# Need help with wireless network for DVR

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-wireless-network-for-dvr/515948>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 1, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-wireless-network-for-dvr/515948 "2009-11-01T16:19:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-wireless-network-for-dvr/515948/1 "2009-11-01T16:19:29Z")

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This week, I decided to finally dump my land line. I was only using it to make calls about once a week, so what’s the point, right?

I’m happily thinking about all the stuff I can buy with an extra $20 a month or so, when I come home to turn on my TV. The Dish Network box is reminding me that I have to keep a phone line (or Internet connection) attached to my receiver/DVR in order to avoid a $5 monthly fee. Annoyed grunt.

The DVR is in a location where I cannot readily run an ethernet cable to it, so I’m thinking there must be some way to connect the box to my wireless network. Using the Google I find many people recommend getting a “wireless access point” like they use for their XBox 360 or whatever. I’m shocked to find the cost of these things dedicated for gaming cost upwards of $100 and more! The wireless router I use cost like, $35 or something.

I have found two things ([one](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156159), [two](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320025)) which I think would work and don’t cost $150, but I want to make sure before I buy one. Am I on the right track here?

Also, why do these things seem to cost more than my wireless router? Is there some other box I can use that’s even cheaper than what I have found? Any advice would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-wireless-network-for-dvr/515948/2 "2009-11-01T16:47:27Z")

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I do exactly this by using 2 regular wireless routers (the cheapo ones) with one acting as a wireless bridge and not a router. I achieved this using custom firmware (dd-wrt) but I believe that Netgear routers support this out of the box if you use 2 Netgear routers.

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-wireless-network-for-dvr/515948/3 "2009-11-02T16:56:58Z")

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It looks like the router I have (a Belkin 802.11g cheapo one) cannot act as a wireless bridge. It sounds like a software issue. How do I know whether any particular router can act as one?

(Yes, this is a long-winded way of doing my one bump in hopes of some more assistance.)