Router as AP vs Access Point

I need to upgrade my current 54g Wireless Access Point, pending my FTTC installation. I want to stick with a separate router and access point, because the location of my wired router is not a good/convenient place for my wireless access point.

Having researched prices online, it seems that I get get a wireless router for significantly less than I can get a dedicated Wireless Access Point. For example, a Netgear WN604 wireless-n access point is about £50, whilst I can get an equivalent wireless router (WNR1000) for £30.

Is there any reason to go for the Wireless Access Point, as opposed to buying the router and simply using it as an access point? (i.e. turn off DHCP, etc, as described here: http://www.speedguide.net/articles/how-to-set-a-wire...

Hi
For a FTCC instalation you get an openreach modem and also a wireless(N) router.

The modem has to installed by the master socket and the wireless router can be installed 20 meters from that (with a data kit the engineer will bring along with him).

Is that not OK with you

Ian

Thanks, Ian.

The telephone wiring in my house is already CAT5 cable, and I have a filtered faceplate on my NTE5 socket that seprates out broadband and phone frequencies so that I have two separate circuits right from where the line comes in (this is the faceplate, if you're interested: http://www.clarity.it/xcart/product.php?productid=16...

So, I won't be putting the modem/router at the master socket, but rather at a hard-wired broadband socket at a more convenient place in my house. However, as now, that place is not suitable for my wireless access point to be located, because it's under some shelves and difficult to access to switch the wireless on/off as required. I currently have a separate wireless access point, connected to the router with a patch cable, and located in a more convenient position, and I want to maintain this setup.

I hope this helps to clarify what I'm trying to do. Will a wireless router with DHCP turned off work as an access point in this setup, to save me having to spend more money on buying a dedicated wireless access point? It seems odd to me that an access point costs more than a router, if the router will do the same job, so I want to be sure I'm not missing something here!

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

For a FTCC instalation you get an openreach modem and also a wireless(N) router.

Not all FTTC ISPs provide a free router, its often an option.

Gary

That clarifies the situation.I have used a clarity faceplate before.

Not all FTTC ISPs provide a free router, its often an option.

What is your ISP still Plusnet as on your profile page?

I have just seen your post on the plusnet forum http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,1024...
and you have a netgear router on the way

I still think openreach will prefer (or will have) to put the modem at the master socket.
They might convert the other hardwired broadband socket to a master and install the modem there, you can then use the patch cable and mount the supplied wireless (N ?) router where your existing access point is located.

I would wait to see what openreach install, then see if you require your additional AP.

but answering your question yes, no problem.

Your cable router would have to have an IP address in the same range as the OR supplied one (maybe 192.168.1.250 if the OR is 192.168.1.254)
check the DHCP range on the OR router and make sure it cannot hand out 192.168.1.250
also, as you said, DHCP off on your new router.

Ian

Edited by ian007jen (Sun 19-Feb-12 15:44:31)

Thanks, Ian.

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

I still think openreach will prefer (or will have) to put the modem at the master socket.

They might prefer to, but I'm not going to let them! I spent ages wiring my house properly, so I'm not going to let BT undo all my hard work and replace kit with inferior components. I'll just prove to them it works with my wiring, and let them have a cup of tea for the hour of their day allocated to the rewiring. I might even get Jaffa cakes, because I've heard most BT engineers are partial to those...!

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

They might convert the other hardwired broadband socket to a master and install the modem there, you can then use the patch cable and mount the supplied wireless (N ?) router where your existing access point is located.

That wouldn't work either, I'm afraid, because I use both wired and wireless connections on my network, so I need the gateway router to be by my desk, but the access point at the other side of the room.

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

I would wait to see what openreach install, then see if you require your additional AP.

Installation is booked for Tuesday, and the router I've got in mind is on sale at Argos at £29.99, so I'll probably pick one up tomorrow, but not open it until Tuesday, then I can return it if anything changes and I don't need it.

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

Your cable router would have to have an IP address in the same range as the OR supplied one (maybe 192.168.1.250 if the OR is 192.168.1.254)
check the DHCP range on the OR router and make sure it cannot hand out 192.168.1.250
also, as you said, DHCP off on your new router.

Perfect. Why would anybody ever buy an access point, if using a cheaper router is so easy? I even wonder why manufacturers would bother to make access points for home use, instead of just selling routers with instructions on how to configure them as an AP.

Many thanks againfor your advice - much appreciated.

I saw this: http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=70424

Looks like good news

No problem Gary,

Ensure you use one of the 4 network ports not the WAN port on your Argos router.

is your

hard-wired broadband socket

a CAT5 socket or just twisted pair?

Ian

Edited by ian007jen (Sun 19-Feb-12 15:58:01)

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

is your

hard-wired broadband socket

a CAT5 socket or just twisted pair?

It's a wall-mounted RJ11 socket, wired to the Clarity face plate with CAT5 cable.

I've just had another thought about my plan, though. If I connect the second router (the one I'm using as an access point) to the first router (gateway) using the patch lead that I've currently go in place, that will mean that my 150Mbps wireless network will actually only operate at at maximum of 100Mbps, because the RJ45 ports on both the gateway and AP are 10/100, doesn't it?

Of course, this won't matter for the foreseeable future, since the FTTC products are only up to 80Mbps (in trial) at the moment, but it may well become an issue in the future, and perhaps means I should give more thought to how I arrange my setup now...

wall-mounted RJ11 socket

Why not RJ45?

Also you will be hard-pressed to get real world >50Mbps over wireless N

Ian

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

Why not RJ45?

Because I originally installed the box for my ADSL2+ connection. AFAIK, the OR fibre modem still uses RJ11, so the box should still work fine, although it would be trival to change the socket on the box to RJ45, because I used one of the modular faceplates from clarity.

In reply to a post by ian007jen:

Also you will be hard-pressed to get real world >50Mbps over wireless N

Thanks for confirming this. I did realise that I might be being a bit optimistic when I did some testing with the speeds I could get using wireless on the new Plusnet router this afternoon. However, the thought about the speed limitation proved useful. It made me realise that by running another length of CAT5 cable through the trunking between my gateway and the old access point, I'd be able to put the OR modem where my current router is, relocate the router to where my AP currently is (connecting the two with the original cable used for my AP), and then use the second (new) cable to connect the router to a switch on my desk, and so retain my wired network. Of course, the benefit of this is that I don't need any additional kit, and as and when I need a new router in future, I don't need to worry about the access point being separate.

So, I set to this evening and put another run of CAT5 in, and am now all set for the fibre installation on Tuesday. Just keeping my fingers crossed that I get a reasonable OR engineer who will understand and appreciate that my wiring is perfectly fine and doesn't need any fiddling with!

Post deleted by MrSaffron

Post deleted by MrSaffron

Post deleted by MrSaffron