# Suggestions for Wireless-N Access Point



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I'm looking for a Wireless Access Point similar to the WAP54G in which the IP address is only use for management reasons, otherwise, it's part of my home network. I had been using a TP-LINK WR740N which wants to set up it's own subnet. Not cool since I already use NAT in my home network, and prevents me from controlling my DVR or BluRay via my phone. Hopefully, this would be Wireless-N instead of G. 

Or, to put it another way, I want the access point to act like an access point. I want to set up WPA2, set up the IP address to 192.168.0.245, and let my home modem dole out the IP address and DNS via DHCP lease. 

Any suggestions?


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

Why do you need a modem? On cable?

I have Verizon FiOS, and there's no modem needed, so I just use an ASUS RT-N66U, which performs perfectly with my 50/25 speed. This is what I just got on a PC that's connected wirelessly on the 5.0 band:









It'd probably work well for you too. Really good firmware in that router - very easy to manage.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

You can use any router, just disable the WAN side (or don't use that port), turn off its DHCP, set it to 192.168.0.245, set up the wireless and plug one of the LAN side ports to your router.

If it's the same wireless band and SSID as you currently have, be sure to set it on a different channel.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

dennisj00 said:


> You can use any router, just disable the WAN side (or don't use that port), turn off its DHCP, set it to 192.168.0.245, set up the wireless and plug one of the LAN side ports to your router.
> 
> If it's the same wireless band and SSID as you currently have, be sure to set it on a different channel.


+1. And if it's enabled by default, turn off UPnP as well.

To configure it, you'll need to connect it to your PC first, as if you were setting it up as a new router, and then make the above changes to it. Once you change it's IP, your PC will no longer be able to talk to it, so do that last. Then disconnect it from the PC and connect it to your existing LAN, via the LAN ports. As Dennis mentioned, don't use the WAN port at all.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

Once you change the IP, you can just change to that IP in your browser to check on it.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

I'll second the Asus N66U. The thing is brilliant.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

dennisj00 said:


> Once you change the IP, you can just change to that IP in your browser to check on it.


I think you'd have to also change the default gateway on the PC for that to work, no?


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

No, the gateway only points to the router for outside access. At that point you would have changed the PC BACK to the local Lan net which might not have been the out of the box default. (some are 192.168.0 . . . some are 192.168.1 . . .)

And for what it's worth, I never use either of those two ranges. They cause problems if you need to VPN to the same one. It's rare, but I've run into small businesses that use one and their home router is the same.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

dennisj00 said:


> At that point you would have changed the PC BACK to the local Lan net


Gotcha. I thought you meant before you connected the PC and the reconfigured router to the local LAN.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

I use a Netgear WNDR4000 running DD-WRT firmware. When set to run as an access point, you can reassign the WAN port to be an additional LAN port.


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## houskamp (Sep 14, 2006)

using an intellinet access point here.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

bobnielsen said:


> I use a Netgear WNDR4000 running DD-WRT firmware. When set to run as an access point, you can reassign the WAN port to be an additional LAN port.


DD-WRT gives a lot of advantages.


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## funhouse69 (Mar 26, 2007)

I play with Networks all the time and unless you want to go with a Controller Based Solution I would check out the EnGenius Line up Access Points. I use them all of the time and they are very very capable.

They supposed pretty much anything / everything you can think of and also support POE so you don't have to have the AC Adapter (but they do come with them).

Here's an example if their Access Points.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168091

Give one a try, you won't be disappointed.


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## Mustang Dave (Oct 13, 2006)

Most routers these days have a "bridge mode". When you enable it that basically turns the router into an Access Point only.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I have the access point running, it's part of the network. Thank goodness Amazon updated their firmware for the Kindle so that you now see the passkey for the WiFi.


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## BAHitman (Oct 24, 2007)

This has been working for me surprisignly well...

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10521&cs_id=1052102&p_id=8745&seq=1&format=2


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