Extender questions adding to a G1100 router with gigabit speed

[slivingston49]

Can I use an old Actiontec mi424wr router as an extender to add to my G1100 with gigabit speed? 

If so how would I set this up? Would the mi424wr provide speeds the same as the G1100?   

[Cang_Household]

Well, it depends...

When you say "extender," do you mean a wired extender or a wireless extender. Also, do you want it to be ethernet-backhauled or MoCA-backhauled?

To ensure gigabit speed delivery, only ethernet-backhauled wired extender is viable. This configuration essentially reduces the Actiontec router to a 4-port ethernet switch, with a higher power consumption.

Where and why did you get the G1100? Because Verizon has ended MI424WR support?

[gs0b · Accepted solution]

The old Actiontec Rev I units can be setup as a WiFi Access Point.  But, they are single band 802.11n only, so max speed is about 130Mbps, with real speeds being lower.  Not a bad speed if you use it to give WiFi coverage where non existed before, but certainly not the 300-400Mbps you can get out of a G1100.

To run it in AP mode, you need to put it in bridged network mode, disable DHCP and connect one of it's LAN ports to a LAN port on the G1100.  It will pull an IP address from the G1100 once this is done, so be sure to make a note of it so you can login to it in the future.  If things get messed up, a factory reset will get it back to a usable state.