Ask the Wi-Fi Guru: Extending Range, Upgrading to Linux Firmware

“A: To recap, it sounds like what you want is a wireless network
which supports roaming between floors, but does not cost bandwidth
for devices connected to the secondary router.

“In a network that supports roaming, your wireless device (such
as your laptop) will connect to the strongest signal, and hopefully
switch as necessary seamlessly as you move around the space. For
this to work, there needs to be at least two wireless access
points, each configured with the same SSID, identical security
parameters (protocol and password), but different broadcast
channels.

“Indeed, you could set up a roaming network either using WDS or
a wireless repeater, but both come with a cost. The secondary
router will be doing double duty as both a wireless client—to
receive a signal from the primary router—and a wireless
AP—broadcasting signal to associated devices. Because the
secondary router has only one internal radio it must operate at
half-duplex, meaning it switches between receiving and
broadcasting. The effect of this is that the available LAN
bandwidth is cut in half for devices connected to this secondary
router. So neither (a) nor (c) of your options will solve this
problem.

“Option (b), the wireless bridge, gets us closer to the
solution—but with a twist. What you need is a third
router!”

Complete
Story