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The short question is: can I use Wifi to create an Ethernet socket 50 feet or 100 feet away?

I got a Network Attached Storage device (NAS), and it needs to plug into a Ethernet socket. I wanted to put this unit downstairs because upstairs, the room temperature can go up to 40°C (104°F) some days, and one time, my hard drive in an iMac simply went bad.

I can rely on a cooling fan or even use a fan on the floor, except, the desirable operating temperature of the NAS is up to 35°C, so blowing 40°C air into the unit probably means heating it up constantly by 40°C air.

And I don't want to run a Ethernet cable from upstairs to downstairs, so can I "extend the Ethernet" by using Wifi? That is, not to extend Wifi, but rather, using Wifi, can I have an Ethernet socket downstairs for the NAS device to plug into?

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  • Yes you can get an access point and use it in client mode to provide a wired jack in a remote spot via wireless. However you probably want to look at doing this at 802.11ac speeds if the remote device is NAS. The reason the didn't build wireless into the NAS is because generally a wireless connection would be too slow.
    – Tyson
    Aug 13, 2015 at 18:13
  • you mean using access points to extend wired networks? Aug 13, 2015 at 18:14

2 Answers 2

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You have two options. The first is to, as you said, use your WIFI and plug into the NAS via ethernet. You can find such devices on Amazon similar to the link below:

Amazon WIFI to Ethernet 'Adapter' - NETGEAR Universal N300 Wi-Fi to Ethernet Adapter

The second option is you could run your ethernet through your electrical, something that I've found incredibly useful for getting consistent speeds throughout my house and not having to rely on WIFI. The Amazon link below is the exact device I use at my house and it works wonders.

Amazon Electrical to Ethernet Adapter - NETGEAR XAVB101 Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit

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Rather than a literal "extend by WiFi" (as in a WiFi network accessible to other computers) this type of application is better served by "Point to point" radios that only connect to each other. Something like Ubiquiti Nanostation Locos (I use some, not otherwise associated), for an inexpensive example. When properly set, (WDS AP and WDS Station, for that particular equipment) they become a "cable equivalent" via wireless.

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  • interesting, I see some at ubnt.com/airmax/nanostationm -- so you plug a Ethernet cable from the ISP router to the Nanostation, and 50 feet away, you also have one Nanostation, and the NAS can plug directly into this Nanostation, or you can plug a gigabit switch into the Nanostation, and now it is like your Ethernet is extended with 4 or 5 Ethernet sockets? Aug 13, 2015 at 18:42
  • Yes. While there are various ways they can be set up and roles they can fill, in this mode/application it really is just like a cable (albeit, not a stunningly fast cable - those are available, cost much more, and don't work well though houses anyway, so if you need a stunningly fast cable in your house, drill holes and run an actual cable - it always beats wireless. Depending on the actual connection you can get through the materials of your house, expect 20-90Mbit across the radio link.
    – Ecnerwal
    Aug 13, 2015 at 20:54
  • ok, I think I get it, that these are "extending bits across the air", instead of using 802.11n or 802.11ac. It merely is transporting the bits over the air, back and forth, to emulate a cable Aug 13, 2015 at 21:08

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