Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router
MannyD
Newbie

How do I set up my Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router?

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Re: Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router
nsayer
Enthusiast - Level 3

MannyD wrote:

How do I set up my Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router?


Schwa?

 

How do you NOT set up the 4510L as a router? That's what it is - a wifi NAT router.

 

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Re: Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router
MannyD
Newbie

I should have stated "How do I set up my existing router to connect to my Verizon MiFi 4510L". What I have is a wireless router and I want to know how to configure it to connect to the MiFi. I've heard there's a way to do it. Since both are just access points, it's not easy to do. I've read something on Tom's about "Bridging" but it seems like you have to have a CCNA to set it up.

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Re: Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router
John_Getzke
Champion - Level 1

Hello,

 

What you are asking about is called "Cascading".  You dont need to be CCNA but you do need to configure your routers to not step on each others toes.  When one router cascades into another you leverage the same LAN over multiple devices, often giving you more physcial space/coverage for a multi level home.

 

The problem with cascading routers is that you need a Ethernet cable connection to do it (which the MiFi does not have).  Turning a router into an Access Point has the same restriction, they both need a Ethernet cable.  Wireless routers do not talk to each other unless they have a cable inbetween them.  Also, cascading wireless routers will not share the same SSID.  You will need to setup your routers to broadcast SSID's like "Home-Upstairs" and "Home-Basement".  In addition you would need to manually switch from one SSID to another as you roam around your house as the routers will not do it for you.

 

Here is a link I like to share about how to cascade routers:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10024/products_qanda_item09186a0080a357b6.shtml

 

That being said, there is an easier way if you are willing to purchase another device.  Something called a Pepwave Surf should work and simplify your enviornment , skipping the Cascade configuration steps completly.  See this thread for more details:

http://community.vzw.com/t5/4G-Discussion/Mi-Fi-and-a-router/m-p/697493/highlight/true#M4877

 

 

 

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Re: Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router
AHepburn
Newbie

I'm confused - I have this system installed in my motorhome - it consists of a 15dbi external antenna and a wireless repeater. It allows me to connect to wireless networks that are outside the range of the built-in wireless of my laptop. I can connect the repeater to my 4510 with no problem at all, and the repeater will then send the signal from the 4510 to whomever I allow to log in to my repeater. I usually don't bother, since the 4510 gives us a pretty good signal inside the motorhome, but we use the repeater a lot if we want to connect to a campground's wireless network instead of using the 4510. Should I not be able to connect the repeater to the 4510?

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Re: Verizon MiFi 4510L as a router
John_Getzke
Champion - Level 1

AHepburn wrote:

...

Should I not be able to connect the repeater to the 4510?


A wireless repeater will work with the MiFi 4510.  However, most home routers do not have repeaters built into them and that is what the OP is asking about.

 

Lets remember that a wireless repeater is not the same device as a wireless router.  A router is an intellegent device which makes decisions on where to forward packets of information to specific machines.  A wireless repeater does not make any decisions.  Repeaters simply collect, boost and rebroadcast wireless signals to make them cover a wider area.  A good example of a simple repeater would be a car booster kit for your cell phone.  You dont have to connect directly to the device, just be in the proximity of it and it will boost your signal. 

 

Devices like the Pepwave Surf are a wireless repeater, booster, filter and router all-in-one.  These devices are designed to work exclusively with wireless networks and should be compatible with the MiFi 4510L.  You mention that your repeater allows you to sign in and connect directly to it.  This tells me that your repeater is probally offering its own SSID/routing service to make connecting more convenient for you as you roam from network to network in your RV.  I would assume that your RV repeater would be catagorized as one of these all-in-one devices as opposed to a simple repeater.

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Try a Wireless Range Extender
statdetective
Enthusiast - Level 3

I had the same problem.

 

When I switched to the MiFi 4510L for my Internet connection at home, I discontinued the service from my ISP which had brought Internet into my home using an ethernet cable which was attached to my wireless router. My wireless router had had 4 wired ethernet ports. My desktop and printer (both without wireless connectivity) were connected to the wired ethernet ports.

 

The MiFi 4510L does not provide ethernet ports, obviously. So, I needed a way to connect my wired devices to the wireless network.

 

After some searching, I found a "Wireless Range Extender". This is a device (and there are several manufacturers) that is designed to extend the range of your wireless router. It is essentially a wireless network repeater. The device that I purchased had four wired ethernet ports. I connected the wired desktop and printer to the wireless range extender and configured the wireless range extender to attach to the MiFi 4510L.

 

That solved my problem. The cost was $80 for the device. I also learned that the MiFi 4510L only supports 5 connections, but the router software in the MiFi4510L will support 10 IP addresses. The wireless range extender used one IP address, which means that the MiFi4510L router in this configuration will support 9 devices (in addition to the wireless range extender).

 

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Re: Try a Wireless Range Extender
swngdncr
Newbie

Hello, hoping someone is still following this thread.  We live in the county and have no access to DSL, cable or other high speed internet connection.  We have been using a broadband card on sprint, which only gives us 3g.  We just discovered that we are in a small pocket that has Verizon 4g.  I'm looking at getting a Verizon MIFI but the 5 device limitation is a problem, plus we can't connect it to our ethernet network.  I'm wondering if the use of a Wireless Range Extender would work for us as well.  Could we connect our MBR 1000 router to the Extender with an Ethernet cable, and then the Extender would connect to the MIFI?  The router would still be connected to the ethernet network, would then any of our printers etc that are connected to the ethernet now be networked just like they are now?   Any advice that could be offered would be appreciated.   -cj-

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Re: Try a Wireless Range Extender
John_Getzke
Champion - Level 1

swngdncr wrote:

Could we connect our MBR 1000 router to the Extender with an Ethernet cable, and then the Extender would connect to the MIFI?  


Yes, but you will need a device with a built in repeater and ethernet cable to make it work.  I'm sure there are several devices out there too choose from.  However, I recommend a device called the PepWave Surf which we have had a few discussions about on this forum already.

 

Pepwave Surf:

http://community.vzw.com/t5/4G-Discussion/Mi-Fi-and-a-router/m-p/697493/highlight/true#M4877

 

The Pepwave will convert your MiFi's wireless signal into an Ethernet cable connection.  Simply hook the Pepwave up to your existing router, reconfigure the IP addresses of the devices and your done.  You need to make sure that all your devices have unique IP addresses otherwise your traffic will not route correctly.

 

 

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Re: Try a Wireless Range Extender
swngdncr
Newbie

Great, thanks I'll look into the PepWave.  Ithink we are also going to want some kind of signal booster. My husband took an early termination off of Sprint to get Verizon, because Verizon has 4g where he works.  We were not expecting to get 4g at home as there is no4g  service indicated on the Verizon Maps., so it was a pleasant surpise to see the 4g signal at home.  He downloaded one of those apps that shows what cell tower you are connected to, and it looks like the tower that we are connecting to is maybe 2-3 miles as the crow flies, and we have clear line of sight from our house. Gosh, it would be so nice to have 4g... our 3g broadband is sooooooo  slooooooowwww..  Need to figure out how a booster would interface with the PepWave, if there is a way to do that....

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