Extending WiFi To Garden Outhouse

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by jsaipe, Jan 16, 2015.

  1. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    For future reference an old BT router can be used to provide additional wifi - its what I do. Run cat5 between main router and new position of second router. Turn off DHCP on second router and give it a fixed IP on the same subnet. Set-up wifi as you normally would You can use the same SSID but I run a different one which I find works best. Don't forget when you change the IP of the router you lose access to it and have to log on again with the new IP. I have a BT business hub 3 as main router and a 2wire hg2700 as slave. It works fine and is very robust.
     
  2. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    Was that in Latin?
     
  3. jsaipe

    jsaipe New Member

  4. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    Ha! yes, I guess it was. Point is anyone who has an old router with wifi capability hanging around has the capability of using it to provide wifi coverage in another part of their building. You have to run a standard cat5 network cable between the two routers which plugs in to the network ports on the back of each one - you can buy them ready made up with plugs on the end. You do have to know your way in to the admin settings of at least your second router. This is usually either 192.168.0.0, 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1 but could be something else. Easy to find out. In windows open a command prompt (under accessories) and type in "ipconfig". The IP address of the connected router is displayed against "default gateway".

    Your home network will most likely have a router ip address of something like 192.168.0.1, and the DHCP server in the first router gives out new IP addresses as you connect other devices, so your PC might end up as 192.168.0.2, your phone 192.168.0.3 etc etc. What you have to do is go into the admin on the second router and turn OFF its DHCP (ability to hand out its own IP addresses) - its a check box usually. You then have to give the second router a fixed IP on the same range of addresses - the actual entry boxes will be different for each router, but e.g. you give it 192.168.0.248. Once it has an address on the same subnet address range, the first router can "see" it. Anything connected to the second router gets an IP address handed out from the first router so everything talks to each other, and the wifi on the second router works as well. In the settings you give the new wifi a name (SSID) which can be the same as the first router, but I prefer a different one. I know most people leave their SSID at default so it looks something like "BT-Homehub NSGHC3" or something but you can call it anything you like so "bobsfrontroom" and "bobsbackgarden" are just fine.

    Give your wifi a password (same for both routers is fine) and it should all talk together. Your phone or whatever will see the two wifi networks and you connect to whichever one works best. OK, if you have zero knowledge of IP addresses and networks, it's a bit greek, but is actually very easy to do with a couple of check boxes and a couple of information boxes to fill in. Nothing fancy.

    The bit that gets people is that when you are connected in to the second router to change its settings - say you connected using the common 192.168.0.1 address that brings up the admin menu, as soon as you change the IP of the second router to what you want e.g. 192.168.0.248, you lose connection - you don't even get the "confirmed" message to say the changes have taken affect which is confusing. Just reconnect on the new IP and all is good. When I say "reconnect" I mean type the IP into your search bar on the browser when the router is connected (with a network cable) to the laptop/pc you are using to program.

    It is worth getting your head around some basic networking because it comes in VERY handy when wireless enabled devices just don't want to work. What sometimes happens is a device is given an IP - say 192.168.0.21 and then goes to sleep/standby but retains its IP in its memory. In the meantime another device comes along and because the router can't see the first device (because its asleep) it gives out that IP address to something else. When the first device "wakes up" it can't connect because the IP address it had has been stolen by something else. Solution = reboot everything by turning on and off!
     
  5. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    Jsaipe - I've always found the BT routers just fine. I'm on a business BT account so get to talk to real techies sometimes, and they know their kit inside out. BT routers are remotely managed by them and they DO make configuration changes from time to time - you hope they are good changes! If you put something else in you are on your own. It might be better, it might not, but when you have any strange issues - maybe line faults, it really is a bonus that you have standard kit on the end as it eliminates a hell of a lot of other possibilities.
     
  6. Lectrician

    Lectrician Screwfix Select

    Most BT routers don't even make it out of the box in business environments.
     
    Teki likes this.
  7. Welshdragon1

    Welshdragon1 Active Member

    @Lectrician Would you please elaborate on why they don't get unboxed
     
  8. Lectrician

    Lectrician Screwfix Select

    Elaborate? Most businesses with any IT nouse will not be getting their service from BT. Those that insist usually use a pro type router or separate firewall and modem. The BT Business Hub doesn't even get opened and goes on the shelf. it's a shame BT don't recognise this and provide a reduced rate for not using their corporate branded and driven stuff.

    It is far better these days, but still full of their ****.
     
  9. Rulland

    Rulland Screwfix Select

    Just in the process of setting up nine dvr's to monitor 50+ cameras in nine seperate buildings networked using a hh3, and a switch, obviously, no real problems at all tbph, apart from people who don't know how to set up the network and routers......I do.
     
  10. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    I recognised some of those words. :confused::confused:
     

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