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Where is the second router/access point connected to? The existing one router or the cable company's modem where the router is connected to?
It took me a while to finish switching devices to the Extender. I freed up a lot of slots.
Is the purpose of this to increase the number of devices able to connect *without* the extender? If yes, I would love to find out the pros & cons of this method vs. using an Extender!
I live in the country where there is only copper wire, therefore the maximum download speeds are 700 kb/s.
I'm also out in the country, but Spectrum still gets 200Mbps to my home, which is why I was curious.
I do not recall needing to restart my router. Provided that is true, would that negate the need for an equipment switch? A switch just adds ports to a router, so if you need more Ethernet ports, you'd get a switch.
Even if I didn't need to - it sounds like it is a good idea to manually press that router reset button once in a while? How often? Not unless you are having issues.
You brought up an excellent point about the Extender! Understanding your point is crucial to this thread.
So this is the extender:
https://www.netgear.com/support/product/EX6200.aspx
I placed it on the outer edge of my living room towards the barn. My living room is 85 feet in one direction.
I thought I could accomplish two things by using it as an Extender:
1. Increase the max number of attached 2.4GHz devices.
2. Make my barn Wi-Fi switches and power sockets easier to reach since it should extend the strength of the signal, if used as an Extender and all
Now, only *after* I completed the lengthy Extender setup and accomplishing my goal of freeing up 2.4GHz slots, did I find out the virtues of it being used as an Access Point instead.
So then my conclusion was, keep it as an Extender, on account of the barn signal surely being strengthened.
And maybe buy another similar device and use that second device as an Access Point.
But now of course, having resolved my original problem of adding more devices, my options are:
1. Leave things be now as it all works. If it all works for you, why not?
2. Switch equipment. [I ask myself, why, if Router almost never needs resetting.] This would be the solution if you are having frequent router resets, etc.
3. Switch from Extender to Access Point [I ask myself, why, if Extender strengthens the Barn signal.] This would reduce latency (Extender is not wired in, Access Point is wired in) if that is a concern, also Access Points typically provide better coverage than an Extender.
4. Keep the Extender and add an Access Point. [Pros?... any cons of doing this?] I wouldn't worry about doing this, honestly. They are accomplishing the same thing just that one is wired to the router and the other isn't.
I also think that the manual editing of settings WhitehawkEQ posted above is interesting and was hoping someone would post comments because it appears that this question comes to mind: why would we buy an Extender if this can be done in settings, I mean if your sole objective were to increase max number of devices? Why not just do WhitehawkEQ's method [thank you WhitehawkEQ], if you know how. Like I said I already completed the lengthy Extender setup, or else I would have tried this myself. Too many questions, I know.
Thank you.
To anyone else reading this - RESET your cable company modem - not just your router, that just happened to me, some devices had a problem acquiring an IP address - router resets didn't help, but resetting the cable company's modem - that solved the problem. This should be obvious, but sometimes people may forget.
So on the Access Point vs. Extender. Sometimes you can't use the device as an Access Point if I you want to improve the reach of the signal to your barn, I mean I must place it closer to the wall toward the barn. I can't do that if it were used as an Access Point because that would mean it has to be physically in the same location where the router is, and that would mean away from the part of my polygamous compound facing the barn!![]()