Linking 2 routers wirelessly
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

I upgraded to a new FIOS router. I still have the old router.

I want to get a NAS hard drive to back up my computer. I want to wirelessly connect to the NAS & connect a LAN cable from the old router to the NAS. I've searched the internet & every website that I've gone to, shows a wired connection between the old router & the new router. That's not what I want. I want to wirelessly connect the new router to the old router. I would think that that is posible. Is it?

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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
Anti-Phish1
Master - Level 1

@pcnerd wrote:

I want to wirelessly connect the new router to the old router. I would think that that is posible. Is it?


No.  The Actiontec routers do not support wireless bridging.
If you have coax where you want the NAS, you can brige the two routers over coax instead of having to run cat5..
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/15984
 
 
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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

No.  The Actiontec routers do not support wireless bridging.

Well, darn! Is it possible for me to accomplish what I want to do with a WAP or a wifi hotspot?

I noticed that there is an ethernet port on the ONT next to the flashing lights. What's that for?

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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
Anti-Phish1
Master - Level 1

@pcnerd wrote:

Is it possible for me to accomplish what I want to do with a WAP or a wifi hotspot?


There are routers and WAPs that do support wireless bridging, but you would need two.
Be aware that wireless bridging will cut your speed in half. 

@pcnerd wrote:
I noticed that there is an ethernet port on the ONT next to the flashing lights. What's that for?
That's for making a connection between the ONT and a router using cat5 instead of coax.
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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

pcnerd wrote:

Is it possible for me to accomplish what I want to do with a WAP or a wifi hotspot?


There are routers and WAPs that do support wireless bridging, but you would need two.
Be aware that wireless bridging will cut your speed in half.

2 routers? Can I use my old FIOS router & buy a new one? I don't want to cut the speed in half! I don't understand the network technobabble.

pcnerd wrote:
I noticed that there is an ethernet port on the ONT next to the flashing lights. What's that for?


That's for making a connection between the ONT and a router using cat5 instead of coax.

I suppose that it isn't possible to do that with a FIOS router is it?

Well, darn!

This is what I'd like to do. I live in an apartment. My computer is in the utility room. I want to get a Western Digital My Cloud Mirror(RAID) to back up my hard drive. Ideally, I'd want to back up the backup with a second Western Digital My Cloud Mirror elsewhere in the apartment. I don't want to run LAN cable thru the apartment. That's an accident waiting to happen. That's why I was thinking about putting a second Western Digital My Cloud Mirror in the kitchen or living room or bedroom & conect wirelessly to it & connect the Western Digital My Cloud Mirror to the router with a LAN cable. But based on what you've told me so far, that's not possible without spending a small fortune & it sure isn't simple to accomplish. I thought of another possiblity, but based on what you've told me, I'd have the same problem. The idea is to take the second NAS over to my parents' house & physically connect it to my dad's router. I wonder if there are any NAS's with built-in wireless capability. If there are such things, can I accomplish what I want to do?

It's back to the proverbial drawing board!

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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
Anti-Phish1
Master - Level 1

@pcnerd wrote:

2 routers? Can I use my old FIOS router & buy a new one?


No.  I already stated the Actiontecs do not support wireless bridging.


@pcnerd wrote:

That's for making a connection between the ONT and a router using cat5 instead of coax.

I suppose that it isn't possible to do that with a FIOS router is it?

Yes, it is. 

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/15990 

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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

pcnerd wrote:

That's for making a connection between the ONT and a router using cat5 instead of coax.

I suppose that it isn't possible to do that with a FIOS router is it?

 

Yes, it is.

Yes, it IS possible or yes, it IS NOT possible?

pcnerd wrote:

2 routers? Can I use my old FIOS router & buy a new one?


No.  I already stated the Actiontecs do not support wireless bridging.

Well, I can scratch that idea.

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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
Anti-Phish1
Master - Level 1

Follow the FAQ I posted earlier to switch your WAN connection from coax to cat5.

It IS possible to do so with the Actiontec.

It is also possible to connect your own router to the ONT's ethernet jack, but special considerations apply if you also have FIOS-TV.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/verizonfios/3.0_Networking#16077

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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
pcnerd
Contributor - Level 3

It is also possible to connect your own router to the ONT's ethernet jack, but special considerations apply if you also have FIOS-TV.

HUH??? To me, the link that you provided is technobabble.

...special considerations apply if you also have FIOS-TV.

Just what I need - special considerations

It looks to me that I'll have to scratch my idea of wirelessly connecting the 2 routers. I suppose that the idea that I mentioned previously about me using my dad's router to connect the NAS is also not possible, is it? The idea is to take the second NAS over to my parents' house & physically connect it to my dad's router.

Do you know if there are NASs with built-in wifi? Would that accomplish what I want to do?

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Re: Linking 2 routers wirelessly
CaptainSTX
Contributor - Level 3

It is possible to use a second router and set it up as a bridge and connect to any WiFi enabled router.  Your Actiontec router or for that matter any WiFi router set up as your primary router just sees the second router (bridge) as any other WiFi connected device

Basically you have two options:

1.  Setup the the second router as the bridge and then connect up to 4 or 5 devices to the Ethernet ports.  In effect you are using the router as a WiFi adapter.   Your throughput will be as good as you normally get using a WiFi conection.

2.  Setup the second router as bridge/repeater.   This is the same setup you would get if your purchased a WiFi repeater.  This will effectively cut your WiFi throughput in half.   (That is half the speed you would get in option 1.)  I would never want to have a NAS hooked up in this setup as the throughput would be dismal.

To put a router in either of these modes you may need to flash the secondary router with DD-WRT or Tomato.   I have alway used DD-WRT.   The hardest/riskiest part of the entire process is flashing the router with DD-WRT.   

For a detailed and very complete explanation on what you need to do for either of the above options read the DD-WRT Wiki.

No settings need to be changed on the Actiontec.  It will work in the bridge mode that you are interested in without doing anything to it.

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