Turn Your Old Router Into A Range Boosting Wifi Repeater | AMANAHAd Tech

If you are thinking to upgrade faster, stronger wireless router, don’t get rid of your older Wi-Fi router. Using the magic of DD-WRT, you can turn this older wireless router right into a range-expanding Wi-Fi repeater to cover everywhere you’ll need a connection. The advent of wi-fi home networks grew slowly in the past, but reached the point at which nearly every home using a high-speed connection had a radio router that shared Wi-Fi connections through the entire home.

Now Wireless N is just about the standard at electronics shops, promising faster connectivity using your wireless devices, faster exchange and streaming speeds between devices, and better connection. So what’s to be performed with your home’s very first wireless router?

.

Our suggestion should be to install the open-source DD-WRT firmware on the router and turn it right into a repeater for your principal router, expanding your Wifi signal to succeed in every nook and cranny of your abode, and even into your current backyard or garage, if needed. You’ll be competent to use the same password and security scheme, you won’t be needing anything except an electrical outlet for the repeater when you are done, and the vast majority of your devices will automatically switch involving the two signals when essential.

We’ve previously run down how to install DD-WRT on a Linksys router to give it many, many more features, including the repeater perform we’ll cover here. Issues already installed DD-WRT, then, skip to the area on repeater configuration. One notable difference on this guide, too, is which I’m installing a personalized build of DD-WRT, the particular “micro” flavour, on some sort of Linksys WRT54G ver. 6, or maybe “version 6″. Adam published his original guide throughout 2006, with a fully-DD-WRT-compatible Linksys WRT54GL router, and at this point, those who picked upward a blue Linksys container without knowing about open-source firmware were pretty much stuck. Now there’s a tremendous array of supported units, and even my regretfully restricted Linksys can work a Micro build, and Micro now has a repeater function.

.

.

a) What You’ll Need: 

1) Compatible router: Grab that old-but-still-works router in addition to flip it over. Have the model number off the particular label, and write decrease the MAC address, even though you’re at it — the particular locations for both, on a standard Linksys “blue box”, are generally pictured above. Type the primary few characters of ones model number into DD-WRT’s router data source, and look for your model to pop up. If you get virtually any green “Yes” listed along with your model, you’re in the clear — even essentially the most pared-down DD-WRT build, mini, supports the repeater functionality.

.

.

2) Firmware files for your router: Firmware files on your router: In that same router database, click exactly in danger that relates to ones router model, then grab the many files listed there. May very well not end up using these people, but once you’ve considered your router offline, even when it’s not your main router, you’ll want to own all your files offered offline.

3) Print-out of one’s instructions: There’s a beneficial chance, if you’ve got a reasonably popular router, that you’ll get access to specific router model instructions about the DD-WRT wiki. You’ll usually see a link about the same page as your firmware documents; if not, go onward and search the wiki. In the event you don’t have a printer, or hate wasting paper, use a print-to-PDF instrument like doPDF or the actual Nitro PDF Reader intended for Windows, or the built-in PDF FILE functions in Mac or Linux. The reason, once more, is that you wish to be prepared in case anyone lose internet connectivity on a number of routers during the display process.
4) Ethernet cable tv & computer with Ethernet interface: Enough cable to comfortably reach from your computer to the router you’re working away at, and a computer without any networking problems that you know of.
5) A pencil and paper: The paper for notes, and the pen intended for both writing and depressing and holding down the reset button with your router.
6) At minimum an hour’s time: Instructions for most routers are organized in step-by-step detail, using very specific instructions. Having said that, you do not need to rush things, or load a bad file at the wrong time. Doing so opens the risk of a “bricked” router, the one that doesn’t work and can’t be accessed or mismanagement issue to its default, factory-fresh state. That’s not going to occur to the patient, mindful firmware flasher, though.

.

.

b) Get Started:

Because stated above, different routers is going to take different paths to the installation of DD-WRT. There are a number of common procedures, and holistic path, to getting the item installed, though, so you’ll be able to read along as I follow the DD-WRT Wiki instructions to get a WRT54G version 6 installation.

