[jpoet]

My mom will be moving into an apartment which comes with free public WiFi. I would like to setup a Repeater Bridge router to give her some protection from her neighbors. If 2.4GHz is required to get a good connection then a dual-band router will be fine, but I am hoping they are providing a good 5GHz channel which means I probably will want a tri-band router.

The only reasonably priced tri-band DD-WRT compatible router I have found that is readily available seems to be the Asus RT-AC5300. However, I have read very mixed comments about it in these forums. Since this is for my mom, reliability is more important than speed. Is there a better option?


TIA

[eibgrad]

You do NOT want a *bridged* repeater. You want a *routed* repeater, or what dd-wrt simply calls "repeater".

Repeater is also known as a WISP (wireless ISP) router, because the wireless client of that router creates a *virtual* WAN, which replaces the wired WAN. In all other respects, it's identical to any other router. It will have its own firewall, DNS server, local IP network, etc. If it was configured as a repeater bridge, it would offer no such protections or benefits.

That said, the problem w/ repeater mode, is that it is a combination of client mode + AP mode, and client mode *can* be problematic w/ certain hardware. I know on the tomato forums this has been particularly troublesome for YEARS, esp. w/ ARM-based routers. In some cases, it might be better to choose a standard router (doesn't even need to be dd-wrt, oem/stock firmware will work just as well), but then patch a separate wireless ethernet bridge to the WAN port, effectively creating a repeater. This has the added benefit of not having to limit your choice of routers based on whether repeater mode is supported, or third-party firmware. It just becomes irrelevant.

Regardless, I see no need for a tri-band router since most likely either of the APs used for the wireless client of the repeater can be virtualized back into an AP (not unless your concern is for performance reasons). And if you chose the two device solution instead (wireless ethernet bridge + router), the point would be moot anyway.

[jpoet]

Interesting. Thank you for the explanation.

I have an old Airport Express which would work for the router part. Or I could buy something new like a Netgear R7800 ASUS AC1900 if the price gets reasonable. Or ASUS AC1900?

The trick for me would be the wireless ethernet bridge. I believe that some 'extenders' have that mode, as do some 'access points'. Right?

I have not delved into all of dd-wrt's features. Can I assume that a "cheap" router running dd-wrt could act as the wireless ethernet bridge? In the past I have found that routers can be cheaper the purpose-built access points.

I could use suggestions if anyone wants to offer one.

TIA

[eibgrad]

I tend to stay away from router recommendations since user requirements differ so widely. I have NO CLUE what your mom actually requires, but if she's like my own, even the most basic router is likely to suffice. Not unless YOU are interested in something more powerful and feature-rich, and intend to support it.

Many third-party firmwares support wireless ethernet bridge, including dd-wrt and FT (FreshTomato). And yes, it can be economical to repurpose such a router if you have one available. But if you don't, there should be plenty of commercial, dedicated devices available on Amazon or similar places.

https://www.amazon.com/VAP11G-300-Wireless-Dreambox-Network-Microsoft/dp/B005OIB6XI/
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Router-Repeater-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B075KR7Y4D/

I'm NOT recommending the above specifically, only providing examples, although I do find these particularly interesting because of their small footprint, and that they can optionally be powered over USB, which is particularly handy for router's w/ USB.

[eibgrad]

Btw, it wouldn't be a bad idea to consider the choice of router based on its support for a VPN, say OpenVPN. Remember, even though the router is behind its own WAN and thus isolated from the landlord's network and other tenants, it's still subject to eavesdropping or ARP poisoning. It's up to YOU to determine if this is a worthwhile concern, but since I have no idea how trustworthy the landlord is (or his other tenants), I thought it worth mentioning. Just like when you visit a wifi cafe or hotel, it's safer if everything between your router's WAN and the internet is encrypted and protected from possible MITM (man in the middle) attacks. Even if you dismiss the need for it NOW, it's nice to have that option available should you change your mind later. That's where I might be concerned about choosing an older and/or underpowered router.

[jpoet]

Thank you eibgrad.