Establish a link between your WiFi router and another router for improved connectivity.
Establish a link between your WiFi router and another router for improved connectivity.
In my apartment the landlord offers internet through WiFi access. My roommate and I wish to have our own private network separate from the public one, yet connected to it so we can use our devices. I bought a Netgear Nighthawk R7000P router today to attempt setup. It supports wifeless bridge mode but doesn’t let me use its WiFi for my devices—only the Ethernet ports are available. I require both WiFi and wired connections for my devices. Can I configure it so that my WiFi works with my wired network while also connecting to the separate public WiFi?
LOL! Of course, aside from humor, stock firmware may have these constraints but you could potentially achieve full wireless bridge mode with third-party firmware if it's compatible with the R7000P (such as DD-WRT, Tomato/forks, etc.). Be careful though—using non-stock firmware might void your warranty. In short, your router will still need to handle both public WiFi and client connections, usually one at a time. For better privacy and security, consider VPN encryption. A more practical solution would be to ask the landlord for a direct wired connection to the main router/switch, then set up the R7000P as an access point for seamless wireless and wired access.