Airplay on my Patio

[From A Buick 8]

I am looking for advice or suggestions to solve a problem that I have.

I want to increase the Wi-Fi coverage outside my home, and have mort ports for wired connections inside the home.

Some background.
I have a cable modem for my Internet and a Netgear wireless router (WNR3500). This router gives pretty good coverage inside the home, but because of the home type it does not penetrate through the outside walls. I have a couple of speakers on my patio that i am using an airport express to AirPlay music to,

This is what i would like to do, set up a wired access point (mounted inside the house on the wall closest to the patio) that would allow me to install and an antenna outside (to broadcast the Wi-Fi signal around the patio area), i would also like for the WAP to allow me to connect other "wired" devices ( the ports on the Netgear router are full).

I hope i explained this well enough.


So to put it another way, i would run a cat5 line to this "new piece of equipment", it would be mounted on the inside of the house. Then this "new piece of equipment" would feed three wired connections that are also inside the house and also allow me to supply wireless connection to my outdoor patio.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Basically the "Device" you're looking for is an Ethernet switch, plus a Wi-Fi Access Point. Maybe there's a single box out there to do both, but probably it's two devices (the Access Point will plug into the switch).

If your primary router were an AirPort, you'd use an AirPort Express as your access point. I'd check with NetGear and see what they have to offer along those lines.

 

[From A Buick 8]

Basically the "Device" you're looking for is an Ethernet switch, plus a Wi-Fi Access Point. Maybe there's a single box out there to do both, but probably it's two devices (the Access Point will plug into the switch).

If your primary router were an AirPort, you'd use an AirPort Express as your access point. I'd check with NetGear and see what they have to offer along those lines.

Thank you for the response, i would prefer just one device but if i have to use two that is what i will do.

So do you know if having an outdoor antenna attached to the Wi-Fi acess point will work to increase my Wi-Fi signal outside the home. I guess what i am asking here is "that the way it works"

 

[Rushli0n]

I have a similar problem with my wireless not really being that great outside. But when I attempted to link my AirPort Express to my Extreme, I was told this will actually cause my wireless "strength" to get weakened. Is that accurate? If I have an extreme and express, can I just extend my network without weakening it?

 

[From A Buick 8]

I have a similar problem with my wireless not really being that great outside. But when I attempted to link my AirPort Express to my Extreme, I was told this will actually cause my wireless "strength" to get weakened. Is that accurate? If I have an extreme and express, can I just extend my network without weakening it?

I am by no means an expert on this, but i have been trying to learn.

If you use a WiFi repeater or extender to boost your signal it will cut your speed in half.

If you use an access point it does not.

 

[DianeK]

If you use an access point it does not.

If an Express is to be used as an access point, does that require ethernet connection of it to the base station, rather than wi-fi connection? Sorry, newbie here so would appreciate instructions on how to set up an airport express as an access point using Time Capsule as the base station. They would be in different rooms.
Thank you
Diane

 

[mic j]

My understanding is that to use an AE as an access point, you must use an ethernet connection. To use a wifi connection, you must set it to "bridge mode" and doing that will halve the transmission rate.

 

[From A Buick 8]

If an Express is to be used as an access point, does that require ethernet connection of it to the base station, rather than wi-fi connection? Sorry, newbie here so would appreciate instructions on how to set up an airport express as an access point using Time Capsule as the base station. They would be in different rooms.
Thank you
Diane

I found this topic on the apple site
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1102941?start=0&tstart=0

My understanding is that to use an AE as an access point, you must use an ethernet connection. To use a wifi connection, you must set it to "bridge mode" and doing that will halve the transmission rate.

Yes that is what i understand as well.

Si i guess i need a suggestion on a Wi-Fi acess point that will accept an
antenna that i can mount outside the home for better Wi-Fi around the patio.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I am by no means an expert on this, but i have been trying to learn.

If you use a WiFi repeater or extender to boost your signal it will cut your speed in half.

If you use an access point it does not.

Only if the extender is also connected via wifi. If the WAP is connected via Ethernet, it will normally not have an effect on your Wi-Fi speeds.

 

[From A Buick 8]

Only if the extender is also connected via wifi. If the WAP is connected via Ethernet, it will normally not have an effect on your Wi-Fi speeds.

Yes, that was understood in my head but i did not state it well.

 

[zhenya]

External antennae can be a really mixed bag unless you are extremely careful with how you do it. If the new access point is inside right near the patio, I would not bother with an antenna until you try it without. It should be fine.

Also, to make sure you know, just set up the new access point with the same ssid security type and password as your main one and clients will automatically roam between them as necessary.

 

[From A Buick 8]

External antennae can be a really mixed bag unless you are extremely careful with how you do it. If the new access point is inside right near the patio, I would not bother with an antenna until you try it without. It should be fine.

Also, to make sure you know, just set up the new access point with the same ssid security type and password as your main one and clients will automatically roam between them as necessary.

I'll give that a try. The room i have my Wireless router is on the main floor and it is sitting in the middle of the house. The outside walls of the house are brick on cinder block, with plaster walls. These wals have proven to be very signal proof. The WAP will be right against the outside wall so maybe it will travel better.

 

[dennisj00]

Check out Ubiquiti devices . . they make an outdoor AP/Bridge that is great to mount under the eve of the house either in 2.4g or 5 g NanoStations. POE and less than $100.

 

[Cinephi1e]

This may not be the elegant solution, but have you considered connecting a Bluetooth receiver to your speakers?

 

[reebzor]

You can just buy ANY wireless router and turn off the firewall and dhcp server to make it a switch/AP... Dont make it more complicated than it needs to be.