Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 18:09 Post subject: Netgear 3400 as a wireless repeater
I got a good deal at Newegg on a refurb 3400 that I got to use as a wireless extender to go along with my 3700. I just tried to set it up (with stock firmware) and am finding out that the only way to do it is to either turn off wireless security (no) or use WEP which only becomes an option when you drop throughput to 54 Mbps. I noticed that Netgear sells a dedicated wireless extender that has higher speeds but am wondering if installing DD-WRT on both routers would take care of the problem or if I'm sending this puppy back.
Joined: 25 May 2012 Posts: 106 Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 18:36 Post subject:
You don't need to have DD-WRT on both routers to make a workable repeater from your 3400. Check out the tutorial titled LINKING ROUTERS in the Wiki.
One thing to realize is that a repeater cuts your max bandwidth in half because every bit of data has to be transmitted twice. If BW is critical, there are other options.
If you have used DD-WRT before, you can stop reading. If you haven't installed DD-WRT before, you have a heap of reading ahead of you to minimize your chances of creating a paper weight and maximizing your chances of getting what you set out for. The Peacock thread in the Broadcom forum is a good place to start. _________________ WNDR3700V1, WRT300NV1, WRT54GV5,8, F7D8301
Thank you--that was exactly what i was looking for. I think I can do a theortical max of 150 Mbs vs the 300 that's possible--dropping down to 57 was too low, though. I had thought about trying a powerline adapter for my streaming devices, but I would still have the wireless range issues for laptops.
I have not installed DD-WRT before so I guess I'll be doing a bit of reading this weekend.
