Wireless Router Range & Quality

[ShinyF1]

My wireless network range is very disappointing. I have ADSL points at the front of the house at both GF and 1F levels, but one room away [9" brick wall & 6m] sees a 50% drop off in quality, with it reducing to zero two rooms [two 9" brick walls and 10m] away. I would have hoped to have had slightly better performance than that. Vertical signal strength through timber floors is OK to one level, but 50% down through two.

I have a bog standard BT 2091 wireless router and built in wireless on the computer that uses it, and wondered is the router my problem or am I just expecting too much of a wireless network.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Sean

 

[Nibbo]

I would suggest that there is something not quite right.
My house is over three floors and my router is in the top floor office. I am on the ground floor and I get an 'excellent' signal.
In fact I get an excellent signal all over the house and in the garden up to about 80 feet before it starts to reduce in quality.

 

[blondebier]

I'd get a better router. Look at the getting one with MIMO technology. We live in an old Victorian house and ours (Netgear DG834PN) works well in all rooms and the garden.

 

[robert.saunders]

have you tried changing the router broadcast channel, it may be getting interference

 

[timskemp]

I see this all the time.

Google for Inssider, it's a wireless scanning thing and will show what channels others are using. I've gone 802.11n here because all the foil backed insulation makes coverage a nightmare.

Best to get yourself a decent router that supports WDS so you can install a repeater if coverage is important, or try bigger antennas to get more range and sensitivity. Try moving the router, even a few inches may make all the difference.

Failing that you can wire additional access points to it with Cat 5, or use homeplug and homeplug-wireless bridges if you don't want to wire anything.

My tiny 3 bed needs two access points to get coverage...

 

[w124coupe]

have you tried changing the router broadcast channel, it may be getting interference

You can download netstumbler and get a view of what else is out there broadcasting and on what channels. Then move yours away (if possible).

 

[timskemp]

Don't forget than in the 2.4GHz band only channels 1, 6 and 11 don't overlap. (or 3 and 8 for example). In very built up areas it can become a big problem (see pic, thankfully this is not where I live)

 

[AANDYY]

Best to get yourself a decent router that supports WDS so you can install a repeater if coverage is important, or try bigger antennas to get more range and sensitivity. Try moving the router, even a few inches may make all the difference.


My tiny 3 bed needs two access points to get coverage...

Good point. Moving a DAB radio ariel a few mm's or cm's in poor signal a rea makes areal difference. Simular tech.

 

[BTB 500]

I've just put in 200 mbps Powerline (ethernet over the mains circuit) adapters - a big improvement over wireless g.

 

[davewells]

i'd get a better router. Look at the getting one with mimo technology. We live in an old victorian house and ours (netgear dg834pn) works well in all rooms and the garden.

+1

 

[ShinyF1]

Don't forget than in the 2.4GHz band only channels 1, 6 and 11 don't overlap. (or 3 and 8 for example). In very built up areas it can become a big problem (see pic, thankfully this is not where I live)

Well have done this and this evening can see 4 networks, me on Ch 9 and the others on 7,6 & 1. What is a good RSSI level -mine is giving me -40 average

 

[Mark300SL]

With you on Ch9 then the neighbour on Ch7 is definitely interfering with you, and the one on Ch6 is sharing some airspace. If the neighbour on Ch7 is close to the room with zero or little coverage then this could be a real issue

I would move your own router to Ch11 ( I have even used 13 in the past) and try and distance yourself. Finally mount the Router/Access point up high if possible, the higher it is the better the range. A lot of folk like to keep the router down low "out of sight" when actually on top of a wall unit can be very advantageous.

My own wireless is Corporate standard and not to be confused with home equipment but I can get a good signal anywhere in my house, out into the street, even across the road where I park the company vehicle. This is intentional as I like to be able to hook my laptop up to the CRX whilst connected to the software developer for bug fixes My wireless network is however very secure and firewalled to the extreme.

Wireless can be very very good - it just depends on the equipment used, the client adapters, and the planning of the installation. There are a lot of unhappy customers out there who think that a wireless solution is a poor performer, and a lot of my customers who absolutely adore it


Mark

 

[ShinyF1]

With you on Ch9 then the neighbour on Ch7 is definitely interfering with you, and the one on Ch6 is sharing some airspace. If the neighbour on Ch7 is close to the room with zero or little coverage then this could be a real issue

I would move your own router to Ch11 ( I have even used 13 in the past) and try and distance yourself. Finally mount the Router/Access point up high if possible, the higher it is the better the range. A lot of folk like to keep the router down low "out of sight" when actually on top of a wall unit can be very advantageous.

My own wireless is Corporate standard and not to be confused with home equipment but I can get a good signal anywhere in my house, out into the street, even across the road where I park the company vehicle. This is intentional as I like to be able to hook my laptop up to the CRX whilst connected to the software developer for bug fixes My wireless network is however very secure and firewalled to the extreme.

Wireless can be very very good - it just depends on the equipment used, the client adapters, and the planning of the installation. There are a lot of unhappy customers out there who think that a wireless solution is a poor performer, and a lot of my customers who absolutely adore it


Mark

Mark - thanks, will have a look at different locations. Is the RSSI just about the router signal output? And why is it negative?

Thanks

Sean

 

[ShinyF1]

This is my result having changed to channel 11 [I am the Voyager 2091F]:

What should I do next

 

[AANDYY]

Sarah Beeny?

 

[ShinyF1]

Sarah Beeny?

Sarah Beeny's property website of course. Someone I know using it to sell their house.

.....although putting Sarah Beeny into Google to find said property website offered a few interesting alternatives. Anyone know what 'pokies' are?

 

[timskemp]

This is my result having changed to channel 11 [I am the Voyager 2091F]:

What should I do next

See how it is on 11, your RSSI seems to go up and down quite a bit, could be a dodgy piece of equipment (or were you walking around?)

I wouldn't recommend 13, yes it does distance you more but some wireless adaptors don't go to 13.

 

[timskemp]

This is my result having changed to channel 11 [I am the Voyager 2091F]:

What should I do next

See how it is on 11, your RSSI seems to go up and down quite a bit, could be a dodgy piece of equipment (or were you walking around?)

I wouldn't recommend 13, yes it does distance you more but some wireless adaptors don't go to 13.