Can 7600LR be configured as a repeater

networking-solutions
#1

If I want to extend the wifi signal I am able to see with the 7600LR, can the 7600LR be configured such that it puts the WIFI data on one of the ethernet ports (a la repeater) which I can then connect to a switch to which I can connect a camera and other hardwired devices, say?

#2

Just use MESH

#3

I have my 5 GS GMNs at home MESHed. The situation I have is at our cottage, where there is only 1 7600LR, and I want to vampire the wifi from my neighbour from over the air and have it come out the hardwire port to feed a switch so I can have internet at the cottage from his wifi.

#4

Not possible to be configured.

#5

The terminology is a little confusing or I am missing the point.

While you mention that that you have a meshed network, it is not clear as to what part this will play in your desire to take a feed from the neighbor to feed your cottage.

It is also not clear to me that the intended use is as a repeater. A repeater takes a WiFi input and then replicates and rebroadcasts same so as to extend the range of the WiFi to areas that would otherwise be too far to reach.

Your need is for a WiFi client with an Ethernet output or a client bridge. While the 7600 can presumably operate as a client bridge, such may not be the case for the neighbor’s device and even if that were the case, some devices then become PtP rather than PtMP.

#6

Thaks for your reply, Larry. Let me clarify. I probably shouldn’t mention MESH since I was just replying to the other guy. I have / use multiple 7600LRs and 7610s at different sites. The site I am concerned with in this case has just 1 new 7600LR, not connected to anything nor meshed. It is just standalone. While I partly agree with your definition of repeater, I just want to add that in addition to taking the wifi input and then replicate/rebroadcast, I also worked with repeaters that allow you to change the SSID of what it re-broadcasts, but more to the point, it also takes the wifi input and rebroadcasts it out the ethernet port(s) of the 7600LR. That’s what I am hoping to achieve. so basically the 7600LR would act like a wifi antennae to my ethernet switch.

#7

Going back to my “much older days”, if any aspect of the original broadcast is changed, which may include the identifier, then the device becomes a translator. Changing the SSID constitutes a change no differently than what a TV translator does when its signal is not able to reach over or around mountains and the like to get to an area that would otherwise be out of reach. The translator would be on a different frequency, different call sign and lower output, but the broadcast programming content was the same.

Nevertheless, I get the point and I too have tried a couple off of Amazon and sent both back. They had an Ethernet output and despite the WiFi being 802.11ac, the Ethernet output was 10/100. I was doing exactly what you want - taking a WiFi signal from a repeater with Ethernet and then bringing it into a switch so I could work on a FPBX and QM system. It worked, but I could not understand the point of indicating that the device would accommodate speeds higher than what the Ethernet would.

Here is one such example -

However, they do not mention the Ethernet speed until you read down the listing.
You might still find something more suitable on Amazon as my experience was a couple of years ago and perhaps some improvements have been made, but I don’t think that GS has a device capable unless both ends are GS and then you want to run in client bridge mode. In that case, no problem.

Happy repeating and good luck.

#8

Just surprised that in the multitude of consumer-grade products out there like cheap TP-Links and D-Links that do this, a fancy GWN7600LR with gaggles of antennas and settings coming out the wazoo (does anyone actually know/use/modify more that 5% of these?) that there isn’t something like an application note that would walk you trough a config setup to turn it into a Repeater. Just sayin.

#9

My guess is that the repeater aspects are more in-line with the needs of a residential clientele (“consumer grade”) whereas GS has placed a focus on the commercial, enterprise market where they focus more on pure access points with client bridge capability in competition with UBNT, Ruckus, and others in the same space.

I suspect the targeted customer base would eschew repeater, extenders and the like making it a very small opportunity for GS and you don’t see GS products in retail like D-Links, Belkin, TP-Link and others.

Of course, the commercial, enterprise markets have the money to do things that us mere mortals can only dream about. They would likely dig a trench, put in conduit and blow a fiber line down to the cottage.

#10

I feel your pain :grinning: but also don’t think GWN is missing that feature. As @lpneblett said, GS is focused on enterprise market. Use fiber/copper cable or wireless PTP link to extend network. Or switch to other vendor.