Wireless Repeater

Hi All,

Due to Covid-19 my organization is looking to expand wireless from our CT5520 WLC to areas of the parking lot outside to provide users with a way to drive up and do business without coming inside the building. We use AIR-CAP2601 and 3601's APs inside the building. The organization is pinching pennies as much as possible and I was quoted ~$1600 for (1) Cisco outdoor AP with enclosure.

I tried a cheap and dirty trick to beam the SSID into the parking using a directional TP-Link AP in Repeater mode, but the WLC thinks that device is a client or a rogue AP. We use web-auth on the SSID, so I suspect that is causing an issue while in client mode. This seemed to be a janky setup and I question whether it'll work at all.

Does anyone have a good idea to get the saturation outside we want without dropping the money needed for an outside AP with enclosure?

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-NetManMark