Secondary wireless router without a cable - is this possible?

Speedster

Speedster

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We need to expand our home office slightly and have set up a new workspace in an adjacent building to the existing office space. The new space is about 8m from the existing space.

The desktop workstations connect to our network via cable with a number of laptops connecting via 802.11n (2.4Ghz). Due to the nature of the space between the two buildings it's going to be a bit tricky to run a cable from the existing switch to the new space (although possible if really needed).

My question is as follows: Is there a way to connect up a wireless router (in the new workspace) to receive signal from the existing wireless router and then act as a switch to which non-wifi devices can connect via cable? Ie, to create a wired connection in the new workspace without running a cable across? I know cable will be significantly faster and all that, just want to know if it's possible.
 
Speedster said:
We need to expand our home office slightly and have set up a new workspace in an adjacent building to the existing office space. The new space is about 8m from the existing space.

The desktop workstations connect to our network via cable with a number of laptops connecting via 802.11n (2.4Ghz). Due to the nature of the space between the two buildings it's going to be a bit tricky to run a cable from the existing switch to the new space (although possible if really needed).

My question is as follows: Is there a way to connect up a wireless router (in the new workspace) to receive signal from the existing wireless router and then act as a switch to which non-wifi devices can connect via cable? Ie, to create a wired connection in the new workspace without running a cable across? I know cable will be significantly faster and all that, just want to know if it's possible.
Click to expand...

What you're looking for is called a wireless bridge - you would put it in the new office. I would use the D-Link DAP-1522 for this use case because it is Wireless N-enabled but more importantly it has 4 gigabit ports to connect to. Though you could alternatively use another device with 1 gigabit port and cable that into a gigabit switch with however many ports you need.

Other options are the D-Link 1360 (pretty cheap option) or Cisco Linksys RE1000, both with single ethernet ports.
 
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Not worth the frustration if security and speed being what is needed i would assume (office) so rather do the cable. You will thank us all later :).
 
Yuu said:
Not worth the frustration if security and speed being what is needed i would assume (office) so rather do the cable. You will thank us all later :).
Click to expand...

+1
 
If you can go with cable, better do that. 8mts is nothing.

If for whatever any other reason you cannot run a cable, you can put 2 Ubiquity nanostations Loco in a bridge mode. Please note that the units have see each other (line of sight). The loco unit is going for a little more than R500 each (excl) from scoop in midrand and you can choose 5ghz or 2.4ghz (5ghz is less crowded, but the 2.4 go better with obstacles).

Performance? These units are great. But you still get better performance with cable.

Somebody mention Powerline ethernet, which is not a bad option, but you have to be in the same DB. And you mention an 'adjacent building'....
 
I don't have much experience with ethernet over power, however there is a separate switch board in the adjacent building which makes me wonder if this is a workable solution. Anybody know where I can get some test units to see if it will work?
 
Speedster said:
I don't have much experience with ethernet over power, however there is a separate switch board in the adjacent building which makes me wonder if this is a workable solution. Anybody know where I can get some test units to see if it will work?
Click to expand...

It won't
 
8m? - Cable will be your best option. Depending on the physical layout it will save you cost and much more frustrations later on.
 
Thanks for all the input. It seems I'll have to make a plan to get a cable across after all.
 
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