Wifi Network Without Internet?

[rick1956]

Does anyone know of an easy way to create a standalone wifi network without requiring internet?

I know, "What the hell good is a wifi network going to do without internet?"  ???

I would just like to have a wifi network in our rv that will allow us to share stuff with the tv from phones or ipads. No internet. No cables. Preferably even battery power in lieu of AC.

I used to have an old Apple Airport thing that I could use to set up its own network whether it actually had anything coming in on the ethernet cable or not, but it's no longer with me. I suppose I could browse ebay for one of those if nothing else. I just figured with all the new tech that's out there there's bound to be something even better. Maybe even alternative power.

Any ideas? We just want to share stuff from ipads/iphones to the tv via wifi is all.

 

[donn]

Should be able to plug in a wifi router and make it work.

 

[LarsMac]

Both Netgear and Linksys make wi-fi routers that will do what you want.
You can choose to connect to an external router/network, or just use it locally.

 

[SpencerPJ]

I'm not sure, but if you create a hotspot, does it only create hotspot for internet?  You possibly can create a hotspot and your tv interact with that, off your basic iPhone. I do know that if I download movies to my iPad via Comcast, it does not allow me to stream any way to my TV, they have inherent apps that they must play through and those apps don't allow further broadcast.

 

[jymbee]

Does anyone know of an easy way to create a standalone wifi network without requiring internet?

Should be easy with a wireless route. I don't believe any modern routers require an Internet connection. We use a wireless router-- not connected to the Internet-- to transfer image files from a station taking photos to another computer printing the images.

 

[LarsMac]

Here is a decent, inexpensive one that will work.
If it is plugged into a wired network it will allow wifi devices to connect to that network. Otherwise it is just a wifi router, and all wifi devices can connect to it.

A higher level option is this:
https://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-range-extenders/EX6200.aspx
It can be a wifi router, or configured to connect to a wifi network, and extend that network to wifi devices, and wired devices.
We have used this one on our travels. We can use it to connect to campground wifi and the plug our PCs into it via CAT5 cables, and also wifi.

I can also set my phone to hotspot mode, and connect to it with this guy and run off my phone connection.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Any wifi router will do that - it's inherent in its design.  Wifi is a "wireless network" and the presence of a network node that has internet is entirely optional.  Just don't plug anything into the router port marked "wide area network" (or similar).

Printers these days mostly rely on wifi networks rather than cables.  Ditto for streaming devices and smart tvs.
A $25 router will do the job fine.  Or pick up somebody's old, discarded router and use that.  You don't need the latest & greatest for what you want to do.
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N450-Wi-Fi-Router-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/

 

[John From Detroit]

There are basically two flavors of router
Old and new
Some of the new routers "Phone home" to check the quality of your internet connections (Belkins do that) older routers I've used do not.

That said either one may well work for what you want.... Just don't blow your budget les you have a major need for speed.
(tossing video I mostly do by wire Cat-5/6 type wire)

Your cell phone's hot spot

I also have a "D=Link" range extender that has the option to act as an access point.

NOTE: My Belkins still work for in-house sharing even if NOT connected to the internet.
I have two DVR's that chat over the LAN (Via Cat-5) one laptop that also chats with them (ti's the program guide file server) and two more computers on hard wire.

Plus the ability to access the guide via Wi-Fi and tell the DVR's to record from any Wi-Fi Enabled device.. SOMETIMES my Chromebooks object if the Router is not connected. but that's not the router's fault.

Since I got the Sprint unlimited pack from FMCA I connected the router to that. No problems at all.