Extending wireless range

[Satch]

Friend of mine with practical problem, basics are these: Sky ASDL, no problems with wired connection nor the wireless within close range of the supplied modem/router but thanks to thick walls and an odd layout wireless connection in rest of house is rubbish.

Could use NetPlugs or similar to extend use through house but are there any easy/cheap options to boosting wireless signal?

 

[developer]

My son's PS3 is about 50 feet away from the router and we couldn't get a connection

I ended up with netplugs and while not cheap they work a treat.

You can buy more powerful routers (N instead of G) but SKY won't give you the appropriate code to operate them and they also aren't cheap.
There are ways to get the code but I did hear SKY will cut you off of they suss it.

 

[moonloops]

Generally speaking wireless sucks.

Humans absorb the signal and metals and other dense construction blocks and deflects the signal.

Go wired

You also need to factor in interference from things such as microwave ovens, bluetooth devices etc as wifi operates on an unregulated band..

 

[balge]

Hi
as said, Wifi rarely matches the advertising, what can you do?

How to improve your wireless network and boost its signal

or try searching on 'wifi extender'

I just use wired connections, make your own cables for pennies, more secure, more stable and faster....you just have to tidy up the cabling...no brainer

cheers

 

[crockers]

Hi
as said, Wifi rarely matches the advertising, what can you do?

How to improve your wireless network and boost its signal

or try searching on 'wifi extender'

I just use wired connections, make your own cables for pennies, more secure, more stable and faster....you just have to tidy up the cabling...no brainer

cheers

Fair point - but how does one connect an iPad or iPod Touch to a wired router ?

 

[whizzkid11]

Basically, you need to extend the range of wifi, by addiing an 'ACCESS POINT', however the access point needs to be connected to your router.

The best way to do it would be to get a Cat 5 cable, run it permanently from the current router to wherever you need to boost the signal to, then purchase another wireless router or access point, and connect it to the cable.

I had a couple of wireless routers lying around from when changing ISPs so just configured them to be used as access points. This gives you the advantage of having spare wired ports available as well as wireless range extension. So if you walk around the house with your touchpad (HP.. ;o) ) or IPAD etc, you don't lose connectivity as its the same Wireless Network it remains connected to via different routers.

I have this set up at home with 3 routers, using Sky broadband as my ISP, and it works a treat.

 

[BoyracerAU]

This is very, very interesting. Our place is a concrete and double brick bunker and one place I don't have internet access is the study of all places! The house has solid brick internal walls and concrete slabs for both levels, running cables is just not an option.

Access Points perhaps in the roof might just do the trick and I already have an old router to play with.

Many thanks for the ideas!

 

[whizzkid11]

This is very, very interesting. Our place is a concrete and double brick bunker and one place I don't have internet access is the study of all places! The house has solid brick internal walls and concrete slabs for both levels, running cables is just not an option.

Access Points perhaps in the roof might just do the trick and I already have an old router to play with.

Many thanks for the ideas!

In which case instead of running cables you just buy two Net Plugs, and connect them to the two routers. Netplugs just utilise your electrical wiring ring instead of running cables.

 

[balge]

Fair point - but how does one connect an iPad or iPod Touch to a wired router ?

OP never mentioned iPoo...

Can you not dock it with a PC on a wired network then?

 

[balge]

This is very, very interesting. Our place is a concrete and double brick bunker and one place I don't have internet access is the study of all places! The house has solid brick internal walls and concrete slabs for both levels, running cables is just not an option.

Access Points perhaps in the roof might just do the trick and I already have an old router to play with.

Many thanks for the ideas!

A nice long drill bit will be through your bunker walls easy enough...as long as it's not re-inforced concrete, which can be a bitch to drill....
It depends how handy you want to get, drilling a few holes and wiring up Cat 5e isn't that hard, but ethernet-over-power is even easier, as long as you have 'clean' power...

 

[crockers]

OP never mentioned iPoo...

Can you not dock it with a PC on a wired network then?

Actually OP doesn't mention any type of computer at all...so I just replied to your post of always using wired....

 

[davidjpowell]

Interesting. I also struggle with tinternet in two sides of the house. One side is quite near the router, so I did not expect trouble.

Can't use Electric plugs, as the extension is wired so it's on a seperate consumer unit.

I'm tempted with the drill and additional access point.

 

[balge]

Actually OP doesn't mention any type of computer at all...so I just replied to your post of always using wired....

 

[Benzowner]

My early days of wireless, I used a router with a single antenna and the wireless was not good. I saw an add where my cable company were offering them for free so ordered one which has two antennas. We now have a strong signal all over the house. As you can guess, I am not technically minded so may be just a fluke

 

[flango]

My son's PS3 is about 50 feet away from the router and we couldn't get a connection

I ended up with netplugs and while not cheap they work a treat.

You can buy more powerful routers (N instead of G) but SKY won't give you the appropriate code to operate them and they also aren't cheap.
There are ways to get the code but I did hear SKY will cut you off of they suss it.

Sky supply higher power N routers free of charge all my wireless is via Sky Broadband connection at n speeds

 

[Shude]

Can't use Electric plugs, as the extension is wired so it's on a seperate consumer unit.

Unless it's also on a different meter/phase it might still work!

Proper cat5 wiring with an access point in the trouble spots is the way to go.

 

[davidjpowell]

Unless it's also on a different meter/phase it might still work!

Proper cat5 wiring with an access point in the trouble spots is the way to go.

Cheers,

I suspect it might be on a different phase. That side of the house runs a heavy duty pump.

I've tried the net plug with no joy, so cat 5 it will have to be...

 

[developer]

Sky supply higher power N routers free of charge all my wireless is via Sky Broadband connection at n speeds

That's worth knowing, thanks.

it has been a couple of years since we tried to get better routers off them and they wouldn't provide N's at the time.

Digressing, I wrote to the owner of our other discussion yesterday -I'll let you know what happens.

 

[mapleleaf]

cat 5 or cat5e or even cat 6 ? whats the difference and would an end user notice?

 

[balge]

cat 5 or cat5e or even cat 6 ? whats the difference and would an end user notice?

None up to 1000 base T probably...might have trouble finding cat 5 nowadays though...
cheers