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Forum Discussion
Can't use same name as network it's extending?
This is probably a silly question -- but we had another router and it "extended" our primary router's wifi network and used the same name. It appears the WN2500RP we just got creates a new network. Th...
When it comes to making the wireless network range wider you basically have two options:
1. Wireless repeating (through dedicated wireless access points, or routers supporting the wireless repeating mode).
2. Universal Wi-Fi Range Extenders.
Now, option 1 allows you to widen a wireless network range and maintaining the same wireless network name (SSID) throughout the whole network, across all of the units (router + access points), however, this solution allows only for the very old and easily hacked WEP encryption. In other words: an unsecure solution compared to the ones available today. This works in conjuction with the WDS protocol that allows for One network (and yes, one network name) to be distributed across several wireless transmitting units. Some common access points for wireless repeating would be the WN802T or the WN604.
The 2nd option allows for a much greater deal of security, through the WPA and WPA2 encryption, but it will have you put in a separate network name (SSID) as it creates an entirely separate network from the one your router sends out, however using the same internet connection of course. Should you succeed in putting the exact same network name (SSID) on the extender as the router is using, you will be facing issues with your computers and wireless devices getting disconnected and reconnected to the wireless network all of the time and surfing the web will become very unstable, as the wireless devices aren't always able to differ the two networks. This will result in you randomly getting logged out from pages, streaming videos getting interrupted and VoIP calls like Skype getting interrupted. So if you decide to stay with the extender solution, you should make sure to use separate network names (SSIDs).
Hope I didn't get too nerdy. :D Cheers.
1. Wireless repeating (through dedicated wireless access points, or routers supporting the wireless repeating mode).
2. Universal Wi-Fi Range Extenders.
Now, option 1 allows you to widen a wireless network range and maintaining the same wireless network name (SSID) throughout the whole network, across all of the units (router + access points), however, this solution allows only for the very old and easily hacked WEP encryption. In other words: an unsecure solution compared to the ones available today. This works in conjuction with the WDS protocol that allows for One network (and yes, one network name) to be distributed across several wireless transmitting units. Some common access points for wireless repeating would be the WN802T or the WN604.
The 2nd option allows for a much greater deal of security, through the WPA and WPA2 encryption, but it will have you put in a separate network name (SSID) as it creates an entirely separate network from the one your router sends out, however using the same internet connection of course. Should you succeed in putting the exact same network name (SSID) on the extender as the router is using, you will be facing issues with your computers and wireless devices getting disconnected and reconnected to the wireless network all of the time and surfing the web will become very unstable, as the wireless devices aren't always able to differ the two networks. This will result in you randomly getting logged out from pages, streaming videos getting interrupted and VoIP calls like Skype getting interrupted. So if you decide to stay with the extender solution, you should make sure to use separate network names (SSIDs).
Hope I didn't get too nerdy. :D Cheers.