Hardware for wi-fi access point?

[johric]

I am looking for a wi-fi gadget that will plug into wired ethernet and produce a w-fi signal enough to cover one room. I want to be able to manually switch it on and off and also to leave the NowTV router settings "Enable Wireless Access Point" unticked i.e. OFF, so that main router itself is not producing wi-fi. Is that even possible please and if so what might it be called and who makes them?

[Jayach · Accepted solution]

It is called, unsurprisingly, a Wireless Access Point, and most network manufactures offer them.

You can also turn an old wireless router into one, try googling "use old router as wireless access point"

[johric]

Thanks, and not too expensive I see. I have an old NowTV router – would that just confuse the issue and lead to conflict?

[Jayach]

When using a second router as an access point. you would just be using the switch and wireless access point in it, so disable everything else such as DHCP. Connect the routers LAN To LAN (don't use the WAN connection on the second router) and it should all work.

Edit: Set the base address of the second router so that it doesn't conflict with the main router.

[chilli2]

You can also use a third party router/modem and do away with the now hub2 completely as the best place for the now router is stored away in it's box

[johric]

Thanks, have not really had any issues with Hub2 except it doesn't always seem to be quick enough to collect emails on computer startup but that may be computer at fault, so better the devil you know?

[chilli2]

Sounds more like a computer issue as opposed to a network/wifi or even internet issue

[RoyB]

@johric 

It sounds like you are trying to solve a problem, that you have conjectured that what you describe could be the solution to the problem, and are asking for help achieving it.

Nothing wrong with that per se, but we may be able to help you much more effectively if you tell us what the root problem you are trying to solve is, and see what we might suggest to solve that.

So -what’s the root problem you are trying to solve here?

[johric]

Hi there, and thanks for taking an interest. You probably won't think it's a problem at all really, except maybe a psychological one 😊

NowTV router upstairs that works fine; most internet stuff done on an ethernet-connected Mac, also fine; and if I switch on the wi-fi (in settings) the signal seems to fill the house fine.

Versus... 'someone' 😊 in the household does not like wi-fi in the environment; whose wife has an aversion to going on the computer to open up settings to switch on wi-fi for her iPad (iPads only use wi-fi b.t.w.); NowTV router does not have an external wi-fi switch she can use; plus her iPad constantly disconnecting where used (room downstairs).

Having recently purchased a pair of TP-Link powerline switches to connect another device downstairs led me to post original question.

So...chilli2 (above) would probably say go out and buy yourself a decent router with a switch 😊 (which I might well do in the future).

BUT actually, thanks to Jayach's suggestion, after some perseverance and frustration experimenting with settings I DID manage to set up the surplus NowTV router as a "Wireless Access Point". It's not perfect because it still hasn't got a switch so needs its own mains socket so that it can be switched on and off on it's own, but switching on at the mains and waiting 2 mins and it works great. And strangely, it seems to work better than the original, even back upstairs so now a) no complaints about iPad connection anywhere and b) no need to go into router settings at all even if I need wi-fi myself.

Sorry the post is so long but you did ask! 😊and reply is also to thank posters above for help and resolution.

[chilli2]

The router does not collect the emails, if everything else connected to the router is working fine, then the issue points towards an issue with the computer - and that can be an almost endless list of issues to sort out , particularly when we dont know what computer/operating system you are using let alone what software/anti virus/email client etc is on the computer , email service used and so on and so on

 Have you tried another device for collecting / checking the email?

[johric]

Sorry, badly worded – not the emails but the problem is with the router not able to get IP address at startup 50% of the time, so won't connect to internet. You're right – Apple says it's due to ISP and NowTV says it's computer so that's a separate issue which I've given up trying to sort out and just living with it 🙁 

[Jayach]

---

@johric wrote:

Sorry, badly worded – not the emails but the problem is with the router not able to get IP address at startup 50% of the time,

---

Are you powering the main router off and on? It is definitely best to leave it powered up at all times. Not sure I understand the problem of having the Wi-Fi on at all times, but if you are using the settings in the router to switch it off/on, it should not lose it's I.P. address.

[johric]

Yes router left on all the time. I'm thinking that as this is an aside not relevant to the issue I originally posted maybe I should try and get help with it anyway on this forum but on a new thread? I'll do that and give more details when I get back from upcoming holiday and send you the link and would appreciate any input you may have.

[RoyB]

@johric 

Ah, I see, it’s a tinfoil helmet issue 😛

My marriage would not survive long if I tried to limit my wife’s use of her iPad in any way 😢🤷🤷🤷

And the husband in question does know that an iPad deprived of a WiFi connection will go into wifi overdrive looking for another one?

But unless you all live in a mansion with extensive grounds surrounding the house, your environment is probably saturated with other peoples’ WiFi anyway. To demonstrate this, get an Android device and download an app called WiFi Analyzer (Apple are too privacy-conscious to allow this on iOS devices) and View the Channel graph while your own WiFi is switched off.

My guess is your environment may be pretty stuffed with other people’s WiFi; so what’s one more AP?

Oh, and what’s the ‘local view’ on 3/4/5G? 😱

[johric]

Partly right😊 But the above solution has now enabled us to get the outcome we wanted for our circumstances, and in the process I've learned a little (but not much) about IP addresses, DHCP, and the like 🤔