Member Avatar for JwAlstrom

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Saturday - 23-Aug-'14
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I have an extra LinkSys WRT54G WiFi ROUTER.
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I wish to use it as an amplifier/EXTENDER/REPEATER
in conjunction with another WRT54G equipped with
range-expanding antennas.
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Is this possible ? ?
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Prtablegm

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Short answer: yes — but pick the method that matches your goal. As and implied, turning the spare into a wired access point (Ethernet or powerline backhaul) gives the best stability and throughput. As and noted, third‑party firmware can add true wireless repeater modes, but that route is hardware‑dependent and carries risk.

Recommended (reliable) setup — convert to a wired AP:

  1. Log in to the WRT54G admin UI and set its LAN IP to a free address on your main subnet (for example, if the main router is 192.168.1.1 choose 192.168.1.2).
  2. Disable the WRT54G DHCP server.
  3. Configure Wi‑Fi security to match the primary AP (same WPA2/AES and passphrase if you want seamless roaming).
  4. Pick a non‑overlapping 2.4 GHz channel (1, 6 or 11) different from the main AP to reduce co‑channel interference.
  5. Connect main router (or powerline adapter) LAN → spare router LAN (do not use the spare’s WAN port). Devices will be on one subnet and avoid double NAT.

Wireless repeater (third‑party firmware) — caveats:

  • Verify the exact WRT54G hardware/version first; some revisions lack enough flash/RAM for modern builds. The WRT54GL variant is generally friendlier for custom firmware.
  • Firmware modes you’ll see are “Repeater,” “Repeater Bridge,” “Client Bridge” and WDS; each has different roaming and subnet behavior. Wireless repeating usually reduces throughput (roughly halves) and WDS can require matching chipset/firmware on both ends.
  • Back up settings, use the device‑specific flash instructions, and be prepared with recovery steps — flashing can brick the unit.

Troubleshooting pointers: if clients can’t get IPs, confirm DHCP is disabled on the AP and IPs are in the same subnet; if speeds are poor remember the WRT54G is 802.11g (54 Mbps max); for reliable whole‑home coverage consider modern dual‑band APs or a mesh system.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for rubberman

It can be reconfigured from a router to a bridge, but as for the WiFi access point, not really. You can use it with an SSID that is different from the other one, connect them with an Ethernet cable, and then connect to either to get internet access. I do this at home, but use a powerline ethernet plug to connect them instead of an Ethernet cable.

That said, there may be firmware available for the device to do what you want, so you don't need to physically connect the two devices. I don't know about that however.

Member Avatar for Xlphos

Hello,

You maybe able to do this with dd-wrt:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

If you can get this on your router this may allow you to do what you need. Take care doing this however as you can end up with a bricked wireless router, make sure you are confident in the process.

You may want to check with someone who uses dd-wrt if it is capable of what you want it to do, im not dd-wrt expert.

Member Avatar for mike_2000_17

You can use it with an SSID that is different from the other one, connect them with an Ethernet cable,

I think that you can actually use the same SSID for the two routers, as long as all the other configurations are the same. I have seen this setup before, it might not work with any router. But the point remains that you need a physical ethernet connection between the two routers. I have never seen a setup where the bridge is done via Wifi, it always seems to require an ethernet cable to bridge them. But it might be possible, maybe not with stock firmware though.

Member Avatar for rubberman

@Mike2K
I have a WiFi extender that I used to use before I decided to go the powerline connection route with multiple access points. I think it's a d-link (not used for years - in a box in the basement somewhere), but it worked very well and eliminated the need for a cable. I had it connected to an ethernet switch which my work gear was plugged into. Worked a treat. Things changed and that wasn't really practical any longer, which was the reason for the change. I've been using that setup for about 7 years now without any issues.

Don't know, but you may be correct about being able to use the same SSID. I never thought about trying that, and our current setup works well. When you go out of range of one, if your laptop or cell phone is configured to reconnect automatically, then it fails over to the stronger signal. In my office, my phone is connected to one AP, and when I go to the bedroom at the other end of the house (and on another floor) it reconnects to the other.

Member Avatar for LaxLoafer

I have two wifi enabled routers connected via a powerline ethernet too, similar to rubberman. Except that both routers are configured identically, same SSID, passwords etc. This appeared to be the recommended configuration when I first looked at setting it up. It works reasonable well, although the signal strength reported from one of the routers is weaker than I expect. It's possible there's some interference, or perhaps the signal strength is that of the more distant router, but the problem hasn't warranted further investigation. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke...

Member Avatar for roeljohn

I don't think you'll be able to connect both devices as amplifier or extender, nor even a repeater. You may be able to cascade the routers though, by using a direct ethernet cable between the two devices. Or as suggested here, you can connect both devices through a powerline *(still uses an ethernet line at both ends), but that should give you plenty of range across the home's electrical system.

Member Avatar for Prtablegm

Look into DD-WRT. That router (LinkSys WRT54G) has been one of the easyest and most well known routers to reflash with that software to unlock it to a more enterprise level routers. After you have done that, there is a whole lot you can do with that router.

Portablegamemaster

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