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Can I Connect an Eircom Netopia 3347NWG Wirelessly to a Negear WGR614

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  • 03-06-2008 4:09pm
    #1
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all, I'm asking for help here because the realms of wireless access are quite beyond my abilities. I'll give you a brief but of history to what has lead me to need to connect one wireless router to another.

    History:
    I have just finished college and have decided to move home for a while. While at college I was with NTL Broadband and had gotten the Netgear WGR614 wireless router (product page link at end of post). So I have now moved home and here we have a Netopia 3347NWG which is connected by an ethernet cable to the house's desktop, a laptop is also connected to this router wirelessly. Where I am actually staying at home is outside of the main building itself, and unfortunately the range of the Netopia's wireless capabilities is just out of reach (by 5-10 metres or so)

    What I Would Like to Do:

    So what I would like to do is have my Netgear router set up a certain distance away from the Netopia router and for it (the Netgear router) to receive a wireless connection from the Netopia router. What I am hoping is that then the Netgear router will be able to send my computer a wireless signal outside the house so that I can access the internet once again but without disturbing those inside the house's connectivity....

    Is this possible at all?

    Gratefully yours,

    Dominic.



    Router Product pages:
    Netopia 3347NWG
    Netopia WGR614


Comments

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    #2
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    This is both a bump and a secondary question.

    Could I boost the wireless signal of the netopia router in anyway?


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    #3
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    with that netopia, i think the antenna is fixed to it, so boosting range with perhaps a bigger antenna or one that could be extended with a wire is out of the question. I've never done it, but i'm sure it's possible to bridge the connections using the netgear as an access point. alternatively you could just run an ethernet cable from the netopia to the netgear, plugging the cable into the wan port of the netgear.

    I'll have a look into it for ya. have two wireless routers sitting at home i could test it with (netopia and a linksys).


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    #4
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    BoB_BoT wrote: »
    ..... I've never done it, but i'm sure it's possible to bridge the connections using the netgear as an access point. alternatively you could just run an ethernet cable from the netopia to the netgear, plugging the cable into the wan port of the netgear.

    I'll have a look into it for ya. have two wireless routers sitting at home i could test it with (netopia and a linksys).

    that'd be fantastic!

    I was thinking that maybe I could connect the netgear and netopia by ethernet, I even tried it.. but really all the routing stuff boggles my mind, so it didn't work for me :o of course even if it had I woud have to find somewhere to put the netgear router.

    Really looking forward to reading what you've to say next! Thanks so much.


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    #5
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    ok tried this myself, it can't be done with a standard router unless it has repeater functions. the same goes for your netgear. However, you can get wireless repeaters for less than 40. inc shipping on komplett.ie click you may even get it cheaper on ebay.

    however!!! your router seems to be supported by the DD-WRT firmware, this turns an average router into a super router :P if you're willing to try it, it will give you so many features extra, such as ad hoc networking and REPEATING, which is what you need. link to supported routers clicky.
    Be warned though, if it goes wrong it make make the router useless.

    Was gonna flash my linksys with it but never got around to it :P
    Gonna do it tomorrow now :)


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    #6
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    Hey there, thanks for getting back to me.

    I've spent the last hour looking into flashing the DD WRT FW, but it seems beyond my capabilities really and truly.

    I think I will be going the repeater route... the one you linked to seems like a good option. Have you any opinions to share about repeaters?

    Thanks again for your help.


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    #7
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    it should be pretty straight forward to install, you switch it to repeater mode, enter the mac address of the netopia router, and it just relays the signal :)
    there is one catch, I think the bandwidth halves. so if you were to transfer files across your network, say back to the hope pc, you'd only be working with 27mbps, at least that's what I understand (from that router manual :P)


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    #8
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    Plug an ethernet lead from the Netopia lan socket in to a LAN socket on the Netgear, it should then work, will look into this more in a while. Certainly possible as I have it set up here with 3 routers, had 4 connected this way.

    MC


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    #9
    MunsterCycling
    Registered Users Posts: 4,864 ✭✭✭MunsterCycling


    IS this an old router (the netopia I mean)? It seems to only support b speeds and not g.

    The netgear is the mutz nutz of a router so no prob there, what firmware version is on the Netopia?


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    #10
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    feck never even thought of it operating at b speeds. it'd still work with the repeater setup, only problem being all you'll be able to do with such a setup is browse, stream videos etc...

    what speed broadband are ye on Mactard? I don't see any real problems repeating the b signal or net speeds (latency maybe), you're not a gamer are you? :)


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    #11
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    MunsterCycling wrote: »
    Plug an ethernet lead from the Netopia lan socket in to a LAN socket on the Netgear, it should then work, will look into this more in a while. Certainly possible as I have it set up here with 3 routers, had 4 connected this way.

    MC

    I think I tried this but couldn't get the netgear and netopia to connect...but I will try again when I'm home on sunday.
    MunsterCycling wrote: »
    IS this an old router (the netopia I mean)? It seems to only support b speeds and not g.

    The netgear is the mutz nutz of a router so no prob there, what firmware version is on the Netopia?

