question for the network gurus

[Soundguy]

The extender password setup was real funky, it said you could clone settings and password of existing network. I tried that then couldn't log in at first ( back when I set it up originally). I went back into setup and found it went ahead and made its own, tried the new pword and my stuff connected so I figured to leave it alone

 

[kco]

OK I'll look at all this, however out of about 8 wireless devices, only this droid tablet is having a prob with the extender. We have the wife's old netbook and new laptop, her winrt tablet, my surface rt tablet, both our phones and a couple things for our TV boxes. Not all on at once, but nothing else except this new droid tablet has issue with the extender, so it really made me wonder

Soundguy, I have the same problem with my Android tablet and phone at a site I go to for meetings every few months. I think it uses range extenders as you describe. I have often found it will not surf and I have been able to fix it by "Forgetting" the network and trying again. I have not trouble-shot it at all because it is a retreat centre where we are to disconnect from the outside world as much as possible. But I do check for messages from home each day in case there is something I need to do.

 

[kco]

The extender password setup was real funky, it said you could clone settings and password of existing network. I tried that then couldn't log in at first ( back when I set it up originally). I went back into setup and found it went ahead and made its own, tried the new pword and my stuff connected so I figured to leave it alone

Is this the Admin password to set it up, or the network password. I think the network password encrypts the wireless data and would need to be the same as the main router network password. But I'm not sure.

 

[Soundguy]

PS, before I forget, no matter the outcome, thanks to all for the help.

 

[kco]

Soundguy. There is a good free Android utility, FING available from the Play Store. It is very easy to use and may help you see what is going on. One of the options is PING which you can use to see if you have connectivity to things on your local network and the internet.

You can do the same with PING from a command prompt in Windows. You ping addresses and it will tell you if they are visible.

 

[riptides]

You mentioned 8 (eight devices). Some routers cannot handle more than that. Do you know how many can connect concurrently on your router?

OK I'll look at all this, however out of about 8 wireless devices, only this droid tablet is having a prob with the extender. We have the wife's old netbook and new laptop, her winrt tablet, my surface rt tablet, both our phones and a couple things for our TV boxes. Not all on at once, but nothing else except this new droid tablet has issue with the extender, so it really made me wonder

 

[kco]

IP SETTINGS
IP Address: The IP address of the Range Extender.
Subnet Mask: The subnet of the Range Extender.
Default Gateway: The access point to another
network, normally the Range Extender or your router.
DHCP: The Range Extender includes a complex AUTO
DHCP feature to help manage the IP addresses within
your Extended network and with your Home Network.
When connected to a Home Network, the Range
Extender will obtain an IP address from your Home
Networkç—´ router and act as a DHCP Client. However,
when there is no connection available, the Range
Extender will act as a DHCP Server. You may also
manually control the IP settings of the Range Extender
by choosing Client, Server or Disabled from the DHCP
drop down menu. This is only for advanced users.

The above is from a Amped extender manual I found online. I bolded the part about it using a complex AUTO DHCP feature. I find it more reliable to configure main components such as servers and routers manually but it does require a bit of understanding (I am definitely not an advanced user as called for in the last line).

 

[Soundguy]

Much of the stuff the extender instructions mentioned I left alone due to less understanding of modern networking.

Concurrent connects.. hmm. At least 3, as many as 5, and more if the tablets and laptop are on.. ie. 8

 

[Soundguy]

PS, here at work now and like every other WiFi , working fine.

Main office has open, business class speed (fast) WiFi

Construction trailer has a WiFi hotspot via a go mobile? Walmart plan (rebranded Verizon I hear, but 3g speed)

I have even used my Nokia 1020 phone as a wifii hotspot in the truck, then used the tablet, because it has a bigger screen.

Phone and trailer hotspots use a password, main office is open.

So the tablet is working off a variety of wifis no prob.. just something it don't like about amped WiFi, though everything else I have doesn't mind..

Weird

Gonna go try to figure out android store to get fingr

 

[Soundguy]

Is this the Admin password to set it up, or the network password. I think the network password encrypts the wireless data and would need to be the same as the main router network password. But I'm not sure.

Network. As in the DSL modem and the extender have different passwords.

