Extending wifi from the wifi/router through an ethernet cable into what?

September 17, 2014 7:59 AM

I would like to use wifi in the cellar but can’t pick up a signal. However I have an Ethernet cable that goes from my wifi router in the living room to the cellar (next to a plug socket). I’m not sure what type of device I need to plug the Ethernet cable into to give me a wifi network downstairs.

I know that there are devices which transmit the internet signal through the copper electrical wiring but I think these offer limited data speeds which is no good as I want to stream HiDef video. Do I need another wifi router or is there a simple ethernet-to-wifi device that exists. I'm not sure what I need.

Any recommendations? Extra points for cheap-o solutions!

posted by guy72277 to Computers & Internet (12 answers total)

You just need another Wi-Fi router.
posted by w0mbat at 8:04 AM on September 17, 2014 [2 favorites]

The simplest thing to do is to plug in a second wireless router. They're fairly cheap these days. Here's one for $18 (free shipping if you have Amazon Prime). The ratings are decent, as well.
posted by alex1965 at 8:06 AM on September 17, 2014

Yes, just plug in another router to the ethernet and set it to 'repeater' mode, or to broadcast the same wifi network. For more specific info we need to know your current router.
posted by TDIpod at 8:09 AM on September 17, 2014

I believe the exact word for what you want is wireless access point. You have the hard part, an ethernet cable to your router. No need for some weird thing using electrical wiring! Just plug a second access point into your ethernet cable, configure it as an access point, and you've extended your wifi network. Your wireless access point will use the same SSID and security credentials as your main wifi router, and your client devices will just connect to it automatically with no configuration.

To me, "router" means something that's managing Internet routing, you only want one router in your house. "Repeater" implies something that's wi-fi only, no cable, also known as an "extender". Most consumer routers have an access point mode. You can also buy consumer devices that are similar to routers but are access points only. Not much reason to unless it saves you some money.

This Wirecutter article has more info.
posted by Nelson at 8:22 AM on September 17, 2014

If you want to stream hi-def video, it could be that a wired network would suit you better. You've already got the ethernet cable into the cellar, which is the hard part as Nelson said. So maybe you just need a longer cable that will reach whatever you're streaming the video to.

TBH though it's hard to go wrong here. Wireless access points are cheap & trivially easy to set up, and so is powerline networking for that matter. In different rooms I have some combination of all three (wired, wireless, powerline) and it's all good.
posted by rd45 at 8:29 AM on September 17, 2014

To follow on rd45's advice; most wireless access points (and routers) have a small Ethernet switch built in as well, typically 4 ports. Plug one of those in and you'll have better wi-fi in the cellar, plus several ethernet ports you can plug your TV or whatever in to.
posted by Nelson at 8:43 AM on September 17, 2014 [1 favorite]

We have two routers because Comcast has a limit on the number of devices its router can handle. Helllllooo Daisy Chain!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:09 AM on September 17, 2014

Yeah, a new router will serve you well. Or you can get a longer Cat5e cable and plug that in to your streaming video device. I personally prefer to have an actual physical connect when I'm streaming anything that requires high throughput.
posted by trogdole at 10:32 AM on September 17, 2014

I think you want an access point, rather than a router, if you want the basement to be on the same network as the rest of your house. It may be that routers can be configured to act just as access points, but it may also be that just buying an access point would be cheaper.

Also if you're streaming video I would consider extending the ethernet cable directly to the device that needs connectivity.
posted by Aizkolari at 4:55 PM on September 17, 2014

One caveat to the "just get another router" suggestions above. If you have a need for the devices on your current network to be able to directly talk to the devices you plan to connect in the cellar, then a router is definitely not the right tool for the job, as it will prevent them from doing so. You want a wireless access point for that.

That said, you might find that you'll get a better price if you go for a router that can be configured as an access point (like this ASUS RT-N12) rather than buying a dedicated access point, as access point hardware is often geared towards enterprises with a cost to match. Plus, getting a router with this mode means you can use the back ports to connect to the wired network as well, without having to buy a separate ethernet switch.
posted by Aleyn at 11:09 PM on September 17, 2014

On reading the Wirecutter article, and specifically the Tested article on using an old router to extend your WiFi network, I take back what I said about routers not working for this purpose, provided you set up the router in the cellar correctly. If you follow the instructions in the article, you should be okay, but a wireless access point may be more straightforward to deal with.
posted by Aleyn at 11:19 PM on September 17, 2014

Response by poster: Thanks for all the info everyone, this clears up a lot. I'd ideally like to go for the wireless access point so I don't have to deal with two separate networks, and I'll have a NAS on the router upstairs so a second router might complicate things. Also, I need wifi for the chromecast dongle which has no ethernet connection.
Time to get searching...
posted by guy72277 at 6:23 AM on September 19, 2014