A Rasp Pi wireless access point
Wide Reach
© Lead Image © lightwise, 123RF.com
Set up a wireless access point with a Raspberry Pi 3, Ubuntu Core, and snaps.
Router coverage gaps often have different causes, which repeaters and access points (APs) can remedy. A repeater usually connects to the router over WiFi and amplifies the signal into areas where the router alone is not sufficient, whereas an AP wired to the router by cable sets up a private WiFi network with its own network identifier (SSID). The AP therefore provides additional access to the local network.
A highly portable Raspberry Pi is ideal for setting up a small and cheap WiFi AP suitable for many applications. For example, you could stretch a network into the back garden or provide Internet to an awkwardly located conference room.
The easiest route is to use a Raspberry Pi 3 (RPi3), which already has a WiFi module. Previous models can be prepared for the new task with a dongle, available for just a few dollars. Even the Rasp Pi 3 could benefit from a WiFi stick, because the internal connections of the installed module do not deliver the performance of a good dongle.
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