wireless access point for those hanging out in that part of the apartment.

Edit:
Overall, the network would look like this: wirelesssketch.JPG after the addition of the extra router. Currently, only the "blue" router is in place with no network cables leading away from it (beyond the one to the cable modem).

 

[JackMDS]

Change the transmission channel of the second AP to something else than the main Router.

If there is trouble change the SSID too.

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

 

[boomhower]

I agree. Try to keep the channels far apart to avoid interference. Most default to 6, change one of them to one. Consider your in an apartment you probably have several neighbors with networks as well and you would be suited to get them both off 6. There are a variety of of freeware you can download that will let you see what channels your neighbors are on.

 

[Eug]

Yeah, just shut off routing and DHCP server functionality on the second wireless router. I currently have 4 wireless routers in such a combined network... but only 1 is acting as a router and DHCP server. The other three are simply acting as access points and switches. (Those 4 units are all have wired connect connections to the network.) All four have the same SSID and password. Roaming from room to room is seamless.

P.S. The independent channels are 1, 6, and 11. However, correct me if I'm wrong, leaving both on 6 would actually be better than having one on 5 and the other on 6. Having them on 1 and 6 would be preferable, but if they're both locked to 6 it's not the end of the world.

 

[Brainonska511]

I'm not really worried about interfering wireless signals; the few that reach me are not very strong.

This wasn't something I was planning on doing right away (or at all); just curious on how I would go about setting it up if I decided to implement it (and if my WoW crazed roommate ever bought a 100ft cable to hook directly into the main router instead of using the wireless (though, it isn't the wireless that's the problem, it's the Comcast being really crappy at certain hours of the day).

 

[boomhower]

Eug: You are on the correct tract. 1 and 11 are the only ones seperate from the rest. 1-10 can all overlap(for lack of a better term) each other. Basically there is a pretty significant differnence between 1 and 2 as well as 10 and 11. More so than from 2 to 10.

 

[Brainonska511]

PS, anyone have a recommendation for a cheap router to serve as an access point (or one to take over the functions of my WRT54G v8.2 with dd-wrt which I can then turn into the access point instead)?

 

[ScottMac]

Originally posted by: boomhower
Eug: You are on the correct tract. 1 and 11 are the only ones seperate from the rest. 1-10 can all overlap(for lack of a better term) each other. Basically there is a pretty significant differnence between 1 and 2 as well as 10 and 11. More so than from 2 to 10.

Channels 1 and 11 can still catch interference from the adjacent channels (2-4 for channel 1 and 8-10 for channel 11 ... think 2.5 "channels" each way).

The channel spacing is only 5Mhz apart, but the bandwidth used is ~25Mhz wide. In addition, there are "guard bands" at each end to permit the full spectrum for channels 1 and 11. The "channel numbers" are the center of the allocated bandwidth for the channel. The guard bands cover the spectrum above channel 11 and below channel 1 (in the USA) to reduce interference from other stuff (and prevent interference into other bands).

Channels 1, 6, and 11 are called "non-overlapping" only because if you *ONLY* use those channels, they will not interfere with each other ... if you have three APs and they all use channels within a couple channels of each other, they will interfere, even if they are channels 1, 6, and 11.

If you are using 1 and/or 6 and/or 11 and your neighbor (close enough for RF visibility) is using one of the adjacent channels, you are interfering with each other.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
PS, anyone have a recommendation for a cheap router to serve as an access point (or one to take over the functions of my WRT54G v8.2 with dd-wrt which I can then turn into the access point instead)?

YMMV, but along with my existing wireless 802.11g router, I am using three TrendNET TEW-432BRP units to serve as dumb 802.11g access points/switches.

I bought these because in this mode (with routing turned off), they are very stable, and I bought them for $20 each on sale.

I have three of the four 802.11g units on channels 1, 6, and 11. The fourth one is on Channel 6, but I rarely use that one.

 

[boomhower]

Originally posted by: ScottMac

Originally posted by: boomhower
Eug: You are on the correct tract. 1 and 11 are the only ones seperate from the rest. 1-10 can all overlap(for lack of a better term) each other. Basically there is a pretty significant differnence between 1 and 2 as well as 10 and 11. More so than from 2 to 10.

Channels 1 and 11 can still catch interference from the adjacent channels (2-4 for channel 1 and 8-10 for channel 11 ... think 2.5 "channels" each way).

The channel spacing is only 5Mhz apart, but the bandwidth used is ~25Mhz wide. In addition, there are "guard bands" at each end to permit the full spectrum for channels 1 and 11. The "channel numbers" are the center of the allocated bandwidth for the channel. The guard bands cover the spectrum above channel 11 and below channel 1 (in the USA) to reduce interference from other stuff (and prevent interference into other bands).

Channels 1, 6, and 11 are called "non-overlapping" only because if you *ONLY* use those channels, they will not interfere with each other ... if you have three APs and they all use channels within a couple channels of each other, they will interfere, even if they are channels 1, 6, and 11.

If you are using 1 and/or 6 and/or 11 and your neighbor (close enough for RF visibility) is using one of the adjacent channels, you are interfering with each other.

And I learn something new everyday, thanks.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
PS, anyone have a recommendation for a cheap router to serve as an access point (or one to take over the functions of my WRT54G v8.2 with dd-wrt which I can then turn into the access point instead)?

The cheapst Routers go for $29.99.

So for extra $10 you can get this which is far more better than the cheappos, and the WRT-54Gv8.

ASUS WL-520gU IEEE 802.3/3u/3x, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless Router.($39.99 after rebate).

Very Good choice for 802.11g (Excellent when flashed with DD-WRT).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833320023

 

[Brainonska511]

Thanks everyone.

I'm not sure if I'll implement this yet, but if I do, at least I know what I would need to do.

 

[Brainonska511]

I just purchased the Asus WL-520gu off Newegg. I'm going to install Tomato on it when it comes (don't really care if the USB port works or not) since from what I've been reading, the QoS features in Tomato work much better than those in DD-WRT. I've also had it with my shitty WRT54Gv8.2 router (even with DD-WRT); I'll either turn it into an access point, a wireless bridge, or just sell it on my school's local craigslist-style marketplace.

 

[JackMDS]

The 3rd party firmware can compensate for Sh**y Stock firmware, but for Sh**y Hardware.

The reason to why many of us suggest the Asus WL-520gu is because its Hardware is better than any of the Linksys' including the WRT54GL.

However the WRT54GL is far superior to the v8.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
The 3rd party firmware can compensate for Sh**y Stock firmware, but for Sh**y Hardware.

The reason to why many of us suggest the Asus WL-520gu is because its Hardware is better than any of the Linksys' including the WRT54GL.

However the WRT54GL is far superior to the v8.

Yeah. I had just grabbed the v8.2 without thinking back in June to have something for my apartment. It was fine over the summer with just myself and one other person, but now with 5 people total using the router, it just isn't working out so well.