Wireless router / wired connection

keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Hi all,
I currently have a nighthawk netgear wireless router in a small room upstairs. I am planning to run an Ethernet cable from the nighthawk router upstairs to the living room in the ground floor. My idea is to have a wired connection for the computer as well as a wired connection to my smart tv. I would like to only run one cable Ethernet cable downstairs, my question is: is it possible to connect the cable to a router or modem so I can get better wireless connection downstairs as well as wired connection for multiple devices?
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
keynes said:
Hi all,
I currently have a nighthawk netgear wireless router in a small room upstairs. I am planning to run an Ethernet cable from the nighthawk router upstairs to the living room in the ground floor. My idea is to have a wired connection for the computer as well as a wired connection to my smart tv. I would like to only run one cable Ethernet cable downstairs, my question is: is it possible to connect the cable to a router or modem so I can get better wireless connection downstairs as well as wired connection for multiple devices?
Click to expand...

Yes, really all you need is an access point with a built in 4 port switch.

There's actually a nighthawk model built for exactly your purpose:

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/compu...-extender-ac-1900-dual-band-10119510-pdt.html

It's expensive but you're paying for the ac speeds and I bet performance is great.
 
Last edited:
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Thanks. Just read the documentation and got this:
Note: In access point mode, you can connect your computer or WiFi device to the extender only using a WiFi connection.
Click to expand...
Which I think means that once I have it as access point through a wired connection, devices can only be attach only via wifi connection. Ideally I would like wired connections through an access point if that's possible
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
keynes said:
Thanks. Just read the documentation and got this:

Which I think means that once I have it as access point through a wired connection, devices can only be attach only via wifi connection. Ideally I would like wired connections through an access point if that's possible
Click to expand...

Oh, dAmn, wasn't aware of that.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Actually you can use a router as a switch, in fact in your proposed config it will be switching and not routing. A switch operates at layer 2 of the protocol stack, so it operates on the link-level protocol (Ethernet in your case). A router operates at layer 3 of the protocol stack so it operates on the network level protocol (IP in your case).

I've done what you intend for a friend who runs a guest house. We ran an Ethernet cable from a port on his main router downstairs to a second router. This provides decent wireless reception downstairs. You can Ethernet connect to the ports on the second (downstairs) router as well, I've used it that way. All you have to watch is DHCP, you can either disable the DHCP server in the second (downstairs) router so all DHCP requests are served by the main router, or you can use both DHCP serves and just split the IP address space between them.
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
ubuysa said:
Actually you can use a router as a switch, in fact in your proposed config it will be switching and not routing. A switch operates at layer 2 of the protocol stack, so it operates on the link-level protocol (Ethernet in your case). A router operates at layer 3 of the protocol stack so it operates on the network level protocol (IP in your case).

I've done what you intend for a friend who runs a guest house. We ran an Ethernet cable from a port on his main router downstairs to a second router. This provides decent wireless reception downstairs. You can Ethernet connect to the ports on the second (downstairs) router as well, I've used it that way. All you have to watch is DHCP, you can either disable the DHCP server in the second (downstairs) router so all DHCP requests are served by the main router, or you can use both DHCP serves and just split the IP address space between them.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that. Is there an ethernet switch you would recommend? I am thinking of an ethernet switch that has at least 5 ports and use one of the ports to connect something like the EX7000 wife extender. My concern is whether there would be a decrease in performance by using the ethernet switch for 5 devices downstairs.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
keynes said:
Thank you for that. Is there an ethernet switch you would recommend? I am thinking of an ethernet switch that has at least 5 ports and use one of the ports to connect something like the EX7000 wife extender. My concern is whether there would be a decrease in performance by using the ethernet switch for 5 devices downstairs.
Click to expand...

Wife extender? That sounds promising.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
keynes said:
Thank you for that. Is there an ethernet switch you would recommend? I am thinking of an ethernet switch that has at least 5 ports and use one of the ports to connect something like the EX7000 wife extender. My concern is whether there would be a decrease in performance by using the ethernet switch for 5 devices downstairs.
Click to expand...

I'm no expert so I'd not argue with SpyderTrack's recommendation. I am surprised about the limitation (wifi only) in the router you have though. I've not come across that before.
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
ubuysa said:
I'm no expert so I'd not argue with SpyderTrack's recommendation. I am surprised about the limitation (wifi only) in the router you have though. I've not come across that before.
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I was also surprise and people on the netgear community forum as well, I took the comment made from the brochure of the extender. I would have expected to work as a switch in Access Point mode. My internet provider offered to change the location of the router free of charge so an engineer will come here and put it in the living room as I was intending. However I would still want to have a switch upstairs or the wifi externder suggested by Spidertracks to make sure internet connection is still strong
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
I went for the EX7000 and the GS608. I am hoping for a significant improvement in streaming time. Will update next week once the work is completed.
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Just an update.
I contacted netgear and they admitted that their documentation wasn't clear. After a couple of days I got this response for the EX7000:
I spoke directly with my technical support team on this, and they let me know that in AP mode, the EX7000 can cater to both wired and wireless clients. So once you connect Ethernet to the WAN port and set it up in AP mode, you should be able to connect devices to the EX7000 as expected.
Click to expand...
A bit late since I purchased the ethernet switch, hopefully no one else makes the same mistake
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
keynes said:
Just an update.
I contacted netgear and they admitted that their documentation wasn't clear. After a couple of days I got this response for the EX7000:

A bit late since I purchased the ethernet switch, hopefully no one else makes the same mistake
Click to expand...

Did seem strange that it wouldn't, I wonder if that was an early firmware restriction for some reason.
 
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