Do you have Wi-Fi dead spots around your home? Have you experienced walking into one of the rooms and suddenly getting a weak Wi-Fi signal on your mobile phone?
Wi-Fi dead spots can be caused by physical barriers inside your house, like walls or refrigerators, along with the distance between your router and the area where you want to get a signal.
Even some materials can significantly affect your Wi-Fi signal strength. The good news is we can do something about it.
This article will show you how to use and configure a router as an access point to expand your Wi-Fi network.
Let’s start with the basic definitions and the main difference between a router and an access point.
The Difference Between Router And Access Point
A router is a networking device that receives and sends data on a computer network, while a wireless access point (wireless AP) is a network device that transmits and receives data over a wireless local area network (WLAN) that serves as the interconnection point between the WLAN and a fixed wire network.
A wireless access point is a technology that allows you to convert a wired LAN connection to a wireless network.
This means that you give wireless capable devices a way to connect to your wired Internet network.
The difference between a wireless router and a wireless access point is that wireless routers are primarily used in homes and small businesses where users can be supported by one combined AP and router (these are built-in functions) to provide internet access to wireless-capable devices like smartphones and laptops.
Wireless access points are usually used in larger businesses and venues where many Access Points are required to provide an internet connection to support thousands of users.
The number of access points needed will increase depending on the number of network users and the physical size of the network.
In short, a wireless router without the routing capabilities and the DHCP server would just be an access point. Also, a wireless router without an access point would just be a wired router.
Below are some general guidelines on the necessary steps for setting up a Wi-Fi access point using a router. You don’t need to buy a new one if you have a spare router at home.
It is important to note, however, that these guidelines are generic and may differ depending on the model and version of your router.
Let’s get right to it. Here are the things that you would need to get started:
- Router – a device necessary to transmit data and manage the network connectivity between access points and end devices within a local area network. Some Wi-Fi routers have an Access Point mode (it should be indicated in the features list if available), which you can turn on, and it will start working as an Access Point.
- Ethernet cables – are a type of network cable that is vital when creating a home or business network or establishing internet connections. They are designed to work with Ethernet ports. Ethernet ports can be found on routers, computers, TVs and most internet and network-enabled devices.
- Computer – is needed to access the web interface of the access point or router and is also used for network configuration. It would be helpful to prepare these other miscellaneous items just in case they are needed: device driver and installation discs, modem, extension cord, wall mount, etc.
How To Setup A Router As An Access Point
Step 1: Find The Best Location For Your Router
Now that we have covered the necessary definitions and equipment, you first need to find a good spot for your router.
It’s tempting to place your router wherever you have space without giving it much thought, but that’s a mistake.
A Wi-Fi signal only travels so far, and the more walls, bookcases, or other materials it encounters, the shorter that distance becomes.
If the internet seems slow or spotty on your phone or tablet, it is because the placement of the router is not optimal. You have to imagine that the Wi-Fi signal is a sphere and the router is the core or center.
Ultimately, your router should be placed in or near the center of the most important area of your home; it is usually where you hang out or work. Wherever you want the fastest speeds, aim for the center of that location.
Your router doesn’t have to be tied or placed next to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) modem. Even if you have a modem router combo, you can still use a separate Wi-Fi router.
If your ISP (Internet Service Provider) installed your modem (and Wi-Fi router) in an inconvenient location (like the basement or garage), that is a good reason to use a dedicated Wi-Fi router as an access point.
You can run a long ethernet cable from your modem to the best location in your home and connect your Wi-Fi router there.
Make sure that your router is far away from other access points or wireless devices inside the home to avoid having issues with interference.
Signal interference happens when one or more wireless devices, such as routers and access points collide signals which can affect the quality and coverage of your Wi-Fi signal strength.
After finding the perfect spot for your router, connect the router to a power outlet and switch it on (some devices no longer have a power button because they automatically turn on once plugged into a power source.
PoE (Power Over Ethernet) compatible devices will not require a power cable and outlet—just an Ethernet cable which lessens the amount of cable you have to manage.
Step 2: Connecting The Cables
Aside from your router’s power cable, you will use the ethernet cable to connect the access point to your router.
