2nd router opinion needed

D

dton13

n00b
Joined
May 31, 2006
Messages
10
Hey guys,

I've tried searching for some info but to no avail, I currently have a Dlink DIR-655, and i want to hard wire a second router to extend the wireless range and act like a "bridge" upstairs for a PS3 and another computer.

I was looking to buy a 2nd DIR-655 but was wondering if that was the best way to go in terms of value, compatibility and ease of setup.

I'm open to getting a new different router (Heard good things about the Netgear 3700) as my main and setting up my current DIR-655 as the 2nd router. I also plan to put in a WHS or some type of NAS so I'm looking for good gigabit reliability and speeds if that plays into any factors.

Thanks in advance :)
 
do you need the extra hard wired ports of a whole additional router? or do you just need a wireless access point for better wifi signal?

either way- you wont be using any of the 'router' features; just the wireless part and possibly the network switch part. you can save money by not buying what you dont need.
 
Thanks ghost,

Ya I'll be hard wiring a couple extra computers to the 2nd switch/router. So I guess my question is what would be a good quality switch/AP to use? I'm not too familiar with networking so would there be any problems with just going with any other brand as long as it has Gigabit and wifi-N (on the same 2.4ghz band as my DIR-655, i'm assuming)
 
well then just about any wireless router would be what you are looking for. you just have to remember not to double NAT the connection- that is a router behind another router. some routers have the option to turn the WAN port into a regular LAN port to connect to an existing router. or else you just connect the two routers using the LAN ports. this way the new router just acts as a regular switch and doesnt do any NAT stuff.

you could also buy a wired switch and a wifi access point to plug into it, as those are the two functions you are interested in. a wireless router usually contains both those things, plus the hardware to do the actual 'routing'. since you dont need the routing part, you may be able to save some money. consumer network gear is pretty cheap though.

if you arent sure what the difference between a router, switch and access point is, now is a good time to google.
 
Well if you already have the Dir655, and it has Gigabit built in, i would buy another unit, then use it as a access point / switch. To do this you will need to disable the DHCP server in the new unit & manually set a ip address so if you ever need to access it to change the configuration of the unit you can.
 
Hey guys, heres a bump for some opinions

while I'm waiting for my cat6 cables to arrive, I'm still shopping around for a couple AP's. I know you said any router would work but i figured if someone had some opinions they'd chime in.

I see a few on sale, which one would be better? They both have internal antennas but I'm kind of leaning towards the Netgear just because its cheaper.

$65 - Netgear WNR3500L Rangemax 4 Port Gigabit Wireless N Router Open Source With USB
$99 - D-LINK DAP-1522 Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge / Access Point 802.11G/B/N 4 Port Gigabit LAN

or just stick with

$90 - D-LINK DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router 802.11G/B/N Wireless Router Triple Antenna QoS

CDN prices
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top