[sorenjan]

Can this be used as a range extender if you use the same SSID and password for the access point as the net you're connecting to? Would other clients silently roam between the two (or more) networks using the same name and password?

[jiggunjer]

I think it would need to spoof the same MAC as the original AP too.

[est31]

No, the identification method of an extended service set is the SSID, aka the network name. Just set up the same SSID and password on both APs, and put them onto the same ip layer network. Your device will roam the networks automatically. Each AP should get its own MAC otherwise they will think packets sent to the other AP was meant for them. WiFi is robust enough to deal with noise like e.g. bluetooth, so it might survive it, but I doubt it'd support two STAs with the same BSSID communicating with each other.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_set_(802.11_network)

[voltagex_]

How do you do this with most consumer devices? The only AP I've seen do it successfully is the AsusWRT series - Media Extender mode seems to be transparent. If I try it with anything else I'll end up with two seperate networks, e.g. 192.168.8.0/24 connected to 10.1.1.0/24 (I actually have a GL.inet AR750S in this configuration right now)

[jonathonlui]

If you can wire the 2 AP via a LAN, then this is how I've used cheap consumer wifi APs which are usually combo AP+router devices:

The first AP is connecting to internet gateway through its WAN port. This AP does the networking stuff like DHCP, NAT, etc.

The other wifi APs are configured to be AP-only, i.e. disable DHCP. Use same wifi SSID and auth settings as the first AP. Then connect the APs using their LAN ports.

Client devices should now connect to the AP with the best signal.

But if the client is already connected to an AP and a better-signal AP is available, many clients won't automatically connect to the better AP. This is because the client don't know that the other AP is the same network. So if you move around you may need to trigger the client to disconnect and reconnect.

This can be solved with APs that have a "mesh" feature which can instruct connected clients to reconnect to a better AP in the same network using https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11k-2008 but AFAIK mesh systems from different manufacturers aren't interoperable.

[not_exactly__]

I’d like to know this too please :)