Can I use a network range extender as a wireless router?

Question

I know this is the other way around from what people usually want to do... but here is why:

We live in a carriage house just behind our landlord's house. Our landlord has wireless Internet in the main house and is willing to share.

As the signal was too weak, we bought a network range extender (Netgear) to boost it. This seemed to work at first but after a few weeks, we realized it was not good enough for Skype...It was too late to return the extender.

Our landlord then told us that there is a cable hook-up to his Internet in our carriage house. We bought a cable modem (but no wifi router yet). I have now connected the range extender to the cable modem via an ethernet cable.

Am I now using the extender as a wireless router? (or is it just still boosting the wifi signal from the main house?)

I hope this makes sense... it might seem like a strange question but because the reliability of the extender is so variable it is hard to tell and I want to know whether I will need to purchase a wireless router on top of what I've already spent.

Thanks a lot for any help!

Answer 1

Range Extenders do not normally have router facilities. The best they will offer in the way of router facilities is a limited DHCP service that allows you configure the extender onto a WiFi network without having to configure static addresses into the computer you are using for the configuration.



If you have a cable modem connected to a coaxial feed, then you need to establish your own contract with the ISP and get the modem registered with the ISP. You will need a wireless router if you want your own WiFi network. You cannot use the extender as a router. Some extenders (I have a TP-Link TL-WA850RE) have an alternative mode of working where they are a wireless access point. In this mode, they do not receive a WiFi signal and retransmit it, but transmit what they are getting over their Ethernet port. As a wireless access point, the extender MUST be connected to the Ethernet port on a router - not a modem.



Although you will have to pay your own ISP charges to use your modem, it will separate you from the landlord's network. In the current configuration you have no way of knowing if the landlord is capturing the traffic you are sending and receiving, so you cannot guarantee your security and privacy. You are also potentially open to the landlord accessing your systems over the network and even passing on virus or malware infections.



You should find out more about the landlord's ISP and whether the cable outlet is for the same ISP, then contact them about getting your own independent account.



I hope this helps.

Answer 2

" Am I now using the extender as a wireless router? " No.

" (or is it just still boosting the wifi signal from the main house?) " Yes.

The range extender just boost the wireless network signal from the router for longer range coverage but can be and is affected by distance and walls and other devises in use.



No, you can not use a wireless network range extender for a wireless router.

Buy a wireless router connect it to the cable modem and set it up with secured password and encryption then install the range extender in your house for better coverage.



If there is a cable modem in the carriage house you can connect to it wired using a Ethernet cat 5 cable for Internet connection until you install a wireless router.

Answer 3

Cable hookup? You mean coax cable? If that is the case, you are out of luck since the Internet provider only provides one fix IP making your modem useless. What you need is to run one CAT 6E cable from their router to your carriage house, and then connect your wired/wireless router or extender to that cable. That would give you the same bandwidth as the landlord currently has.