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Does this sort of device exist?
paulj48
02-06-2014
I've just come back from a week at a camp site where the mobile data signal was non existant. The family had 2 x Iphones, Ipad, DS all wanting network access.

The site had very good Wifi that covered throughout the site, inside and out. A weekly pass was reasnable at £25 but you had to buy a sub for each device.

Is there a device that works like a mi-fi unit but instead of using 3G it takes a wifi signal (tied to the ID of said device) and shares it via wifi to unlimited other devices? It would need to run on batteries and fit in a pocket the same as a mifi unit.
Dan Sette
02-06-2014
I can't fully confirm this as I currently have both Wifi and network coverage on my iPhone - but I regularly use it as a hotspot (tethering). Obviously I know this works over the network, however I have my suspicions that if your network allows you to use it tethered than it will allow an ipad to be connected if the iphone is connected to wifi.
chrisjr
02-06-2014
You can get wireless repeaters which receive a WiFi signal and rebroadcast it. But they are mainly designed to extend WiFi coverage which is slightly different to what you are requiring.

Essentially what you want is a sort of WiFi router that interconnects to two WiFi networks, the "public" one provided by the site and a "private" one your devices connect to. I'm sure you could cobble together a system that does this.

But even if you did I seriously doubt the providers of the "public" network would take too kindly to you "free-loading" (as they would see it) off their network and not stumping up the requisite number of subs for the devices you are using.
D_Mcd4
02-06-2014
Something like this-

http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/d...odel=TL-WR700N

Operating in "bridge mode"?
paulj48
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by Dan Sette:
“I can't fully confirm this as I currently have both Wifi and network coverage on my iPhone - but I regularly use it as a hotspot (tethering)”

I had no 3G/4G on my EE sim in North wales so thats out.

Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“But even if you did I seriously doubt the providers of the "public" network would take too kindly to you "free-loading" (as they would see it) off their network and not stumping up the requisite number of subs for the devices you are using)”

They wouldnt know though would they, the device would act a a router with the camsite wifi connected to the WAN side and my wifi network being on the LAN side

Originally Posted by D_Mcd4:
“Something like this-

http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/d...odel=TL-WR700N

Operating in "repeater mode"?”

Thats exactly the functionality I need but it's mains operated so of no use.
D_Mcd4
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“I had no 3G/4G on my EE sim in North wales so thats out.



They wouldnt know though would they, the device would act a a router with the camsite wifi connected to the WAN side and my wifi network being on the LAN side



Thats exactly the functionality I need but it's mains operated so of no use.”

So it is! I just saw the pic of it in someone's pocket and assumed it would run on batteries. So that is a portable router that operates in "bridge mode" and runs on batteries you want.
paulj48
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by D_Mcd4:
“So that is a portable router that operates in "bridge mode" and runs on batteries you want.”

No, it would have to work in router mode as I would be connecting the WAN and the LAN side using NAT, the WAN would need to connect via wifi though, looking closer at this unit it only connect's the WAN via the wired port in router mode.
D_Mcd4
02-06-2014
This one?
http://www.dlink.com/uk/en/home-solu...l-shareport-go

In Wi-Fi Hotspot Mode, it connects to a wireless hotspot and subsequently shares that single network connection with nearby devices. This can be useful at a hotel, airport, or cafe to share a hotspot connection with multiple devices.
chrisjr
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“They wouldnt know though would they, the device would act a a router with the camsite wifi connected to the WAN side and my wifi network being on the LAN side”

I wouldn't be so certain about that. If their IT bods are on the ball they would know that a router had been attached to the network.

Originally Posted by paulj48:
“Thats exactly the functionality I need but it's mains operated so of no use.”

Try the WR702

http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/d...odel=TL-WR702N

Can be powered from a USB port on a laptop.
paulj48
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“I wouldn't be so certain about that. If their IT bods are on the ball they would know that a router had been attached to the network.”

Are you talking with knowledge and evidence or just guessing? Genuinly interested of how they would know it's a hardware router and not just a laptop using lots of ports?

Just seen the D-link DIR-506L D_Mcd4 seem's thats what I need just dont understand why it's got a battery life of only 4 hours, my mifi unit (which essentially does the same but using 3G) lasts for days and is 1/4 of the size.
c4rv
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“Try the WR702

http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/d...odel=TL-WR702N

Can be powered from a USB port on a laptop.”

