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I'm using Windows 7 on a laptop with a built in Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN card. This wireless card supports Virtual WiFi and I cane easily create a WiFi hotspot and share with it my Internet connection (which I get using the same wireless card).

Is it possible to use the Virtual WiFi feature as a repeater for my router? I want the Virtual WiFi to broadcast the same SSID and the same subnet... literally extending the router's range. (and no, configuring the virtual wifi manually with the same SSID doesn't work, even with same password...)

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No, unfortunately it won't work. This is due to limitations in the WiFi protocol. Specifically, an access point is required to ignore packets that don't have source network hardware addresses that belong to its clients. So if the computer did 'repeat' a packet, the access point would drop it.

If your existing router supports WDS, just buy a new access point that also supports WDS. You can use routers as access points if you disable their DHCP server. You can get them for $50 or less at electronics stores.

PCs make lousy routers and bridges unless they're dedicated to that task anyway. So even if it did work, it would be well worth it to get a cheap, dedicated device.

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Thanks man! That explains it :) – shaylh Jan 7 at 23:51
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I do not think this is possible unfortunately; Windows 7 does provide Virtual Access Point functionality; but what you want is a repeater; that is something that Windows isn't good at; it would have no way of actually REPLICATING the information from your router on the Windows 7 machine; once you setup the virtual AP, clients wouldn't be conecting to your router directly, but actually to the Windows 7 AP, and that box redirects it to the router for fulfillment. I do not think it's possible to achieve what you want in this manner. Another router is pretty easy to setup as a repeater, easier.

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That's what I was afraid of...Can you refer me to any documentation by Microsoft on that subject? By the way - perhaps a different driver would solve this? Something like dd-wrt but for a wireless card and not a router? – shaylh Jan 7 at 22:41
I wish i could Shaylh; even if you did install DD-WRT on your router, the same situation would apply: Your windows AP would just be another ICS shared connection, another point for users to connect too. – zackrspv Jan 7 at 22:46
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I don't know if it is an option, but Connectify Pro in Windows 7 supports repeater function with your wireless card. I haven't tested it though.

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