[Mitesh]

I have 2 wireless routers - a Netgear DG834G v4 and a ZyXEL P660HW. I dont know anything about bridging or repeating, other then what my teacher has told me - both routers must have firmware that supports it and briding means that each device that wants to connect to the differnet routers have to connect to a different router and cannot connect to each router whenever as they have to have differnet SSID's unlike with repeating apparently this is seamless - both the routers have the same SSID and any device can use any of the routers and will select the router with the strongest signal thus allowing any device to seamlessly connect to any of the routers. What is the difference between bridging and repeating? Do both of these routers support it?

What I am trying to achieve is as follows:
'Master' Router 1 (whichever router is better - I dont know which one has the better speification - if you know please do tell!) - will go downstairs because that is where the master socket is - atm I am running the net off 2 phone extensions - ie there is one extension then 1 off that then it goes to the router. It will provide excellent ground level coverage (thats the idea anyway).

'Slave' Router 2 - Will go in my room upstairs providing coverage upstairs.

Both I believe are G routers - they have rather bad coverage signal strength wise. Should I consider replacing the anttenas - or making a 'cantenna'?

Now from router 1 I hope to run 2 ethernet cables 1 for this PC (family PC) which is located upstairs in the living room; and the other cable to my room into router 2 which is I believe how a bridge or repeat is setup??? Apparently then I dont need a phone line for the second router. I may consider running a 3rd ethernet cable solely for the PS3 if the signal is too shoddy form my room to the living room (about 6-7 meters in a straight line with 2 solid brick walls in between - well due to the layout its kinda 3 walls).

How can I go about doing this and can I based ont he routers I have? I want both the PC's to have direct ethernet connection to the internet as I find that wireless is tempremental and I dont want to have to buy a special wireless adapter for this PC (it doesnt have any wireless capabilities nor does my PC) and seeing as I have another router lying around I want to make the most of my resources. Should it come to that I may just get a switch but I want to make use of the second ZxYEL router.

Many thanks in advance

[Advertisements]

well...first...if you're already running ethernet upstairs...why worry about having the wireless upstairs? if everything that's connecting upstairs is in the same place just run one ethernet cable up the wall and put in a cheap switch to wire up everything upstairs

if you're still set on there being wireless upstairs then yes...you'll have to set ONE of the routers in "access point mode" if it's capable...from experience i doubt the zyxel has the capability...the netgear probably does....at any rate log in to the admin console of each and look for "access point mode" or "wireless bridge mode"....basically this turns the router into an access point...which is basically a wireless switch (as it removes all routing functions)....

as to the ability to roam across connection points...if you set the SSIDs exactly the same as well as the access code...then you can "sort of" roam seamlessly....there might be a couple of seconds where the connection would drop...but your wireless application on the computer/device can switch between connections if it's set up to automatically connect to the networks when they're in range

[dsenette]

well...first...if you're already running ethernet upstairs...why worry about having the wireless upstairs? if everything that's connecting upstairs is in the same place just run one ethernet cable up the wall and put in a cheap switch to wire up everything upstairs

if you're still set on there being wireless upstairs then yes...you'll have to set ONE of the routers in "access point mode" if it's capable...from experience i doubt the zyxel has the capability...the netgear probably does....at any rate log in to the admin console of each and look for "access point mode" or "wireless bridge mode"....basically this turns the router into an access point...which is basically a wireless switch (as it removes all routing functions)....

as to the ability to roam across connection points...if you set the SSIDs exactly the same as well as the access code...then you can "sort of" roam seamlessly....there might be a couple of seconds where the connection would drop...but your wireless application on the computer/device can switch between connections if it's set up to automatically connect to the networks when they're in range