NAS and wireless bridging

Hi all,

Total network newbie here. I have been considering a first NAS purchase, and came up with the following issue: my current network consists of a simple wireless router/modem to which I connect for internet access with my laptops and phones. Plugging the NAS straight into the router seems out of the question, wireless transfers are just way too slow, and the router is too far from the laptop to consider wiring it.

A possible solution to that could be to get a wireless bridge, connect laptop and NAS via ethernet, and have access to the wireless modem for internet connection. The thing is, I am not sure the NAS will be accessible to other wireless devices on the network (phones, wd tv live...). Also, would wiring NAS and laptop via the bridge result in gigabit connection between them, given the router operates at (crappy) N-300 mbps?

Any advice on this would be much appreciated...

 

Crappy - that would be the result. Using a NAS that's being accessed via Wi-Fi is really comfortable when you use 802.11ac connection or have a really good wireless 802.11n router and you sit practically on top of it (as I do).

That said I don't understand the setup you are talking about. How do you connect a laptop and a NAS via Ethernet? You got me lost here - can you elaborate?

EDIT: Is this what you want to do? http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Bridged

 

Thanks for the reply, and sorry for not being very clear.
The link you posted pretty much describes what I'd like to achieve: connect laptop and NAS by wire on a wireless bridge, and connect to the internet using my wireless router/modem.

I am thinking of getting a bridge like the D-Link DAP-1522

Does that sound feasible?

 

In theory yes but this is quite often firmware-specific. It would be best to use two devices that can work with the same firmware (wither from the same manufacturer or two that support the same third party firmware). This is a problem because your current modem-router as a combo cannot use a third party firmware (lack of modem drivers).

Also I would avoid D-Link. They do have a reputation for the crappiest firmware in the known universe and they do deserve it.

Check your current device - does it allow for wireless bridging & providing wireless Internet at the same time? See what happens if you enable wireless bridging on it - it may work either as a bridge or an access point, but not both.

As a general answer - it is possible to do what you want to do but I have no way of knowing if it will work fine with your current hardware or would you be forced to replace the current combo device.

 

Thanks, guess I will give a try with a bridge (no D-Link, thanks for the heads up. How about TRENDnet TEW-680MB?). Worst case scenario is having to get another router/modem, which anyway was on the line since the ISP provided modem I use now is crap.

 

Hi

If you want a reliable solution at 300mbps, why not use a TP-Link or similar homeplug connector with WiFi on one end?

So TP Link ----------- Router
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| ----- over main ring electrical circuit
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TP Link Wifi = - = - = - Laptop (Wifi to TP Link)
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NAS (ethernet into TP Link)