How To Configure A Wireless Repeater
Wireless repeaters are used by private buyers so they can enhance the range of their wireless network, outside the rooter’s capabilities. Many times, users encounter difficulties in configuring their repeaters, mainly because there no or minimal communication with the rooter, or because the rooter and the repeater can not see each other at all.
Sometimes, people even use devices called access points, which can also be used as wireless repeaters. The functions are basically the same, even if they are not including the same technology and specifications. But if your purpose is to boost the wireless signal ranges and levels, an access point will work just as good. The problem in most devices in when actually trying to connect them for the first time to a certain network.
If the repeater does see the signal from the router, which is often the case, but its signal is much stronger that the one provided by the rooter, then many people complain that it’s not acting like a repeater but more like a totally different connection. When trying to connect to the initial wireless network, you will be faced with two possible situation: either you are into the initial range, case in which the signal from the rooter is the strongest one, so your laptop will connect to this, or you are out of the initial range and into the range of the repeater, in which case the laptop will connect directly to the repeater but have no internet connection, which means the repeater is not properly set up as it acts like a totally different network access point and does not communicate properly with the rooter.
The first thing you need to do is leave the DHCP setting enabled on the wireless provider and do not enable it on the repeater, because if you do it will act as a focus point, generating a different wireless network.
Then, set a DNS on the notebook or computer you will use to connect while being out of range of the initial router. Make sure both the rooter and the repeater are using the same type of signal encryption. Sometimes this might be causing problems also, so make sure the encryption method for both is set either for WEP or WPA. Also, dig into the rooters setting and locate the WDS setting. This tells you if the rooter allows wireless distribution systems, or in other words if it doesn’t block the signal repeating. This setting must be active.
In the end, make sure you are not trying to use a protected wireless connection. When you are connecting for the first time, set up a new connection with all above setting and do not make it private. Leave it public until the repeater is configured properly, then you can add a password protection in both devices.
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