Setting Up a Wireless Repeater

There are two ways in which you can extend the effective range of a wireless network: put in more wireless access points or use a wireless repeater. The former method requires that a wired network connection be available in the location where you want to put the access point. However, if your wired network does not extend to that location, the best solution would be to use a wireless repeater.

At the time of this writing, there aren’t many (if any) dedicated wireless repeaters in the market. However, some wireless access points come with a repeating function. The D-Link DWL-900AP+ (see Figure 5-11) is one such model. It supports five modes: Access point, Wireless client, Wireless bridge, Multiple-point bridge, and Repeater.

In this section, I show how to configure the DWL-900AP+ to be used as a wireless repeater. I use it together with the D-Link DI-714P+ (see Figure 5-34).

Extending the range of a wireless network using a wireless repeater

Figure 5-34. Extending the range of a wireless network using a wireless repeater

Tip

The repeating mode of the DWL-900AP+ works only with another D-Link product such as the DI-714P+.

Configuring the DWL-900AP+

First, connect the DWL-900AP+’s LAN port to the LAN port of the DI-714P+. Using a wireless card such as the DWL-650+, connect your Windows XP computer to the DI-714P+.

Tip

You can also use a crossover cable to connect your computer directly to the DWL-900AP+ for configuration.

If you ...

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