Need an affordable pair of wifi routers/access points to do wifi repeating

H

HDClown

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 30, 2004
Messages
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Scenario: House is 7k square feet and the internet comes comes in on one side of the house. There used to be a cable to the other side of the house but it was cut during heavy rennovations. Lots of concrete construction on this house, 2 stories with concrete between them, so 1 WiFi Router won't reach across the house, let alone good signal between floors.

Don't want to spend a ton of cash here. Considered Apple Airport Extreme Base Station with an Airport Express as the mid-way AP. Total cost is about $300, but was wondering if I can do something for $200 total. Needs to be new, off the shelf product.

Current router is a Linksys WRT160N. Doesn't seem like this model supports a WDS, So if there is some other linksys that would and be nicely compatible with the existing router, that could save even more $$
 
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That's a really low budget for someone with a 7000 sq ft house... Haha. Those little Linksys range extenders work pretty well for being so cheap: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2050410335 50001413&name=Linksys

If it has to be N, you could create a bridge using WET160N, but then you're running a bridge, not a wireless canopy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124338

If you could spend the money, I'd recommend something like the Cisco 1242ag(or any Cisco with two radios). You can bridge over the A radios and run wireless from the G radios. Unfortunately two of these bad boys would destroy your budget: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839120003
 
If the WET160N is a bridge only, then I need to add another AP onto that side of the bridge, which seems silly.

They've got the $$ to buy better gear, they would just prefer not to. The 1 router can reach about mid-way through the house and you get mediocre signal strength. It goes between floors but only on one side of the house.

I have an unused 1231G at work, which uses external antenna, and since the owners of the house own the company, maybe we'll just try that 1 AP first and see how much better coverage it gets. It doesn't need to be N. They have no N devices in fact. It's just what the cable company provided them.

I may try the AEBS+AE method, since that's going to be trouble-free WDS and they get pretty good range. If it doesn't work, I could pretty easily re-sell that stuff for minimal loss (unless returning it can be done).
 
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