Extending range of wireless network
 

Hi guys n gals. :)

I think I need to extend my wireless network, as the signal from the router on the ground floor isn't so hot at the top of the house on my laptop, on the 2nd floor (3 floor house, woo me!). I can't tell what I'd need though, an Access Point, or a range extender. Somebody in the know who can tell me what I'd use would be nicely appreciated. :)

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Something like these? :)

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

**** the bed theyre expensive why not try something like this to start with

http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-in...-omni-9osc.htm

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Yes, those Dabs ones are particularly expensive. An aerial like that wouldn't work with the *cough*crap* Belkin *crap*cough* router.

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

How does that work?:dunce:

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

its pritty simple , you replace the generic 3 DB gain arial with a higher rated one, IF your router uses a detachable arial.

the rule is, the higher the DB No, the higher the gain...

as in, your transmit and receive power will increase with a higher gain replacement, and so your distance also increases for a given connection speed and quality signal.

for every 3db increase, you get around twice the range and/or signal strength, but keep in mind thats a generic rule for line of sight with nothing in the way for outside use, so it will be slightly lower inside, but still valid increases.

also, manually settiing your connected speed slightly lower also increases power output and receiveing quality OC.

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

i believe on the belkin routers there is an extended range mode http://192.168.2.1 me thinks the settings url is...

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Why not use the wired electric ring main circuit to carry you signal. IIRC it's called home plug or similar ?

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

something very weard here, my post just got corrupted for a second time with no reason, as i wasnt in edit mode so this basic overview is all i can be bothered to retype, simple enough though , theres other related older posts iv made if you really want more info, so search on poppper and wireless perhaps!.

1:move your ground floor router (the worst place you could to run it from given 3 floors), to the first floor, as the rule is, the higher you put your router, the better, stronger and ferther its signal will travel.


2:make this cheap DIY 'Windsurfer' parabolic reflector and place on your existing routers arial , works well
[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/news/EEAFApAuVERaihBGAY.html
http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/

or 3:buy this if your router can take 3rd party arials
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=38205
[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

buy a second router, place it on the top floor, wire it to the first one with ethernet, set it on another channel, and you have made a cheap longer reach wireless extender/wireless roamable setup....

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Bedroom's on a spur (only one in the house), rest of the house is on the ring.

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

I've never tried it but I'm pretty sure that Homeplug will work anywhere around the house, you don't need to be on the same ring.

There's loads of information and instructional videos over on Solwise. Take a browse:
http://www.solwise.co.uk/

---------- Post added at 20:53 ---------- Previous post was at 20:48 ----------

From:
http://www.solwise.co.uk/downloads/f...o-homeplug.pdf

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

That's the one :tu: being on a spur will have no effect on performance, its all the same conductors.

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

be aware OC that the average coverage distance for these mains fed homeplug, are as per wireless and ethernet cable range, I.E "The range for mains networking is usually stated at 100m " but all homeplug mains networking comes without even the basic WEP equivalent for mains LAN security.

what does that mean in real terms, simply that anyone local to you within the *100m of electrical wire length with these same homeplug devices can see all your Mains wireline LAN dataflows if they so wish, due to the fact theres no way for you to lock access to your dataflow to only your authorised mains wireline plugs.

* in effect within reach of any 4 average sized council houses local to you, or more if you live in a drive/Cul-de-sac or other star type electricly wired set of homes.

on the other hand, its a good if somewhat more expensive way to share and make your own small community shared LAN network, as each new homeplug in there can simply bridge to the next set of houses along the row/street.

but i find all the forms of wep secured wireless router and long ethernet between houses were practical, the far better and cheaper primary option and OC upto 1 gig+ speeds for generic ethernet, if that build out of a shared community LAN is your primary objective.

thanks bopdude, apparently there is some form of security you can set, so it seems its a little harder for people in other homes to see your dataflows or use your network without some security key cracking work on their part.

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Since the signals may travel a short distance outside the user's residence or business, like many other home networking technologies, HomePlug includes the ability to set an encryption password. As with many other networking products, most HomePlug devices are "secure by default". The HomePlug specification requires that all devices are set to a default out-of-box password—although a common one. Users should change this password.
To simplify the process of configuring passwords on a HomePlug network, each device has a built-in master password, chosen at random by the manufacturer and hard-wired into the device, which is used only for setting the encryption passwords. A printed label on the device lists its master password.


Taken from wiki


So you can secure it :tu:

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

No problem, but for the record, if I'm posting a long informative forum post, I draft it in Notepad so I have it set right.

Not possible as I don't have an ethernet cable long enough to go from 1st floor (parents bedroom) to ground floor.

Interesting idea. :)

It can't, it's a Belkin. It'd be one thing I'd have and try, if the damn router supported it. The Belkin router itself is on the strongest wireless setting it'll have, and I'm on the lookout for the Netgear DG834G as an ADSL2+ enabled replacement, but I've no idea if that has a detachable aerial on it to replace with a high-gain unit.

