Network | WiFi extender option

[actraiser30]

Hello

Is it possible to add to the wifi hotspot software an extra enchantment option (optional)
If a user has a second USB wifi connected that can use it as a wifi extender/repeater??

For example the internal/onboard wifi as a hotspot and an external USB wifi as an extender/repeater to increase the wifi coverage.

Thanks

[MichaIng]

Does it make any sense to use a hotspot and an extender on the same device? If onboard WiFi has a worse range than the USB WiFi adapter, I would use the latter only and disable the onboard WiFi adapter.

But an option to configure the DietPi system as repeater only would be neat, so it can extend the WiFi network from the router or another AP/hotspot.

[actraiser30]

would be great such an option even if it's in the same device nevertheless I can always get a long usb extension cable and put the extender usb wifi to another room.

[MichaIng]

Okay, I am currently not sure how to set this up correctly, probably best with a bridge, running hostapd and the DHCP server on the bridge interface. So the extender would not really be an extender, but just a clone of the hotspot itself. This has the benefit that the WiFi signal is not further forwarded between the two adapters, but via USB between "extender" and DietPi system directly, resulting in better performance.

... while writing, I had the word "repeater" in mind, and was wondering about the difference: https://www.howtogeek.com/774725/wi-fi-extender-vs-booster-vs-repeater-whats-the-difference/
Okay, so "extender" is in fact this solution with signal transport via USB (though it is probably more meant with a standalone device, instead of a USB WiFi adapter only, but should work either way), while a "repeater" would be one which did not make so much sense for me, when managed from the same host system. So then this all makes sense:

• One adapter for Internet/LAN access for the host.
• One adapter as WiFi hotspot.
• Optionally one or more additional adapters as WiFi extenders, practically implemented by moving the hotspot (software) to a bridge between all WiFi interfaces.

However, in any case, this would be an addition to the dietpi-network script which is somewhat planned without any ETA.

[actraiser30]

Sounds good the wifi clone "extender" option if it's possible, as far I know the repeater, repeat the wifi and the Extender, extends it.

thanks.

[Joulinar]

this can be done using RaspAP. There you can specify a 2nd WiFi interface https://docs.raspap.com/repeater/

[MichaIng]

By the word "extend" alone, I would not know the difference to "repeat" in this context 😄. However, the article made it clear.

When using RaspAP, just take care to not use dietpi-config anymore, since both naturally conflict. But it is good that we can check how RaspAP implements this, so we can verify whether what we are doing is somewhat correct or nonsense 😄.

[actraiser30]

Ok thanks,I used in the past RasAp it locked everything in my Raspbian I didn't have access to anything so I wouldn't think is a good choice to use it.

Is it possible to add an option to select between the 20/40 mhz channel width??

Another thing now,sometimes when trying to connect to the hotspot it stays in the obtaining ip address message when connecting to it and eventually disconnects with a failed to connect message,if I try to connect again it does the same,all I can do is to turn off the raspberry pi by removing the power,this can happen 4,6 times in a row so removing the power is done one after another,is it a bug??

[Heartnett]

I am so glad to find this feature request!

I have been banging my head against the wall, trying to get this functionality on my dietpi instance for weeks now.

My requirement is the same, however I would like to swap the roles of wlan0 (onboard pi3b+) and wlan1(TP-Link T600U Archer Nano).

Diagram
Router))) => (((wlan1 < pi > wlan0))) =>

So wlan1 would be the wireless client and wlan0 becomes the hotspot.