(Home network) What kind of extender/access point/? is this?

grumpycrab

Hi - sorting a home network out - I've come across an extender/repeater/access point/? which I'm not familiar with.

main router modem
TP-LINK8934 (ssid "TP-LINK8934") connected via ethernet cable to

extender/repeater/access point/?
NETGEAR (ssid "NETGEAR")

The NETGEAR is "addressless" which has totally confused me - I cannot see it on any network(s). It appears to be acting as a proxy for the TP-LINK, "passing out" IP addresses in the same range (but not duplicates) as the TP-LINK.

I just want to know what type of device this is in network terms (and I'll look it up).

securityguy

grumpycrab wrote: »

Hi - sorting a home network out - I've come across an extender/repeater/access point/? which I'm not familiar with.

main router modem
TP-LINK8934 (ssid "TP-LINK8934") connected via ethernet to

extender/repeater/access point/?
NETGEAR (ssid "NETGEAR")

The NETGEAR is "addressless" which has totally confused me - I cannot see it on any network(s). It appears to be acting as a proxy for the TP-LINK, "passing out" IP addresses in the same range as the TP-LINK.

I just want to know what type of device this is in network terms (and I'll look it up).

The Netgear box is just acting as a bridge: physical ethernet on one side, wireless ethernet on the other. Good way to operate.

grumpycrab

securityguy wrote: »

The Netgear box is just acting as a bridge: physical ethernet on one side, wireless ethernet on the other. Good way to operate.

So that's created by plugging laptop into NETGEAR and just setting mode to "bridge"?
PS. the main modem/router is also dishing out IP adddresses to its own wireless devices...

Mattjimf

Sounds like the netgear is a wireless extender, used to boost the signal to places where the signal is weak - http://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/wireless-range-extenders/

If you try connecting to the netgear ssid or via cable and presuming the defaults are still applicable type https://www.mywifiext.net or 192.168.1.250 into your browser of choice.

securityguy

grumpycrab wrote: »

So that's created by plugging laptop into NETGEAR and just setting mode to "bridge"?

Presumably.

PS. the main modem/router is also dishing out IP adddresses to its own wireless devices...

Yes, that's right. The bridge is just acting as an ethernet cable which doesn't need a cable.

grumpycrab

Mattjimf wrote: »

Sounds like the netgear is a wireless extender, used to boost the signal to places where the signal is weak - http://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/wireless-range-extenders/

If you try connecting to the netgear ssid or via cable and presuming the defaults are still applicable type www.mywifiext.net or 192.168.1.250 into your browser of choice.

Thanks. Yes, the NETGEAR is a WG602 "Wireless Access Point" but I guess in this case its a "repeater". There you are, I'm confused already :-)
I'll see if I can access its interface to see what its setup as.

Mattjimf

Where is it located in relation to the main router/modem?

It could have been used to connect a device to the router without a wifi dongle if it's located away from the the router/modem.

grumpycrab

Its a couple of rooms away - connected via a hardwired ethernet (extension). So provides a wifi connection (Acess Point!) at a remote corner of their house. (There, I've used all 3 terms. I think I'll settle with Access Point. Would an AP normally be hidden -not have its own IP address- on the network?)

Mattjimf

Here's the support page for the device - http://support.netgear.com/product/WG602v2 they have 4 versions listed, v3 is for North America, but if you find the correct version it will help.

Depending if and how it's been set up, it should be getting it's IP address via DHCP and should appear under wired connections on the main router.