RT-AX86U with remote Netgear R8500

[mv10]

Our main router is an RT-AX86U and it's great inside the house and outside on the deck and so on. However, I have a detached garage with metal siding that almost completely blocks WiFi -- my phone in front of the garage window shows a full-strength signal, but step a foot or two away and it nearly disappears completely. I would like to have WiFi available for music and such while I work out there, and I would also like to add some hard-wired security cameras. I thought about buying a mesh node to wire to the Asus, but I have a perfectly fine older Netgear Nighthawk X8 R8500 gathering dust. Since the metal siding blocks WiFi so thoroughly, I don't expect much radio interference if I set up the Netgear inside the garage, but I'm wondering what settings I should use on each router to achieve a wired backhaul configuration between two devices from different companies -- assuming that's even reasonably possible.

While I'm reasonably adept with routine router and home networking settings and simple switches and the like, I've never messed around with multiple routers or mesh or any similar setups. I was just going to wire up a switch out there, but since I do have this other router, I thought it would be nice to have WiFi out there as well.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Just configure the Nighthawk as a simple access point (I'm assuming this is an available option) and connect it to your main router via Ethernet. That's it.

 

[mv10]

Thanks. Same SSID / credentials? Or is that implicit when configured as an AP?

 

[ColinTaylor]

Thanks. Same SSID / credentials? Or is that implicit when configured as an AP?

Because the Nighthawk will be working as a standalone access point it doesn't matter whether the SSID, passwords, channel number, etc. are the same or different from the main router's. It really comes down to what works best for your particular clients when roaming between the AP and the router (if that's even something you want to do). Most likely just keep the SSID and passwords the same to make things simple.

Often times with multiple AP's there are concerns with interference and RF overlap, but as the metal of the garage is going to completely isolate the Nighthawk from the main router that's not really an issue.