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Leos313
Asked: 2019-12-07 05:12:17 +0800 CST

Using a system with a Linux-based OS as bridge (for WIFI and ETH) [duplicate]

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Context:

I have an old working system with an Ubuntu version correctly running on it.

The problem to solve:

The wifi where I work does not reach every place in the office. The idea is to use this system as a bridge for extending the wifi range (please note that I am not even sure that the right word to use is bridge. If not, please correct me).

Questions:

  1. is it possible to solve the problem with the solution I am proposing?
  2. Should I use two different wifi antennas? (of course, I have more than one if necessary)
  3. is there a standard procedure (or a ready-to-use OS) for that purpose? any advice or suggestions on how to do that?
  4. additionally, can I connect this system to a switch in order to provide internet access to other systems connected via eth?

Sorry for this newbie question. I am quite new with networking issues.

networking wireless network-bridge

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    It's called WiFi repeater, usually routers are used for this, but seems it's possible with Linux machine. Look at these answers, hope it will be helpful:

    1. Make a wifi repeater?
    2. WiFi repeater with a single WiFi adapter in Debian (also applies to Ubuntu)

    As for your questions:

    1. According to links above, it seems to be possible.

    2. Antennas may improve the signal, but also it may cause interference. If you have 5 GHz WiFi adapter, maybe it will be better to receive 2.4 GHz signal and translate 5 GHz or vice versa.

    3. Looks like it's enough just to clone repo and build an application. This function enabled by default in some routers, but as I know, it's impossible to install such firmware on regular machine

    4. If you mean to receive internet connections to your repeater and share internet from it both by wifi and ethernet, than yes, just create a Shared to other computers connection (It's called so on Ubuntu) and it should work, because you will have internet on your repeater.

      If you can share internet to repeater over ethernet, it's even easier, you'll not have any issues with interference and connection will be stable, all you need than is just set up a hotspot. (Ubuntu can do it out of the box, see Create a wireless hotspot.)

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