On Fri, 3 Mar 2017 09:28:24 -0800 (PST), Lobster wrote:

I currently use my auxillary extender thingy on a completely different
network to the main one, so my devices swap over to the best signal when
necessary. I must admit I had a lot of grief getting it set up, and once
it worked I just left well alone...

Is that another wired AP? If not how does it get it's connection to
the LAN?

I've never quite understood the whole speed-halving malarkey;

On a given channel only one thing can transmit at a time. With a
repeater (aka extender) retransmitting on the same channel as the AP
each packet is transmitted twice, once from the AP then again from
the repeater. Thus halving the number of time slots available.

... am I avoiding it by what I'm doing?

Certainly if the two APs are on different channels. If on the same
channel and they can't hear each other there is potential for a
"mush" zone between them where a device can hear both and if the APs
transmit at the same time stomp on each other. Also the device may
start switching between them.

Or can I simply change the names of the two routers to match; or do they
clash then?

The SSIDs can be the same and even on the same channel provided the
traffic levels aren't high on both at the same time.

--
Cheers
Dave.