AVS › AVS Forum › Gaming & Content Streaming › Networking, Media Servers & Content Streaming › Setting up Seamless Wireless Coverage
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Setting up Seamless Wireless Coverage

post #1 of 6
8/9/12 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all. My streaming troubles are in the past since I have hardwired everything in the home. Now I'm trying to optimize the wireless coverage in my new home. The home is 2 stories with a basement, and the signal doesn't seem to cover everything, whether the router is in the basement or on the main floor. I have 2 different wireless routers at my disposal (a Zoom cable modem/wireless router combo and an ASUS RT-N53) and would like to find a way to spread the wireless coverage without needing to switch to different SSIDs as I move through the house. I have a hard line available on the main floor where I can plug in the RT-N53. How do I go about providing seamless wireless coverage? Is it possible just through router settings, or will I always be required to "switch" which router my phones or laptops are pointing to depending on my location? Thanks in advance to the best forum for these kinds of discussions out there. smile.gif
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 6
8/9/12 at 10:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irishdoom View Post

Hi all. My streaming troubles are in the past since I have hardwired everything in the home. Now I'm trying to optimize the wireless coverage in my new home. The home is 2 stories with a basement, and the signal doesn't seem to cover everything, whether the router is in the basement or on the main floor. I have 2 different wireless routers at my disposal (a Zoom cable modem/wireless router combo and an ASUS RT-N53) and would like to find a way to spread the wireless coverage without needing to switch to different SSIDs as I move through the house. I have a hard line available on the main floor where I can plug in the RT-N53. How do I go about providing seamless wireless coverage? Is it possible just through router settings, or will I always be required to "switch" which router my phones or laptops are pointing to depending on my location? Thanks in advance to the best forum for these kinds of discussions out there. smile.gif

You will have to make one of the routers act as a bridge and let the other act as the main router. You will have to mess around with the RT-N53 settings. Or the easiest way would be to buy an Access Point / Wireless extender.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 6
8/10/12 at 9:35am
Thread Starter 
The RT-N53 can actually be set as an AP. You can easily set it as a router, bridge or AP within its firmware.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 6
8/11/12 at 7:34am
I'm not a network guru but I ran into the same situation trying to install different wireless router/access points on different floors of my home too. I use AT&T Uverse service now so its Residential Gateway serves as the "router' in my system and it hands out the IP addresses through DHCP. To use my old Dlink DIR655 gigabit router with the system now, I had to connect it to the AT&T RG through one of the switched ports (not the WAN port) and turn off the DHCP in the DIR655...now it acts as an access point and not a router. I also have another Dlink 1522 Access Point/Bridge installed on a separate floor and configured to be an Access Point with DHCP turned off there too. Both Access Points can be set up to the same SSID but on different wireless channels so that there is no interference between them. Both Access Points are setup up as possible connections in my laptop and it will connect to whichever one it receives the best signal from. Not sure this is possible with two devices you have but this should generally work.

The article below is what I used and it is pretty easy to follow.

http://www.computing.net/howtos/show/add-a-second-router-to-your-lan/243.html
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 6
8/11/12 at 9:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SquidDaddy View Post

I'm not a network guru but I ran into the same situation trying to install different wireless router/access points on different floors of my home too. I use AT&T Uverse service now so its Residential Gateway serves as the "router' in my system and it hands out the IP addresses through DHCP. To use my old Dlink DIR655 gigabit router with the system now, I had to connect it to the AT&T RG through one of the switched ports (not the WAN port) and turn off the DHCP in the DIR655...now it acts as an access point and not a router. I also have another Dlink 1522 Access Point/Bridge installed on a separate floor and configured to be an Access Point with DHCP turned off there too. Both Access Points can be set up to the same SSID but on different wireless channels so that there is no interference between them. Both Access Points are setup up as possible connections in my laptop and it will connect to whichever one it receives the best signal from. Not sure this is possible with two devices you have but this should generally work.
The article below is what I used and it is pretty easy to follow.
http://www.computing.net/howtos/show/add-a-second-router-to-your-lan/243.html

Thanks for that article. I switched from Comcast to U-Verse, and I was having a hard time trying to figure this out. ATT wanted to charge me $55 dollars to "guide" how to do it. I ended up taking my router out of my network. I might use it to expand my wireless network.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 6
8/11/12 at 6:44pm
Back when I had the U-verse installed they wired things up in a non-optimal way because of my existing home wiring. I eventually ran a bunch of Cat5e and got all my IPTV traffic separated from my LAN traffic following my proposed set up. See my thread below. This may still not be optimal but it is a lot better and I get a lot better response when remotely retrieving shows off the DVR. I completely shut off the wireless part of the AT&T RG as it is only capable of 802.11b/g.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1411140/optimal-way-to-wire-up-at-t-u-verse#post_22053952
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Gaming & Content Streaming › Networking, Media Servers & Content Streaming › Setting up Seamless Wireless Coverage