The manual seems to indicate that it will only operate as a router when WAN is attached via a cable.

I think the problem is that any Wifi router would need two wifi chips, one acting as bridge and second acting as a hotspot ?

You could do it with two of them, one in bridge mode and then the other in router mode. Power the pair from USB battery pack.
chrisjr
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“Are you talking with knowledge and evidence or just guessing? Genuinly interested of how they would know it's a hardware router and not just a laptop using lots of ports?”

I have not done it myself but I know for certain that the IT department at work have in the past detected unauthorised routers on the company network.

If you google the topic you will see that there are ways and means to detect a router by analysing the IP traffic. And some kit can detect "rogue APs" automatically, for example

https://meraki.cisco.com/technologies/air-marshal-wips
chrisjr
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by c4rv:
“The manual seems to indicate that it will only operate as a router when WAN is attached via a cable.

I think the problem is that any Wifi router would need two wifi chips, one acting as bridge and second acting as a hotspot ?

You could do it with two of them, one in bridge mode and then the other in router mode. Power the pair from USB battery pack.”

This would tend to suggest it can operate as a router in pure WiFi mode

http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?id=394
Dan 54
02-06-2014
Originally Posted by paulj48:
“
The site had very good Wifi that covered throughout the site, inside and out. A weekly pass was reasnable at £25 but you had to buy a sub for each device.

.”

Maybe Im out of touch,but 25 quid-reasonable???
paulj48
03-06-2014
Originally Posted by Dan 54:
“Maybe Im out of touch,but 25 quid-reasonable???”

Thats less than £3.60 for 24 hours of unlimited internet anywhere on the park, inside and out so quite reasonable to me.
alanwarwic
03-06-2014
Does IOS not have bluetooth tethering?

Two devices sounds a workable compromise when after all it is meant to be a holiday.
flagpole
03-06-2014
Originally Posted by alanwarwic:
“Does IOS not have bluetooth tethering?

Two devices sounds a workable compromise when after all it is meant to be a holiday.”

i love it when people give life advice when they were asked for technical.
flagpole
03-06-2014
Originally Posted by chrisjr:
“I wouldn't be so certain about that. If their IT bods are on the ball they would know that a router had been attached to the network.


Try the WR702

http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/d...odel=TL-WR702N

Can be powered from a USB port on a laptop.”

Originally Posted by c4rv:
“The manual seems to indicate that it will only operate as a router when WAN is attached via a cable.

I think the problem is that any Wifi router would need two wifi chips, one acting as bridge and second acting as a hotspot ?

You could do it with two of them, one in bridge mode and then the other in router mode. Power the pair from USB battery pack.”

Page 8 of the manual shows it in wireless bridge mode.

2.3.4 Bridge Mode
Similar to the Bridge mode, [should say repeater mode] TL-WR702N in Bridge mode is also used to extend the range of
wireless signal of the existing AP or wireless router.
On this mode, the only wired port works as LAN. Computer could connect to the device by either
wired or wireless way.
Figure 2-4 Hardware Installation of the TL-WR702N in Bridge Mode
1. Plug the power plug of TL-WR702N in electrical wall socket.
2. Power on the notebook(s).


the diagram shows a network SSID 'abc' being broadcast from the main router, and SSID '123' being broadcast from the device.

it would need to have DHCP enabled too.
paulj48
03-06-2014
Originally Posted by alanwarwic:
“Two devices sounds a workable compromise when after all it is meant to be a holiday.”

With kids born in the 21st centuary a holiday is when they can message holiday pictures of themselves to their grandparents, friends etc. and keep themselves entertained at night whilst their adults get a well deserved drink after running around after them all day but hey thanks for the life coaching.
alanwarwic
03-06-2014
Sorry I spoke.

BTW if you look on Wikiaedia for the iPhone 4 it crazily claims "6.9–9 times" better sensitivity.
However using that linked source in the Wiki claim you actually end up with "6.9–9 times" worse sensitivity just holding the device in any manner.

Therefore a bluetooth keyboard might just make the iPhone slightly more workmanlike.
The newer iPhone 5c improves things too.
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