I want to extend home LAN to garage via wifi - what am I looking for?

[SumGuy]

I have some wired devices (4k IP cameras) that I want to install in / on a garage that's about 50 ft from my house. The cameras are wired (not wireless). So I want a wireless link to the lan in my house. I see various terms like wireless bridge, wireless repeater, range extenders, etc. So what _technically_ am I looking for if I want a high-bandwidth, multiple-port (say 4 wired devices) connection between the garage and the home lan? And will I need to have a specific type of wifi router on the home lan to impliment this link? (and before you start answering - I'm not interested in the power-line type of networking products).

Or is this just a matter of buying any name-brand or even off-brand wireless router from my local tech store, mess around with the settings long enough and bingo - it will just work?

 

[doczenith1]

If I'm not mistaken a media bridge is what you need based on what you mentioned. I know the ASUS routers can do a media bridge. I thought I read somewhere that both routers need to be the same model but I could easily be wrong. Per my router's GUI.

"RT-AC68U can be configured in Media Bridge mode.The Media Bridge mode provides the fastest 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection for multiple media devices simultaneously.To set up the Media Bridge mode, you need two RT-AC68U: one configured as the Media station and the other as a router.Configure one RT-AC68U as a router and another RT-AC68U as an 802.11ac Media Bridge to provide a simultaneous 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection for your media devices such as computer, Smart TV, game console, DVR, or media player via Ethernet cable.Change to Media Bridge mode to provide a simultaneous 802.11ac Wi-Fi connection for your media devices.
In Media Bridge mode, only wireless devices connect to the P-AP. Client devices need to be connected to the Media Bridge with a network cable."

 

[SumGuy]

A local store is selling the tp-link ac750 archer c2 for $50. I could pick up a pair of them (use one of them as my home's primary LAN router assuming it can do pppoe to my dsl modem). This website has instructions on how to do "WDS Bridging" which I believe would apply to the AC750 Archer C2: http://www.tp-link.com/en/faq-440.html

Bonus question: For any router with USB ports, how well does that work as network-attached storage? I'm wondering if my IP cameras (made by Dahua) can save h.265 video to a USB-connected hard drive plugged into something like the AC750 Archer C2. ?

 

[doczenith1]

What the website you linked is describing sounds more like what ASUS calls the Access Point mode where both devices are able to accept wireless connections. In the ASUS media bridge mode the second device does not act as an access point for wireless. It only accepts wired connections. I think you can still connect wired devices to an access point as well. I am not sure what the advantage a media bridge might have over an access point. Perhaps the media bridge is designed for a smaller space where an addition access point is not needed.

 

[thiggins]

For 4K cameras, you need good bandwidth.

Use a pair of 5 GHz outdoor bridges. A pair of Uni-Fi Mesh @ $99 each is one option. Don't let the "mesh" throw you. You'll need a switch on the garage end to get multiple Ethernet ports.

 

[CaptainSTX]

The first thing you need to check is based on your present router's position in the house how strong is the WiFi signal in the garage.

No wireless solution will work well unless you have decent signal levels. If the levels are not good then you will may need to install a pair of outdoor access points (Ubiquiti among other makes them ) and set them them up in the bridge mode. One unit on the outside of your house facing the garage connected to your present router with an Ethernet cable. It is possible if the WiFi levels outside the garage are OK you could get by by just installing a Ubiquiti on the outside of the garage to pick up the WiFi.

Since non of your cameras have WiFi you will need to install a small unmanaged switch in the garage connected to the the garage's unit to provide multiple Ethernet ports.

 

[SumGuy]

The current wifi unit is a combination dsl modem / router / wifi (off hand I don't remember the brand but I think it's Netis) and I don't use the wifi part of it and I'm having problems with it and so I'll probably just use it as a dsl modem in bridge mode. I don't necessarily need *extreme* bandwidth link to the garage if I can get the cameras to save their stream to a locally-connected USB thumb drive or hard drive plugged into the garage router. I don't know how easy or accessible the thumb-drive or USB hard-drive storage is to other devices on the lan such as IP cameras. Recording wouldn't happen all the time - just during motion-detection events. Also, the cameras can send still photos via email and this wouldn't require high bandwidth.

So again I'm wondering if a pair of typical 4-port wifi routers can do what I want (assuming they have the desired "bridge" setting in their bios) or am I looking for a specific (and perhaps rare) capability, and if so what is the correct industry term for the sort of link I'm looking to create?

 

[CaptainSTX]

Regular routers are not suitable for what you want to do. For a good connection hardware at one end at and probably both ends is going to have be mounted on the exterior of your house and your garage. Look at the hardware Tim and I recommended.

Another option is just to install an Ethernet cable. This is the best and not much of a problem if you can route it so it doesn't need to go under the driveway. You probably can spade bury 50' of cable in less than half an hour. Turn the sprinkler on and soften the turf, take a sharp spade and make a slit in the turg, push the cable down into the slit with your fingers, stomp the slit closed. Even if it is a shallow slit/trench DO CALL FOR A LOCATE.

 

[SumGuy]

Update: I have established a wireless link between a pair of TP-Link Archer C2 routers as I've explained previously in this thread. I'm calling one of them the "Main" router, and the other the "Remote" router. The Main router is performing PPPoe DSL login on it's WAN side. Nothing is connected to the WAN port on the Remote router. I'm using the 2.4 ghz band, the same fixed channel (on both routers) for the bridge connection. Security is set to WPA/WPA2 Personal, AES (on both routers).

