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I currently have the Linksys router/4 port switch. Today I got a Netgear MR814 at Best Buy. It was only 49.99, no rebates, so I couldn't pass it up, I'm more planning for my future use then anything. So anyway, I'm just wondering if I could use the Netgear as just an access point without transferring everything over.
Yes, I'm using a Netgear MR814 strictly as an access point. (I've got an SMC Barricade 7004BR that I'm using for my router.)
Here's the quick how-to:
1) Connect a computer to a LAN port on your Netgear MR814. Don't connect anything else to the MR814 but the power cord.
2) Power up your MR814 and get an IP address from it on your computer. (You may need to release & renew DHCP on your computer.)
3) Browse to your router's IP address and log in to its administration pages. Then go to "LAN IP Setup" in the left column. Make the following settings:
* Give your router a static IP address in the same range that your existing router is handing out. For example, my SMC router's LAN IP address is 192.168.123.254, so I set my Netgear MR814's IP address to 192.168.123.253. (Make sure the subnet masks match on both routers.)
* Set RIP Direction to NONE.
* Un-check the box labeled "Use Router as a DHCP Server".
Once you've made the above settings, click Apply and log out of the router.
4) Using a regular patch cable, connect a LAN port from your existing router to a LAN port on your Netgear MR814. (DO NOT use the WAN port on the Netgear.)
5) Your Netgear MR814 is now set up as an access point. You can use a web browser to go to the Netgear's admin page and configure your wireless settings.