I just spent over an hour waiting for chat tech support without any useful result. I was/am planning to switch from telus to shaw and have the router configured to resolve local DNS names using the "DNS host mapping" feature on the telus router. I'm trying to figure out how to make my network work with shaw and struggling as "DNS host mapping" is not supported by the shaw router.
I'm thinking that it could be possible to buy a second router and use it via WDS to extend the network. The idea is that the "DNS host mapping" feature could be run on the secondary router. Tech support was no help on this, but it seems like WDS is something that used to work, or could work, according to other forum posts like this: https://support.shaw.ca/t5/internet-discussions/wds-not-getting-ip-address/td-p/46429
1. Is anyone extending their Shaw wifi using a second router with WDS? (e.g. an Archer C7 running say, openWRT / ddWRT.)
2. Would I be able to configure "dns host mapping" on the repeater to resolve names on the network?
Sure, that would work for one machine, but I need a local network-wide solution that works even when the DHCP leases end. I ended up concluding the only workable solution to work around the limitations of the Ignite gateway is to put in in "wireless bridge" mode (that disables all router functions so that it acts only as a wired modem) and then buying two routers to take over the wireless bridge and router functions. In the end, I decided this was too much expense / effort to switch to shaw and thus I'm cancelling my shaw service.
Sure, that would work for one machine, but I need a local network-wide solution that works even when the DHCP leases end. I ended up concluding the only workable solution to work around the limitations of the Ignite gateway is to put in in "wireless bridge" mode (that disables all router functions so that it acts only as a wired modem) and then buying two routers to take over the wireless bridge and router functions. In the end, I decided this was too much expense / effort to switch to shaw and thus I'm cancelling my shaw service.
@thrcrap -- buying two routers to take over the wireless bridge and router functions
Why "two"?
Any third-party router that you might purchase will do both "wired" and "wireless" connections.
Hints:
be sure that the router does "WiFi 6", for highest connection-speed to your WiFi devices.
if your WiFi-using device is "always-on", then it will "renew" its DHCP lease -- never allowing the lease to expire, eliminating that concern.
Within your own router, set the DHCP lease-time to one week, or more, so that any WiFi-using device can be turned-off for up to one week. When it's powered-on, it will use the still-valid lease, or will "renew" the same lease, and use the same IP-address.