• Do a hard (30/30/30) reset in your router: A “hard” reset, or a “30/30/30″, means searching out the reset notch on a corner of your router, then inserting a pencil and holding it there to get a total of 90 a few moments — 30 seconds to start with with the power on, then yank the cord and wait another thirty, then plug the cord back in and hold out 30 seconds, all though still holding the pencil. It seems a tad excessive, but trust me — I’ve experienced friends with electronic engineering skills explain the best way finicky, and sometimes haphazard, physical memory chips similar to those in routers could be at holding their settings or otherwise not not completely blanking out there.

• Set a static IP address on your PC: Most DD-WRT guides want you to definitely set your computer’s IP tackle, the one it draws from your router, to 192. 168. 1. 7, and set a subnet hide to 255. 255. 255. 0. How would you do this in your pc, without the router staying accessible?

.

.

Go to Windows’ Network and Giving Centre, usually by right-clicking on your own network connection icon in the system tray, or heading there with the Control Panel. In this left-hand panel, click “Change adaptor adjustments, ” then right-click on your own “Local Area Connection” offering and select Properties. Under the Network tab, select the “Internet Method Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” in addition to hit the Properties key.

Now in the Standard tab, change the first stereo switch button to “Use this IP address: ”, subsequently enter 192. 168. 1. 7 in the IP Address field, in addition to 255. 255. 255. 0 should fill itself inside of “Subnet mask”. Make sure you’ve got the IP entered correctly — Windows can miss the “7″ part if there’s a single digit in another section — and strike OK when you’re carried out.

.

c) Firmware Installation

Currently we’re gonna get severe. Connect the Ethernet cable between your computer and the router — you’ll want to insert the cable into one of many numbered ports, not the port classed “Internet” that’s slightly distanced from your others. Turn off any wireless connection to your main router, unplug any broadband cellular modems and so forth.

.

When it comes to my WRT54G ver. 6, I had to make a customised flashing image for my router, with some sort of designated MAC address prepared in. The MAC address is really a supposedly unique identifier inclined to all computer hardware that can access the internet, one which allows networks to let and block hardware according to this address. Your internet provider and also the cable modem they supplied also tracks the MAC address of one’s router, and can deny service when a different router than usually the one the modem is employed to servicing suddenly appears.

Therefore i followed the instructions for downloading GV5Flash. zip, unpacking the contents, then running the vximgtoolgui application and filling out the MAC address When i wrote down from underneath my router, and pointing the app in a place to drop this resulting. bin file.

Now you’re going to pull off one particular “hard” or 30/30/30 electrical power cycles — hold decrease reset for 30 seconds plugged in, 30 unplugged, and then 30 seconds again connected in. When you’re completed, wait a few seconds, open your browser (making positive your computer’s still related by cable), point it to http: //192. 168. 1. 1, and you ought to get a prompt for a username and password. The default for my router in this mode is “root/admin” — yours can likely be found at Router Passwords. com, or a highly effective DD-WRT instructions. After going into that combo, you should start to see the default router screen. A Linksys default usually looks like this:

.

 .

In most cases, you’re next going to check out the Administration section (circled from the pic), then click the actual Firmware Upgrade sub-section. It’s usually a fairly easy affair: a Browse button to search for the file you want in order to upload, and an OK/Apply button to create it in motion. Via here on out, if you don’t have my same actual router, you’ll possibly have a new set of 1 or 2 files to upload, in an particular order — follow your own DD-WRT customised instructions. On the whole, though, you’ll be performing a procedure along these lines:

• Uploading a “prep” data file that gets your router ready for the new firmware.
• Waiting a compelling five minutes — no cheating.
• “Power cycle” the actual router (a simple unplug, 30-second wait around, then re-plug).
• Re-connect in order to 192. 168. 1. 1, see the “Management Mode” window, and then upload your (possibly customised) unique DD-WRT image and reach Apply.