Now, depending on the distance from your router to your access point, make sure you have the right amount of length of ethernet cable.
It is important to know that the maximum length of a Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable is about 90 meters, plus up to 5 meters of patch cable on either end, for a total of 328 feet or 100 meters.
This is the optimal length and going beyond this, the signal begins to degrade, reducing the speed and reliability of the connection.
There should be a LAN port at the back of your router. Plug the one end of the ethernet cable there and the other end should be plugged into the main Ethernet port on the access point.
This will allow connectivity from the access point to the router’s created or broadcasted local area network.
Depending on your router model, a solid or blinking green light should come on once you plug in the Ethernet cable, confirming the physical connection.
You may also connect the router directly to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) modem by using the same ethernet cable and inserting it into the main Ethernet port of your router to the ethernet port of your modem.
Then, plug in another Ethernet cable to connect the router to the computer. The ethernet cable should be inserted into a LAN port on the router and into the Ethernet port on the computer.
This will connect the computer onto the local area network and will allow direct access point and LAN management.
Step 3: Configure Your Network Setup
In today’s advanced technology, as long as the network devices: your router, access point and modem are connected to each other, assuming all the devices are powered on and transmitting data via Ethernet cable, there is usually no need for a manual setup.
This means that everything is ready to go. However, basic setup or network configuration instructions for the router can easily be found in the user manual.
If you want to access the router’s web user interface, you can access or change optional and advanced router settings by connecting to the router via the computer using the IP address 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 (or the address noted in the manual).
First, you need to connect a computer to a LAN port on the wireless router that you want to convert to an AP for it to obtain IP Address information automatically.
On your Windows computer, go to Start > Settings > Network Connections. Select Local Area Connections and click “Properties”. Then Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” and make sure that “Obtain an IP Address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically” are selected.
Still using your computer, login to the web user interface of your router. By default, it should use the default username and password which can be found in the manual.
If you don’t have a manual with you, it should be searchable on the internet by simply typing in the router model and firmware.
Once logged in, make sure that the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server is turned off to avoid issues since simple, one-segment local area networks only need one DHCP server.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network management protocol used to dynamically assign an IP address to any device on a network so it can communicate using an IP Address.
DHCP automates and centrally manages these configurations rather than requiring network admins to assign IP addresses to all devices in the network manually.
From your router’s admin portal, you will see the LAN (Local Area Network) router setting. By default, a router’s IP Address is usually set to 192.168.0.1.
You have the option to change this to a different subnet if you like or leave it as it is.
Then, change the address of the router to an unused LAN IP address within the range of your router’s subnet (outside the DHCP range but in the same subnet as any other connected devices).
For example, if your main router has the IP address 192.168.0.1 you can use 192.168.0.7 or, to avoid any IP conflicts in the future, use something more bold, like 192.168.0.178, just be sure to be outside the DHCP range. Now, save the settings.
You want your router (used as an access point) to use the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) also known as network name, encryption type and passkey as the main router.
But, if you have an 11g access point and want only 11g clients to connect to it, you can use a different SSID, along with a different passkey and a different encryption (if applicable). It’s really up to you.
Using the WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) encryption is highly recommended, as it is the most secure right now.
Some old routers may not use WPA or WPA2, but remember that the WEP encryption is unreliable and easily hackable.
Make sure your passkey or Wi-Fi password is strong enough: with a minimum of 12 characters long, but 14 or more is better, a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Do not use any word that can be found in a dictionary or the name of a person, character, product, or organization.
Avoid confusing your connected devices and maintain a stable network by using different channels for every Access Point. For example, if your main router is on channel 3, your AP can be set to channel 9.
Unplug the computer you used to configure the router and plug it back into one of your LAN access points or modem.
Now, take an Ethernet cable, plug one end into another unused router switch port and the other end into one of the access point’s LAN ports.
Lastly, since you have the new access point connected to the network, you can now check if your AP is reachable using the newly assigned IP Address. Next, try to connect a new wireless client and see if it receives an IP automatically.
And that’s it! Congratulations, you have successfully completed the basic setup of configuring your router as an access point.