I've set the LAN IP of the Main router to 192.168.2.2, subnet mask 255.255.255.0.

I've set the WAN port on the Remote router to L2TP (just a guess on my part). LAN IP on the Remote router to 192.168.2.4, subnet mask 255.255.255.0.

I have a PC (remote PC) connected via ethernet to a LAN port of Remote router. Remote PC has fixed IP (192.168.2.60) and has gateway set to 192.168.2.2 (IP of Main router).

I have a PC (Local PC) connected via ethernet to LAN port of Main router. Local PC has fixed IP (192.168.2.11) and has gateway set to 192.168.2.2 (IP of Main router).

There is no physical cable connection between Main router and Remote router.

Local PC can ping Remote router, can ping Main router, has working internet connectivity, but can't ping Remote PC.

Remote PC can ping Local PC, and can ping Main router, and has working internet connectivity.

How do I establish proper routing so that devices connected to the Main router can "see" devices connected to the Remote router? (I will have IP cameras connected to the Remote router that will need to be accessed via browser by PC's connected to the Main router).

What should the WAN port be set to on the Remote router? Choices are Dynamic IP, Static IP, PPPOE, L2TP, PPTP, and "Bigpond cable".

 

[thiggins]

If you are using the remote router as a wireless bridge, there should be no WAN connection used. A proper bridge should put all devices on the same subnet.

DHCP server should be disabled on remote router.

 

[SumGuy]

On most routers, for the WAN connection, there usually isin't an option for "No Wan Connection", at least I've never seen that. I've set the LAN IP for both routers so that they're on the same /24 subnet (I thought that was clear in my post). The way I have it set up (again, read my post #9) all devices have internet access. The issue I'm seeing is that devices on the Main LAN (connected to the Main router) can't see (can't ping) devices on the Remote router. All devices on both LANs have their gateway set to the IP address of the Main router, but that' by itself isin't enough.

I think I have to enter some static routing entries in one of the routers, but I've never done that before - has anyone here?

 

[thiggins]

Your post was clear and I am trying to help. So lose the attitude.

You don't need to be concerned about the WAN setting because you are not using the routing part of the router. You have nothing connected there, correct?

If you have a properly working bridge, devices on the remote end of the bridge should be able to configure via DHCP.

 

[SumGuy]

You don't need to be concerned about the WAN setting because you are not using the routing part of the router. You have nothing connected there, correct?

If you have a properly working bridge, devices on the remote end of the bridge should be able to configure via DHCP.

Nothing connected to wan port of Remote router. Since I'm just testing this setup, I have only 1 device connected to remote router (a pc, call it "Remote PC") and connection is made directly with ethernet cable to one of 4 lan ports on Remote router. IP address of Remote PC is static (192.168.2.60) and has gateway set to 192.168.2.2 (IP address of Main router). Remote PC does have internet connectivity and can ping a PC (Local PC) connected to Main router.

Do I have to set the gateway of Remote PC to the IP of Remote router?
(edit: I've just tried this, and Remote PC loses internet connectivity. Remote PC can still ping Local PC, and Local PC still can't ping Remote PC)

Does (or will) Remote router tell Main router how to route packets to Remote PC (or any other Remote devices)?

Edit: If I set the IP/Gateway of Remote PC to automatic, then Remote PC gets IP/Gateway from DHCP server (which is Main router) and this does work - Remote PC gets IP address 192.168.2.152 and gateway 192.168.2.2. This doesn't change anything - Remote PC has internet access and can ping Local PC. Local PC still can't ping Remote PC.

 

[SumGuy]

Ok, it's working now. I can ping back and forth between devices connected to both routers.

 

[thiggins]

Ok, it's working now. I can ping back and forth between devices connected to both routers.

Glad to hear it is working. What changed?

To answer your earlier question, the remote router should not be doing any routing. As a bridge, it should just be passing packets to the primary router. Anything connected to the remote router should act the same as devices connected to the main router.

 

[SumGuy]

What changed: For one thing, the Remote PC (Windoze 7) wasn't configured to respond to pings (which is the default setting for win-7 I take it). I changed that - but that initially didn't seem to resolve anything (I recall I still couldn't ping it immediately after making it ping-able). I also enabled NAT on the Remote router (I seem to think that I read it had to be turned off in WDS bridge mode).
So I can now access a 4k IP camera connected by cable to the Remote router from the Main lan network, across the 2.5 ghz WDS bridge. The distance is about 30 feet (Main router inside the house behind a basement window that faces the garage where the Remote router is temporarily set up outside the garage). I can stream 4k video at 20 fps from the camera under these conditions, so I'm satisfied with the bandwidth. I have the bridge operating on a, shall we say, "clear channel" in the 2.4 ghz band.
I'm now trying to figure out how to configure a USB thumb drive on the Remote router's USB port as a NAS of some sort, to the extent that the IP camera can see (and make use of) it, and a PC (Win-XP) on the Main lan can also see it. No luck so far.

 

[thiggins]

Trying configuring the USB "NAS" on the main router. It should be visible to all devices, both local and across the bridge.