.

d) Upgrade Success

1. After seeing this nice very little “Upgrade Success” message, hang on another full, honest all 5 minutes.
2. Open a TFTP plan, usually provided among the DD-WRT files, and stage it at 192. 168. 1. 1 (your router). Select your unique DD-WRT firmware (a tiny build, in my case), then set the retries for you to 99 — But! Ahead of hitting “Upgrade, ” energy cycle your router, wait a few seconds after re-powering, then go for it. When your TFTP app includes a green light and achievements message, wait another complete five minutes, then come on back.
3. If you can connect to 192. 168. 1. 1 using your laptop browser and see a new setup page for DD-WRT, perform (final) 30/30/30 “hard” reset on your own router, then check you still see the DD-WRT create. If so, you’re all set up!

.

e) Setting Up the Repeater

Ever since you’ve got your oldie-but-goodie router create with DD-WRT, you can arrange it to pick up the signal from the primary router and re-broadcast it within its own radius. Here’s how to do this.

With your computer still hooked up to the now-secondary router, head into the DD-WRT setup tv screen. It will ask you to definitely set a better password and username to begin with, so go ahead and make it happen — you’ll probably want to create the same admin/password as your primary router to avoid confusion. Once you’re in, your setup screen can look something like this, seeing that my Micro setup in my Linksys appears:

.

.

Initial up, click on the Wireless tab, then choose Basic Settings. Switch “Wireless Mode” to be able to “Repeater”, and the “Wireless Network Name” to similar to the main router you’re gonna be re-broadcasting. Don’t stress about the bridged/unbridged radio buttons — they’ll set themselves later. Hit the “Save” button on the very bottom, but will not hit “Apply Settings” just yet.

In the “Virtual Interfaces” area, below that main “Wireless Physical Interfaces” section you recently modified, hit the “Add” key, then enter a new name on your repeater — don’t use similar to your router, Adding “Repeater” at the end of your main router’s name is pretty sensible in many instances. If Prefered an access point that does not transmit its name, save of which for switching off after — while we’re examining our repeater, we’ll be using basic settings to be sure the connection goes through. Hit the “Save” button in the bottom again.

.

Using the main Wireless tab however selected, head to the “Wireless Security” sub-tab on the right. You’ll see two interfaces again — a “Physical Interface” and a “Virtual Interface”. In the “Physical Interface” section at the summit, fill in the similar exact security settings as your primary router — the safety mode, the algorithm (TKIP or even AES, generally), and the password virtually any device would use for connecting. You might need to jump back to your primary router settings to confirm these — that’s great, but do so via another device. Under the particular “Virtual Interface” section, established the same exact security settings as your primary router, again. Hit the particular “Save” key at incredibly bottom again and, again, avoid “Apply Settings” with the moment.

.

Jump up to the Setup tab towards the top, then scroll down to the Network Setup section beneath Basic Setup. The main move to make here is slightly transform the “Local IP Address” from what much of your router is. If you connect to your main router with 192. 168. 1. 1, one example is, set this repeater router to such as 192. 168. 2. 1, or another number that you can remember in the second-to-last place. Hit (you guessed it! ) Save.

Finally, head to the Stability tab up top, and from the Firewall section, disable this “SPI Firewall, ” and uncheck everything within the “Block WAN Requests , besides “Filter Multicast”. Hit “Save” at the bottom one last time. Finally, head over to Administration, double-check that you’ve bought your administrator password composed down or remembered, and hit “Apply Settings” in the very bottom. Your router will probably reset itself now, so give it time to take action.

Unplug your computer’s Ethernet cable, turn on a wi-fi device, and see if you can find your new repeater connection. Connect to it, make use of the same password you’d use for that main router, and you have to have success. If not, tell you the steps and double-check ones settings. DD-WRT’s wiki page with regard to WLAN Repeaters has a good deal of troubleshooting advice, so check out there too.

You’ve now got a second Wi-Fi station at your residence that picks up signal from your main router and offers it out to devices which have been farther out. It’s likely significantly less fast a connection concerning devices — it’s wifi G, in most situations, as opposed to be in. Then again, at this time, there are very, very few services or perhaps streaming applications that take advantage of Wireless N’s crazy bandwidth prospective, so your YouTube loading, web browsing and different usual internet life will likely be likely unaffected.

How is the repeater working out to suit your needs? Do you have almost any suggestions on making the repeater more convenient, or another guide with regard to DD-WRT, Tomato or one more firmware?  We’d love to listen to your comments, questions, and tips from the comments!

.

.