How to improve wireless signal from a router at home

I have a LAN in my study with a router. Both my laptop and desktop are connected by cable. The router/modem also has wireless.



This has never bothered me, but as the children get laptops, I want to get a better signal in some parts of the house.

I moved the router with the cables to the kitchen. In the study, the signal is still quite good but not much better in the rest of the house.

I enquired about a booster, but that is terribly expensive.

Any thoughts how I can improve the signal?

Should the router be higher or lower; is there an extension cable one can connect to the antenna; any other possibilities?

Thanks

 

How much will a better antenna roughly cost?

 

I'm unsure, but here are pictures:







Hope this helps!

 

Well, I built a "windsurfer" this afternoon after searching the internet and it looks as if it is making a huge difference. Haven't compared it yet with the previous readings.

Standing close to the ceiling in the kitchen- a central area in our house. Behind it is the garage,





Any modifications suggestions? Higher or lower? Anything else?

Thanks

Albie

 

I still obviously got the first wired/wireless router.

Is there any way in which I can use it from one telephone/ ADSL line (numerous points) to put it in an area with a poor signal??

 

This is the situation. I can move the router up one shelve with wooden obstacles (which would be impossible to remove(I'm married!)) or move it to the working space lower down:




1. Your opinion?
2. And then- I still have the first router, which is in working order but does not have a strong signal, but fine for more than one room. I have numerous ADSL/phone line points, but obviously only one "incoming" ADSL line, that connects to all the incoming ADSL lines. Is there a way to use the second router to increase the signal in other areas of the house?
3. Is there a programme to install that indicates the signal strength per area so that I can compare what is my best option, or is the best still to walk around the house with the laptop?

Thanks
Albie

 

As you know, I built the Windsurfer- only one with the 2 aerials included.

I tested the signal with NetStumbler.

Three tests were done: one without the windsurfer, one with the windsurfer and one with a flat tin foil surface behind the modem.

Our house is broad, the study slightly behind the router and bedroom 2 right in front of the router Bedroom 2 also quite near).

The lower the value, the better the signal, as I understand it. So bedroom 2 has the best signal.



Any comments on this. I still need to setup my old router in another phone connection.

I hope this is clear, as NetStumbler give negative values.

With my experiment, I am not so sure that the windsurfer works, unless it is facing the laptop that is straight in line with the antennae.

It is also important to note that we have a long stretched out house, with the focus in the middle i.e. bedroom 2.


Any comments, suggestions?

Albie

 

As I have a new router now, which gives a much better signal, I don't really need much more. I was a bit bored, and thought I will give this a try!

Most of my house is now covered adequately, except perhaps one lounge area.

As I still have the old one, should I just pack it away or connect it??

Thanks for your advice (I need to say that I did try to get a bigger antennae, but it was about $70, which I thought was quite steep, comparing it to the price of a new router)

 

You could also try a repeater. I am only familiar with one, the Airlink101 AP431W, which I am using as an access point currently. It can also be configured as a repeater nearer to the other machines, which essentially extends the range of the original. From Fry's, but it seems they no longer carry the brand.
tom

 

First of all make sure that the router is high and not cluttered with materials around it
In the basement secondly is not the best place as well
If possible the router should have as clear a line of sight as possible with as little major dense obstructions in the way - read metal pipes , metal doors , aquariums , file cabinets , fridges etc
Although the reception is generally seen as line of sight a lot of the signal is bounce around
If the wireless is in a PC and is a PC close the floor a desk or the metal computer case itself may be shielding the signal
If its a usb network adapter get an extension to get the network receiver up and away
The network adapter or laptop should be as close to the router as possible
With Wireless g and the older b speed drops off like a stone after 30 feet
Use a ssid different than the factory issue
set encryption
The most important thing by far is to change the channel from the default channel 6 ( out of the box for most)
Wireless interference can drop in out of the blue from nowhere
You may not even be able to detect it
You will see your signal but not be able to connect
It does not take much to interfere and to have no internet reception ( causes nubes no end of panic)
Simply change the channel to any of the other 11 channels
Channels 1 and 11 are first picks
Most routers have a scanning area - or use a utility like netstumbler
One last thing
If you have g wireless and g cards - set to "g only" rather than mixed
If you have n only you can try that with n's
You might want to try open dns instead of the dns of your lazy ISP to increase browsing speed between sites

http://www.opendns.com/


Good luck

For the best and easiest off the shelf WiFi antenna see


http://bit.ly/PoorMansWiFiAntenna


Just one thing
disable windows wireless utility
It does not not know what on earth to make of the signal
Low strength but off the shelf reception
Use a generic Zyadas chipset g or b network adapter - not the brand name Linksys or D-Link
Use the Zyadas wireless utility that comes with the install
Not the windows one

Have fun