I'm trying to set up my wireless network with a powerline extender. The extender itself is a wireless access point. - it is this model.
The main internet modem/router is downstairs, it is connected to the powerline adaptor at the mains, and the extender is plugged in upstairs.
If I use the standard out-the-box setup then it creates a whole new unsecured network upstairs. This isn't what I'm after as it means my devices are all swapping and changing between networks whenever they can see both access points. (Sure, I can make it a secure network, but it's still a separate network that gets picked up by any device in the house along with detecting the main router) What I'm looking to happen is for the extender upstairs to just be an extension of the main network - the same network, only with greater coverage.
So, my next attempt was to get into the properties of the extender and change the SSID to be the same as the main router, and also to use the same security key. However on setting this up it takes down the actual internet access in the whole house 'limited or no connectivity' until I unplug the extender upstairs.
So it looks like my two options are:
a) have two separate networks in my house and have my devices swap and change whenever they detect one of the two access points (which is annoying as it means I lose connections whenever I move around the house and the device I'm using decides to connect to the other network instead).
b) have the extender using the same SSID as the main router but not have any internet access (which is even worse).
As far as I can make out the best option is to disable the DHCP on the extender access point - but there is no DHCP options at all to do this.
What am I missing here? How can I extend my network around the house with the equipment I have? Have I just bought the wrong equipment? Is the DHCP taken care of elsewhere - on the main internet router? Am I missing some other settings?
