Wireless Router / Access Suggestions

[Tazman]

Bear with me if some of this sounds stupid .

Before I continue, I'm "assuming" an access point gives you the ability to extend a current wireless network without hardwiring. Am I right / wrong?

I have a client that wants to setup a 54G wireless network. There will not be any 802.11b NICs on it.

My questions are:

1. What is the best "real world" 54G wireless router within a reasonable price? By "real world" I mean download / upload speeds and signal strength @ 100' unobstructed distance.

2. Which routers allows for access points?

3. I'm not sure this is possible (never tried this before) but can I set the router up, find the point where the signal starts to drop, install an access point there and boost the signal another 100'?

I've been reading reveiws for the past few months on the 54G routers but I need opinions from people who have actually used them. I setup a Belkin 54G router for a customer a few weeks ago and had the worst luck gettting it to work. I wound up replacing it with a Netgear 54G router and it worked fine .

What is the difficulty level of setting up the router, and say, 5 access points, and getting it to play nice?

Opinions, comments, linkage welcomed!

TIA!

Mike

Before I continue, I'm "assuming" an access point gives you the ability to extend a current wireless network without hardwiring. Am I right / wrong?

access points give the ability to add wireless networks to hardwired networks. Some accesspoints can be used as repeaters for wireless networks but in most cases i have seen wireless routers are used as repeaters

1. What is the best "real world" 54G wireless router within a reasonable price? By "real world" I mean download / upload speeds and signal strength @ 100' unobstructed distance.

G is still pretty new but linksys and d-link make some awsome wireless products in mind for home and small business

2. Which routers allows for access points?

im not sure what you mean? access points plug right into an open port of a router

3. I'm not sure this is possible (never tried this before) but can I set the router up, find the point where the signal starts to drop, install an access point there and boost the signal another 100'?

yes like i said above some accesspoints can be set to be used as a repeater to strengthen the signal. routers can be used as repeaters also

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials...le.php/1571601

I've been reading reveiws for the past few months on the 54G routers but I need opinions from people who have actually used them. I setup a Belkin 54G router for a customer a few weeks ago and had the worst luck gettting it to work. I wound up replacing it with a Netgear 54G router and it worked fine .

What is the difficulty level of setting up the router, and say, 5 access points, and getting it to play nice?

will the setup be like this?

router-->ap1---ap2---ap3----ap4---ap5 ?

or have like a star topology?

[Tazman]

Thanks GZ3 .

I guess I was confuzed with the access point / repeaters .

I got snooping around this morning and read a reveiw at Toms on a Buffalo Repeater . I have always stuck to D-Link and Linksys routers but that Buffalo router, repeater offer more of what I'm looking for. The downfall is that it doesn't offer 1000mbs as does the Netgear.

From that link (great link ), I picked up the point not to go overboard with repeaters and to use access points where it's possible. I'm glad I read that because I had to rethink the setup. I planned on a star topology with one router to feed some 7 repeaters. I would guess that wouldn't be a good idea. I think I'll do with three access points and 2-3 repeaters to make it work.

Mike

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wireless-network.htm

more great reading

7 repeaters

[skelk]

I am stuck on the exact same problem. I want to set up a wifi network in a rural area for a public community project. I hope to use 54g because of the benefit in speed, but I cannot find suitable equipment for the job. I want to use Linksys equipment, but on their website, the only equipment able to act as a wireless repeater is 802.11b which does not help!!! Their technical support docs keep saying that the WAP11 can do this. BUT I WANT 54G!!! I have the same problem searching via other vendors.

I want one central access point, probably the WRT54g (all in one wonder device) and just have two repeaters at each side of the village to extend the connection to the few that struggle. Sounds easy eh? Well. The devices will only work in one mode, Access Point mode, or bridge. If they are acting as a bridge then I can extend the network, but would need another device then to be the Access Point. This seems a really convoluted way to go about things when the technology is available for 802.11b.

Maybe I am getting things totally out of sync in my head, but all of the tutorials are for 11b.... just try searching on google for 54g and repeater and see what you find! The linksys website is no use!!!

Any help would be really appreciated, as this is a community project. If this is not possible then I will have to use 11b... but I want to make sure.

if linksys is not the answer, what about d-link or buffalo 54g? Do they have anything that can act as a repeater for 802.11g ?

[Tazman]

skelk -

Welcome to TechIMO!

After GroundZero3 fixed me on the definition of a repeater / access, I did my digging.

I assume that you are like me and want to stick to the name brand (D-Link / Linksys, etc.), the best I have read up on is the Buffalo - see the stuff here .

Why would I go away from the trusted names? From what I see and have read, Buffalo is the only one offering all of the extras I require.

The only problem is the PCI adapters with the external antennas are back ordered all over the net . Everything else to set up the network is available now.

Check out the specs on Buffalo and let me know what ya think.

Mike

skelk G is pretty new so i would wait a bit before they start rolling out the products to be used as repeaters for G wireless networks.