    It is an old router alright, this is the family home out in the west of galway so the infrastructure is pretty pure. I'm hazarding a guess that the router is between 4-5 yrs old.
    I forget now what FW is on the Netopia but I will check that tomorrow.
    BoB_BoT wrote: »
    feck never even thought of it operating at b speeds. it'd still work with the repeater setup, only problem being all you'll be able to do with such a setup is browse, stream videos etc...

    what speed broadband are ye on Mactard? I don't see any real problems repeating the b signal or net speeds (latency maybe), you're not a gamer are you? :)

    I think it is either a 1mb connection or 3mb, it was definitely 1mb when we got it, but my parents may have upgraded it since I moved away. I'm not really a gamer, I play GTA4 and Mario Kart DD, but that's it, nothing online, my little brother however is big into Xbox Live but his console is well within range of the router.

    Thanks for all your assistant so far! hope I can return the favour at some point.


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    #12
    mukki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,669 ✭✭✭mukki


    you want to increase the range of a 3347nwg????


    the range of them things is second to NONE!

    i have one in the attic and my brother who is .9km away can browse the net on his pc with a belkin usb reciever sitting on a window facing my house.


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    #13
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    900meters away?!? ya sure he's on your router? :P


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    #14
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    mukki wrote: »
    you want to increase the range of a 3347nwg????


    the range of them things is second to NONE!

    i have one in the attic and my brother who is .9km away can browse the net on his pc with a belkin usb reciever sitting on a window facing my house.

    Good for him. The same router does not get the same range for me however. Thank you for your input.

    Bob, MC, I'll be able to provide more info later today. Thank for everything.


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    #15
    mukki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,669 ✭✭✭mukki


    BoB_BoT wrote: »
    900meters away?!? ya sure he's on your router? :P



    we're on a farm out the country, no one else around really.


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    #16
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    no prob Mactard :)

    that still doesn't sound feasible mukki, I think the max range for a wifi router would be around 150meters, without any modification or additional antennas. Even with nothing blocking line of sight it doesn't sound right. I wonder if there's any natural phenomena that's boosting the range :)


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    #17
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    Very sorry for the late reply, i've had one hectic weekend.

    I tried hooking the two routers together via ethernet, But could not get them to play nice.. any advice?

    The FW on the netopia is:7.4.2r2


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    #18
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    hey Mactard didn't see there was a response to ya on the thread :P
    did ya get this sorted?

    incase you havn't, have you the cable going from the netopia into the WAN port on the netgear? in the netgear config page, set the wan port to pick up dhcp. that should sort it :)


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    #19
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    Not yet no :( I'm waiting for that TP-Link repeater to come back into stock at komplett... the netgear doesn't have the range I need (it has to transmit through a garage with two two foot thick walls, and unfortunately it cant manage that). What I've opted to do is place the TP-Link repeater up high in the loft of the garage, replacing the antenna if needs be. I tested the Netgear router in the loft just to see if I could get a signal outside of the garage, and thankfully I can, so the TP Link router should work.... fingers crossed....


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    #20
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    It's been a very long time since I first posted this thread but I finally got that TP-Link repeater....which is great and all but I have no idea what so ever how to set it up... I did have a go at it (set it to repeater mode, entered the netopia's MAC address into it) but that doesn't seem to have worked.


    Bob-bot, or anyone else who knows, if you can spare a few minutes to help me finally set this up that'd make my week.


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    #21
    BoB_BoT
    Registered Users Posts: 1,835 ✭✭✭BoB_BoT


    hey Mactard, that sounds about right, the way you have it set up. can you describe the way you set it up? i.e. logged into the router, set it to repeater mode, entered the mac address saved the config etc..

    What I'd try is setting up the new wireless router so that you can see and connect to it (not in repeating mode yet). Once you've confirmed that you can see and connect to it (rule out any possibilities of hardware failure), then it's time to start messing about with the repeater function.

    Have you tried ticking the universal repeater box?


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    #22
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    BoB_BoT wrote: »
    hey Mactard, that sounds about right, the way you have it set up. can you describe the way you set it up? i.e. logged into the router, set it to repeater mode, entered the mac address saved the config etc..

    What I'd try is setting up the new wireless router so that you can see and connect to it (not in repeating mode yet). Once you've confirmed that you can see and connect to it (rule out any possibilities of hardware failure), then it's time to start messing about with the repeater function.

    Have you tried ticking the universal repeater box?

    Thanks for the reply :)

    My tp-link box can see the netopia box alright, regardless of whether it is in repeater mode or not. I've tried universal mode both ticked and unticked.

    Description of setting up:

    1. Connect tp-link to netopia via ethernet cable

    2. Access tp-link settings or wirless (couldn't access settings over wireless without connecting tp-link to netopia)

    3. set tp-link to repeater mode, search for available devices, selected netopia. (At this point the netopia and tplink are still connected by ethernet)

    4. Am prompted to restart connection, so I do...get a conflict message between the tplink and ethernet connected netopia box so disconnect tplink.

    5. Tplink no longer shows up as it's own device in available wireless networks panel, not sure if it is bouncing the netopia's signal or if its not functioning correctly.

    6. Does not seem to be any range extension.

    Now, one thing I find odd is that the TPlink does not seem to ask me to enter my netopia's network password, so I would have to wonder if it is being prevented from receiving a signal? if that is the case how would I work around it?


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