wireless brige to extend wifi signal

[Trurl]

I have about 500 ft through 2 house walls to send a Wifi signal. I am using an antenna and the signal ranges from about 20 to 30 percent as long as the computer is by the window.

 

My question is how do you attempt to set one router to act as a bridge and pick up the signal of the main rounter? I have set the channels the same, the WEP the same. But I haven't detected the main router on the second router. How do I be sure the routers are communicating? And will building this network give me a stronger signal?

 

Thanks,

Trurl

[JesuBungle]

I'm kinda rusty on my network setups, but I remember hearing that 2 wireless access points cannot be linked except by ethernet cable. But there are things called wireless repeaters that you might try looking into. Actually now that I think of it, there are access points with a repeater mode built in. What model are you using btw?

 

EDIT: I was looking in my wireless settings a little while ago and noticed it said something about all components to be in the same wireless network must share the same name, or SSID. Was wondering if you made those the same already.

[Dave]

As far as I know, a lot of the commercially available products out there simply won't do this - that is, have a wireless bridge. Probably the best way to do it would be to set up a linux box with a wireless card and specify the routing stuff manually.

[Klaynos]

You'll be wanting a repeater, some accesspoints have a mode that will alow you to do this.

[Trurl]

Thanks guys. After reading the post I decided that the repeater might be to complicated and take days to get it to work properly. I hadn't had luck with the bridging mode. Also I only had one access point that would repeat, but needed it like you said to hook to a land line to the main router.

 

I was using a Net Gear WG302 and a Linksys WRT54GS combined with a Belkin Wireless G (no model #). Most of the the routers can act as access points, but I run into trouble with the IP address and having them communicate.

 

Here is the new problem. I took and ran an antenna from the access point (which is connected by a land line to the main router) and hooked an outer antenna. Now from the other house I get a signal between 25% and 57% by the windows. The signal is good but what is the best way to spread the siganal throught the house? As a last resort I would use a repeater. But do I definitely need one. I don't want to buy another $200 piece of equipment. What do you think?

[Klaynos]

This may sound silly but antenas on the other equipment, and home made tinfoil directors, I use a piece of card covered with tinfoild and bent into shape on my parents desktop. Works quite well... There are LOTS of sites online about it, pringles tubes are supposed to be good...

[bluesmudge]

never had that problem you know . . . how old is the equipment . . . had a wireless router on the ground floor and a perfect signal 2 floors up