PS, what does droid use for a browser? Chrome right? (Google etc)

 

[Soundguy]

Setup Google acct and got ring

Wow, another email address to manage...

 

[kco]

Network. As in the DSL modem and the extender have different passwords.

PS, what does droid use for a browser? Chrome right? (Google etc)

I used the wrong terminology for the passwords. I should have asked about the WIFI password(not network, which is Windows, etc often use as terminology for their login passwords). I think the WIFI passwords (or key, or passphrase) should be the same for the main router (is it a DSL modem/router in one unit?) and the extender, and the encryption method(WPA, WPA2, etc) should be the same. I may be wrong on that.

Our Asus tablets use their own (Asus) browsers and our Samsung phones use their own (Samsung) browser. However, I believe Chrome is on them both since Google owns Android and Chrome. I prefer Dolphin, then Chrome for Android and don't use the manufacturers' browsers.

 

[dan ny escarpment]

Eliminate all the complexity by extending your in-house point of presence to a central location. Presumably and typically DSL comes in on twisted pair "phone" wiring, depending on how your house is wired, you could use a different existing phone jack in a more central location to connect, or add a new jack from the existing point the service enters by pulling a new wire through basement or attic etc (as/if possible), cost would be negligible but effort to wire may not be simple. Once you do that, eliminate the additional device, and/ or get a better wifi router in the new location. Complexity is the enemy of stability and ease of support and use, and the up front time of getting a better location enabled will pay off over time.

 

[MossRoad]

Soundguy, I have the same problem with my Android tablet and phone at a site I go to for meetings every few months. I think it uses range extenders as you describe. I have often found it will not surf and I have been able to fix it by "Forgetting" the network and trying again. I have not trouble-shot it at all because it is a retreat centre where we are to disconnect from the outside world as much as possible. But I do check for messages from home each day in case there is something I need to do.

This makes the most sense to try first. If there are 8 other devices that work well on the thing, chances are the problem is with the 9th device that won't work. That's where you should troubleshoot. Tell it to forget all the wireless networks it knows, then have it find and join the extender network first and see if that works.

 

[Soundguy]

Our house is long and narrow except for a great room with a vaulted ceiling dividing the house, we have tried the router and DSL modem combo device in both sides of the house and neither reaches full around. The great room has no phone jacks, I have no basement, and the crawl space is limited to ducting due to the vaulted ceiling, making retrofit dicey. The extender seemed to solve all the problems save for this one droid tablet

 

[buckeyefarmer]

hum, I bought an amped wireless extender and couldn't get it to work with my asus laptop. I think mine was defective and returned it.

 

[oosik]

Iam pleased to say that I know just enough about this "area" to really gum up the works. I tried to improve cell phone incoming/outgoing signals and got things so balled up - -. My son, a computer engineer, begged me to call him next time I got a wild hair and let him help me thru the "process". He held his temper - I think - only because he was working out the bugs I had created.

 

[Shift4200]

hum, I bought an amped wireless extender and couldn't get it to work with my asus laptop. I think mine was defective and returned it.

I've never had luck with range extenders. I find I get better results with using good quality routers. ASUS makes one of the best right now, pricey, but fast and has great range.

-J

 

[Soundguy]

Having had the tablet home again yet, may bee Monday I can update.

 

[zzvyb6]

Can you run the range extender as a plain router ? My Uverse access point (2wire 460) has a built in wireless router but its only G speed. I plugged an Ethernet cable between it and a Netgear WNR1000 (b/g/n speed; $5 at a garage sale). This allows me to put the Netgear in a central house location. I used the furnace ducting to run the cable. Now we have N speed wireless all over the house via the Netgear. The 2Wire network wireless is idle. This way, we don't sacrifice wireless speeds because of all the hand-shaking.

Worked so well I ran another Netgear ($3 at an estate sale) out to the middle of the hay field where power was availbale. Now I have N speed wireless 600' out at the barn. I'm now am looking at wireless IP cameras that will hook up nicely to the outside router. No need for any more cables.

Have you checked to see if DHCP is turned off on the range extender and that WMM is enabled and that the 20/40 MHz channels can coexist?