Again, no ethernet cable long enough. ;)

I think what I'm after is something like this: http://www.dabs.com/products/linksys...efs=4294958749

The only thing putting me off is the price of it, and I also have no idea if a cheap router could be hacked or configured to do much the same job (preferable, as I always love to waste an afternoon or 2 screwing around with networks/computers :D).

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

it seems i was running out of virtual mem as id not had a power cycle in a while, but no matter.

me pre type in notepad, nope, you see my average size text when helping here :angel: including this one probably ;)

LOL, well your going to have to "go out some time"......, and spend some money.

if only to buy a can of coke and make a version of the 'Windsurfer' parabolic refrector from that....., yes iv done that for a bit of fun, and "just to know it works" as i thought it might, and it works good too, got a 5db gain increase in the open direction :monkey::p:

but not as good as putting a USB2 wireless card on a short 2m USB extension, and stuffing it through a hole, just under a 3rd of the way down the side nearest a large CANs base to make an adhoc (made 2) cantana for long distance.... a 12db increase above its normal receive/transmit, and far less wireless noise to boot.

your average 10m (30 foot) good quality heavy cat5E ethernet is only about £3 today, and thats pritty much garanteed good for 1 gig upto around 50m (150 foot), 10m of cat6 being a £5.

seeing as you seem intent on some hardware , then your going to NEED some long ethernet anyway and its well werth trying the option 4: i typed up yesturday but you missed the more indepth text.

its pritty simple, and you dont seem interested in the faster and more expensive 11n, so go buy a cheap £15 11g router from your local shop, put it on the first OR top floor clear from any metalic things such as radiators that might and will act as a large wireless reflector (unless thats the direction you want it to go OC).

go get that longer cat5E ethernet cable at the same time, plug one end into the router1 port1, the other into the WAN port of router2.

connect a PC to the 2 and go and turn router2's DHCPd OFF, and set a fixed channel at least 3 channels above the router1 channel.

that way router2 gets its LAN IP from router1 over the cat5E and your not using up valuble wireless bandwidth for router2 to LAN.

i know your going to say cant route ethernet cable :rolleyes: so theres ONE other option BUT it will take wireless bandwidth, but then so would the expensive Wireless Range Expander if you didnt want to also wired that over ethernet cable too.

all these Wireless Range Expanders are is a generic wireless router or AP with another addition in the GUI to turn the repeater option of the wireless chipset SOC ON in it's onboard firmware....

you have to ask yourself, can i live with an unwired Wireless Repeater as in this mode it actually cuts the wireless Bandwidth by half (Since it has to Flip-Flop between Transmit, and Receive with a single Radio) .

that other option, again potentially only half the bandwidth, is only valid, IF your router1 and router2 have the option already, that being WDS (Wireless distribution system)

If your routers do have WDS, then its simple, router1/mac1 - router2/mac2

you go to the WDS options screens add mac2 into router1's allowed macs, and mac1 into router2's allowed mac.

if you did it right and their within range of each other then they will send anything they see on their LAN end to the other routers WAN port,over the wireless connection, you need them both set on the same channel OC, done, but you do loose some bandwidth and speed OC as above, but fine if you know about it and why your losting the top speed.

the only real option for long term WDS use and loosing perhaps half your bandwidth (per channel but you can make it back up+ with bonding the 3 seperate spaces for non overlapping channels with a lot of bonding help , or at least thats my considered Opinion, as iv not actually tryed it for real yet, if some readers have, speak up and write it up here or somewere, what you did and what you used etc) is in the MESH modes were you can have lots of community wireless LANs interact over a far wider space or longer reach, point to point connections etc...

for instance Meraki do a nice Mesh device.http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4963484100.html
http://meraki.com/products_services/hosted_services/

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

I have to say, a lot of what you've just written has gone completely over my head. :confused:

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

I am considering Ethernet over Power, or Homeplug, as a viable option, and I'd like some advice on what's good, what's not, what's horrendous, how easy it is to configure, and whether it works on a spur or not!

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Do you really mean 'Power over Ethernet' or Homeplug (Ethernet over Power)?

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Latter, networking over power lines.

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

not a long complicated one this time, but as altis said, did you confuse things ?

PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) IS for putting power down a generic ethernet cables spare wires to power a remote ethernet device that might not have a power outlet near it.

for putting and powering a wireless router high up in your loft or externally for instance.

Re: Extending range of wireless network
 

Right, right, OK OK OK!!!!! I confused the two. Damn terminologies! :D

I'm after something I can plug into the mains, run an ethernet cable between crapshod router and said plug, and run an ethernet cable from my laptop to said plug in my bedroom.

HOMEPLUG!

Re: Extending range of wireless network