ok wireless workarounds, help?

[joseph_nix]

ok, i have a NETGEAR MR814 router, recently flashed to the v2 firmware (probably totally trivial as to the situation) and i have 3 wireless USB devices (one MS and a NG MA-101 and a NG MA-111). my question is, without an access point being purchased i want to extend the network, the MS adapter and the MA-101 are well within range of the router, but the MA-111 is only in range of the MA-101, so i can see the "infrastructure" network but can't connect to it , can i grab the signal from the MA-101 with the 111? is this even possible, or do i have to buy an AP to extend the range of my network?

[kwebb]

You don't have to buy an AP to extend your coverage. Assuming your AP has detachable antennas you can always buy higher gain ones. That may solve your problem. Buying a second AP is the better choice usually, as long as you can get a cat5 run to it without too much hassle. Infrastructure = CLient associates to AP. Ad Hoc = Client associates to client. No mixture of the two. Well you could, but they would be on thier own segmented networks.

[joseph_nix]

doh! ok, i bought a siemens 2521 AP.

i was under the impression that i could just set it up on the same SSID, plug it in, and it'd repeat the networks' signal, is this wrong?

i really want to know if i can connect this w/o wires, or if i need to invest in something more robust like a wireless network bridge or something. this is really silly, my router and the AP (it's a "powerline" product) are both set to the same SSID, so the only way differentiate is by MAC address, or i suppose i could just unplug the AP. sorry, off on a tangent there....

so is this possible? did i just flush $35? or can i put this AP on my network without wiring it to the router?

please please please, i am SOOOOO close to getting cable internet in my OWN bedroom, this just HAS to be possible with all the networking crap i've bought in the last 3 months.....

[kwebb]

SPecs on that AP didn't mention a repeater function. You'd need to look at the configuration interface or perhaps contact Siemens Speedstream directly. I doubt it will though. Only two SOHO AP's with a repeater mode currently, at least that I am aware of, are D-Links and Linksys.

[joseph_nix]

some how by the grace of gosh, and gosh willing, i speak to you now over cable... seems the power on the MA111 is a bit higher than that of the MA101, cause i got 50% signal, without adding an acceess point or anything. it seems to be sort of intermittent @ times, i suppose depending on humidity/air temp/etc, but at night it's clean 11mbps

i'm looking into buying a ME 101, netgears' repeater, just to be on the safe side, but i'm SOOO happy, thanks for the wisdom and such

cheers