Need help configuring 2 ASUS RT-AC68 routers

[Bruce White]

I just purchased 2 of the RT-AC68P routers from Best Buy. I know the routers can be set up in one of four modes--wireless, repeater, bridge or access point. I have one router directly connected to my Comcast cable modem. The other will go to another room to provide wireless access to several devices that don't have built in wireless. I'll cable them to the router.

I cannot cable the two routers together.

My question is with the second router--should I configure it in bridge mode or access point mode? From reading I've been doing on this forum, I understand that repeater mode will cut my wireless speed in half, but bridge mode will allow full speed but no other wireless connections except to the main router. What about access point mode, though?

I suppose I could put the second router in either bridge or AP mode for a while to test it and then switch it to see if I find any differences.

Any suggestions? I've given some thought to getting the Zyxel 1000 Mpbs powerline kit to connect the routers but would like to avoid that expense if possible.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Bruce

PS--my previous setup was a Cisco EA3500 as my main router and a Trendnet TEW-640MB as a media bridge. However, I frequently lost connection between the two. Sometimes connection would be restored if I rebooted the Trendnet. Other times I had to hook it up to a laptop to reconfigure it.

 

[Nullity]

I am a bit unclear regarding how your devices are connected together.

This second RT-N68P (great choice, btw), will it be wired to your gateway modem/router?

AP mode needs to be hardwired to a router.

 

[Bruce White]

I am a bit unclear regarding how your devices are connected together.

This second RT-N68P (great choice, btw), will it be wired to your gateway modem/router?

AP mode needs to be hardwired to a router.

The 2nd RT-AC68P router will not be wired to my modem or the 1st RT-AC68P router. My plan was wireless communication between the two routers. The only way I can wire the routers together is if I use the Zyxel powerline option.

Bruce

 

[L&LD]

I don't personally know any firmware that will do what you want with the RT-AC68U.

I am doing exactly that though with an RT-N56U and Padavan's / moonman's firmware.

5GHz band connects router and bridge, LAN ports used for wired only devices.

 

[joegreat]

Hi,

Such questions have been discussed serveral times in the forum - did you already search a bit?

The best solution is/was always to connect the two routers via a cable. If you cannot pull a network cable across your house, you can still achive the same results with a powerline adapter!

Then configure the 2nd router as Acces Point and you have secured WLAN plus a 4 port switch on it! I do the same things (see footer...)!

A WLAN connection between the routers will have a lot of disadvantages:
- Weak or no WLAN encryption - a very bad idea!
- Shared WLAN bandwith between router communication and your usage (actually you will have only 50% left for your trafic) - not good!
- If multiple walls are between the routers weak to no WLAN connection - makes it useless!
- more issues can be found by searching the forum.

With kind regards
Joe

 

[Bruce White]

Hi,

Such questions have been discussed serveral times in the forum - did you already search a bit?
...

With kind regards
Joe

Joe,

Thanks for the info! Yes, I did a bunch of searching on this site, but didn't find enough of what I was looking for.

I was afraid I'd have to pop for the powerline adapters. I'm looking at the Zyxel AV2 as they seem to be the best according to reviews I've read.

I had seen some things about losing half the bandwidth if I connected to two wirelessly but was not completely certain. Your statements have made it very clear to me. I thought however, that if my 2nd router is set up as a media bridge (connected wirelessly) that I'd have the full bandwidth, but just would not be able to connect devices to it except by cables.

Thanks again!

Bruce

 

[L&LD]

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanw...s-powerline-gigabit-ethernet-adapter-reviewed

For the price and performance / issues of powerline adaptors, I would be running a proper cable instead.

And, full bandwidth will not be available. 300Mbps tops, but highly variable according to the link.

Look for flat Ethernet cable if digging into walls is not allowed. Call some friends and make it a Saturday afternoon (have beer).

 

[Bruce White]

I think I'm just going to stay with my Trendnet TEW-640mb media bridge if it maintains communication with my router. This router has plenty of range to cover my whole house, even though it is situated at one end of the house. Also, my main media streaming device is my Apple TV and it is now hooked up to the routers 5 GHz band and I've given it priority on the router. I can already notice a better response from Netflix.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions!

Bruce

 

[jegesq]

I think I'm just going to stay with my Trendnet TEW-640mb media bridge if it maintains communication with my router. This router has plenty of range to cover my whole house, even though it is situated at one end of the house. Also, my main media streaming device is my Apple TV and it is now hooked up to the routers 5 GHz band and I've given it priority on the router. I can already notice a better response from Netflix.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions!

Bruce

Doesn't the AC68P allow you to use "Repeater" mode when running Merlin's firmware? I know there's no Repeater mode for the AC3200, but I thought that Merlin's FW had Repeater for every other Asus router that his firmware is designed to work. Repeater mode is exactly what you want. You don't want to use WDS, because that's limited to 54Mbps and requires you to run your router's wireless in "Open" and unencrypted mode.

But repeater will allow you to communicate wirelessly between the two and will also give you the ability to connect devices to the repeater's two wireless SSID's. This is exactly what I've been doing with my two AC66U's for the past year and a half, and it's what I can also do with my new AC3200 as router and my two AC66U's, i.e., run the AC66's as repeaters.