Wireless extender for pre-existing network

[gangst]

Hi,

I would like some advice regarding my network setup.

Currently I have both and wired and wireless networks running through my house, the wireless is there for the sake of convenience.

I have extended my house and run a wired network into the new areas. However, I also want to add wireless in these areas. I cannot use a wireless extender as the pre-existing wireless network does not reach this area and so cannot be repeated.

If I were to plug a wireless router into one of my wired connections in my extension, the wireless router just grabs an IP from my main router and provides internet. This works fine, however, I would like it so that both wireless networks are fully interchangeable, i.e. the same name and WPA passwords.

Is the easiest way to do this just to change the SSID of the wireless router in my extension to the same as the existing wireless network and have the same WPA2 password, or is there a way that you can tell a router that is effectively part of the same network and so save myself manually doing this?

Thanks for any advice and sorry if my post sounds jumbly and rambled.

 

[Bakkalohriat]

It sounds like you're talking about two completely isolated areas; if there's no chance of wireless overlap, creating two identical networks should work fine for you. No reason to make it more complicated than it has to be, right?

 

[cpjakes]

Having the networks the same doesn't quite make them the same network. If you try to connect to something in the original network from the new one, you'll be under two different routers. If you turn off DHCP in the second one, the first router will be the one to assign the IP address, leaving all the devices on the same subnet.

cpjakes

 

[gangst]

It sounds like you're talking about two completely isolated areas; if there's no chance of wireless overlap, creating two identical networks should work fine for you. No reason to make it more complicated than it has to be, right?

yes you are right, they do not overlap.

 

[gangst]

Having the networks the same doesn't quite make them the same network.
cpjakes

I understand that, but by doing this I was hoping that any wireless computers would just auto-connect.

Is there away to effectively make it part of the same network? However, I am unsure about what you are saying about subnets, seeing as the wireless router in the extension, will obtain internet access via LAN and so be routed an IP from the other router.

I would like to make them part of the same wireless network, so that MAC filtering can be carried over as well as fixed IP addresses.


Thanks, any more suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[corbywan]

Basically you want to make it a wireless bridge if I'm not mistaken. The feature totally depends on the make/model of your second wireless box. But I would look at the manual and look for how to set it up as a bridge.