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Mahikoa's avatar
Mahikoa
Explorer
Sep 13, 2016

Router setup as a Wireless bridge

In the title I use the term wireless bridge, but that may not actually be what I need. I am a full time RV'r with my wife. I have been stumbling trying to get the internet setup I want. Here is my goal. Everyone knows that park wifi can be hit and miss, more so if you are a distance from the access point of the park wifi. Currently I have an extender connected to a directional antenna. That is working much better to access their wifi. I would like to be able to have a personal wifi network in my RV with it's own security setup. All my devices would connect to that network. Is there a way to use a router with my directional antenna to connect to the park wifi and use that same router to turn the park signal into a secondary network that I am able to use exclusively in my RV? And a second question, when I am on the road, could that same setup be used to connect to open wifi at places like Walmart and keep the secure network in my RV? I am just starting to learn how to work with routers and firmware like DDwrt, so I apologize if any terminology is wrong. Thanks for the help.

12 Replies

  • The DD-WRT software will what you ask. It will end up essentially as a passworded repeater that you connect all your devices to. Your router does a search, you find what you want to, add password if required, and done. Your "local" password can (and should) be different from that talking to the host and can be fixed so you don't have to reconfigure things other than the router each time.

    As far as being "secure", that's a different story. If you are talking to an open AP at Walmart or a CG, someone that knows what they're doing can still get to you although I've never heard it done.
  • Yes, this can be done.

    If I understand your current setup, your current extender would provide the WAN to your RV network. There are tutorials out there, I know there are members that have done this. They will likely chime in soon. I have a link saved somewhere, I'll see if I can find it.

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