I'm confused...

[bonn4lolly]

I have TalkTalk fibre broadband coming in via the TalkTalk Super Hub (router and modem). The internet connection from here is then sent via powerlines to another room (B) and fed into a TP Link router. The TP Link router is the one we use for Wifi and is connected to the NAS etc.

What I want to do is use the TalkTalk router to extend the signal from the TP Link router, so that I will have stronger wifi in all areas of the house. Is this possible?

I appreciate that I will be sending internet from the TalkTalk router to the TP Link router, only to the send it back again! But there's only one phone point, which is in room A, and the NAS etc have to be in room B.

Any help is much appreciated - I wouldn't even know where to start Googling something like this!

[kalniel]

So why not instead use the TP router to extend the network from a wifi enabled TalkTalk hub?

[bonn4lolly]

Thanks Kalniel - this sounds exactly like what I'm wanting to do - not sure how I'd start though?

So in this scenario both routers would be transmitting the internet, but would the TalkTalk router also send out the NAS data from the TP Link router (so a 2 way "extension" of the network)?

[kalniel]

It's been a while so forgive lack of specifics, but I think you want to basically set up a network from the TalkTalk router, so you have wifi access in the vicinity. Then use the TP link router in bridged mode to extend your TalkTalk network. Then you should be able to share anything connected to the TP Link (such as the NAS) across your wider network. Alternatively your TP Link might have a repeater mode which is even simpler, assuming it can get any kind of signal from the TalkTalk wifi.

If supported the TP Link manual/website should have set up instructions for bridge or repeater modes.

[Agent]

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-extend-...uter-915783308
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/ne...i-acess-point/

'Repeater mode' is prefered where possible, as above.

[bonn4lolly]

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/ne...i-acess-point/

That seems exactly what I needed thank you!

Do you know if the router supplying the internet HAS TO BE the Master? My TP Link router is much better than the TalkTalk one, but the guide shows the TalkTalk equivalent being the master. I just wondered if it has to be this way round for a reason?

[Agent]

You want the one with the internet to be the master one. If that's the TT or the TP Link, it doesn't matter. As long as the router you want as the 'slave' has the options to support what you're doing.

For example, if the TT router doesn't have the option to repeat / bridge (I've seen some ISP's lock their devices down) then you can't use it as the slave.

[kalniel]

For example, if the TT router doesn't have the option to repeat / bridge (I've seen some ISP's lock their devices down) then you can't use it as the master.

I'm sure you meant slave

The one with the options to repeat/bridge is the slave. The master is the one just being a normal access point.

[bonn4lolly]

Fantastic, thanks both. I knew I could count on this site!

I'll experiment tonight and let you know how I get on.

[Agent]

Yes I did, thanks
Cheeky posting at work and not paying as much attention as I should be to posts!

[bonn4lolly]

Finally got round to doing this - works a treat (after I realised NOT to plug my ethernet cable into the WAN port).

I have one problem... The internet speed from my second router is way to slow over ethernet cable. The wireless is fine (25mbps), yet wired is only giving about 4mbps - any reason why this might be so?

And I can't go in to check my settings on the second router. The IP address is definitely correct, and the PC it's plugged into let me access it once, but never again weirdly...?

[kalniel]

What's the speed at the second router itself? It could be that your wireless speed isn't actually coming from the second router, but the first.

Check what speeds you get via that ethernet cable at both the first and the second modems, to rule out a bad cable. Ideally use the same computer/NIC as well. If it's only the second router, and you can confirm it's definitely the wired connection, then you do need to get into the second router to check the settings - could be setup up badly and have some kind of throttling set I guess. Worrying that you can't get access to it though. What happens when you try? Are you sure that it's not just picked up a new IP address from your first router?

[bonn4lolly]

Thanks for the response.

I've turned off wireless on the first modem and I'm still getting high wireless speeds from the second. So it's just slow Ethernet from the second router.

When I type in the IP address I just get the "Page Can't be Displayed". I set the IP address within the second router's settings (when I could still access them), and set it as a static IP within the first router, so there shouldn't be any probs there. Even tried turning off the first router and I still can't access the settings. The problem seems to have started as soon as I disabled DCHP on the second router.

Sigh...!

[kalniel]

If you log into the first router, does it tell you what the connected devices are and their IPs?

[bonn4lolly]

Yes, the 2nd router is listed in there, with the expected IP address.

[bonn4lolly]

Narrowed it down to being something in the PC that is throttling the Ethernet speed (so router is not to blame). Any ideas?