Member Avatar for !SpectreTech

Back home for the summer, and I can't get a decent signal in my room at the far side of the house. I can't move the modem any nearer, and found out that I had a Belkin 2.4GHz 802.11g wireless AP knocking around. Is it actually possible to use this as a repeater for my 802.11n sky modem?

At the moment, I plug it in, and it doesn't pick up any signal to bounce, at all. I would hate to fork out £30 odd for a 802.11n repeater...

And ideas?

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Short answer for : 802.11g radios can talk to an 802.11n modem on the 2.4 GHz band, but that alone doesn’t make an old Belkin act as a wireless “repeater.” ’s wired suggestion is the most reliable way to reuse the AP, and is right to point toward a factory reset and the device’s default IP if you can’t reach the admin page. Whether the Belkin can re-broadcast wirelessly depends on whether its firmware exposes “repeater/bridge/client/WDS” modes — many simple APs don’t.

Practical steps to get it working and secure it:

  • Connect the AP to a PC with an Ethernet cable, set the PC to obtain an IP automatically and look for the AP’s address with your OS’s network tools (for example ipconfig /all / arp -a on Windows).
  • If the admin UI is unreachable, perform a factory reset (use the reset pinhole on the unit) and then try the default address printed on the label or in the manual.
  • Once in the UI, immediately set a non-default admin password, enable WPA2-AES (not WEP), disable WPS if present, and either disable the AP’s DHCP server (if it will be on the same LAN as the Sky modem) or give the AP a static LAN address outside the modem’s DHCP pool.

Performance and alternatives:

  • Running the Belkin as a wired AP will improve signal but limit throughput to 802.11g speeds.
  • If the AP lacks repeater/bridge modes, inexpensive alternatives are a short Ethernet run, powerline adapters, or a purpose-built 802.11n repeater/AP. Using a second router with explicit “repeater” or “client” support (or vendor firmware that adds it) is another option, but check compatibility first.

Knowing the exact Belkin model printed on the unit makes it possible to provide the device’s default IP, reset procedure and any firmware options that support bridging or repeating.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

to use it, it will have to be wired [using cat5 network cable ]to your sky modem,then move it as close as possible tou your room , and setup as access point on the computer the sky modem is setup on

Belkin 2.4GHz 802.11g wireless AP

Member Avatar for !SpectreTech

No way to link it wirelessly?
And I tried it wired, but the connection from the AP came up unsecured. I can't get into the AP's web based interface to change anything settings...

Any ideas on how to secure it?

Member Avatar for JorgeM

Look up the documentation to reset the Belkin back to defaults. Their website should have the info you need with regard to the default IP it will assign itself so you can connect to it and access the admin interface with the default user id and password.

That access point is not design to be a bridge as you are inquiring about. It would have to be wired into your network and will just be another AP on your LAN. you could either assign the same SSID or a different one so that you can distinguish the two from each other.

Member Avatar for caperjack

i have a belkin wireless G plus pre "n" mimo ,and when i enter its setup there is an option for me to set it up as a access point .

info on how to access the belkin and set up security on it

Edited by caperjack
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