Wi-Fi Booster

[Tony Sade]

I moved an iMac computer from its original location in the basement (right next to the wireless router) up into a bedroom and am having trouble connecting to our network. If I move the thing about 30 degrees in one direction it connects (iMacs are all-in-one units) but if it's square to the viewer, no dice. I've tried playing with the antennae on the router without luck and am wondering if one of the Wi-Fi boosters I've seen advertised will improve signal strength. If so, any recommendations? (I'm able to connect with a laptop virtually anywhere in the house, but there must be some loss of signal to this particular location.)

Thanks,

[Matt Meiser]

A couple less expensive ideas: First can you move the router a little bit? If it is near a large metal object or power wiring, that may cause interference. Second, you might try a better antenna. I use a high gain omni-directional antenna for one of mine so the signal reaches my shop. On the one in my shop that I use as a bridge, I have a directional antenna pointed right at the house.

Another option would be to just buy a second router. Turn off the DHCP in it and connect the two together with an Ethernet cable. Locate one at each end of your house. That might be a less expensive alternative than the wireless repeater since the routers are the highest volume items. Or if you really want to geek it, you can use certain Linksys routers with third-party firmware that lets you change all sorts of stuff, including turning up the radio power. That's what I do for the one I use as a bridge since real bridges are much more expensive than wireless routers.

[Mike Henderson]

You didn't say what flavor of WiFi you have, but the N version has greater range as well as higher speed. It does require that you have a N base station as well as an N client so it would be a fairly large investment.

The suggestion Matt made about getting an additional router is also very good and would be somewhat less expensive. The B/G versions are fairly low cost now - the N is a bit more expensive but are backward compatible to B/G.

Mike

[Matt Meiser]

I was just at Office Max a few minutes ago and noticed a Linksys Range Booster on clearance for $75! You should be able to get a router for 1/2 that.

[Jim Becker]

I have one of the Linksys "boosters" in another part of our home. It does work, although it's really effect is only as good as the signal it can get from the main AP.

What bugs me is that a plain AP without the router capablity costs more than an AP with a router...but at least you can use a second router in "just AP mode" if you want to as long as you can get a hard wire to it. (you don't use the WAN port and turn off the DHCP function)

[Tony Sade]

Thanks for the tips, folks. Allow me to demonstrate my ignorance about wireless and ask for some clarification regarding the use of a router instead of a booster. Can I assume that "turning off the DHCP" is done by going into the administrator site for the router (the 198.2. etc url, or its router specific equivalent) and finding a switch that gets flipped?


Thanks,

[Jason Roehl]

You got it, Tony.

[Matt Meiser]

Yep, in both of mine it is pretty explicit.

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One other thing you want to do that I forgot about is set them to each use a different channel. The computer will find the channels automatically but you don't want both of the routers talking on the same channel. I think I have mine set on Channel 1 and Channel 11. I read that you don't want them on adjacent channels, say 5 and 6, but 4 and 6 would be fine.

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[Randal Stevenson]

You don't say which router you have, but some of the Linksys ones, allow you to boost your output signal, for greater range.

[Curt Harms]

... if you really want to geek it, you can use certain Linksys routers with third-party firmware that lets you change all sorts of stuff, including turning up the radio power. That's what I do for the one I use as a bridge since real bridges are much more expensive than wireless routers.

Hi Matt

Did You run into any heat issues increasing the transmit power? I have a several year old Linksys WRT54G that occasionally locks up and has to be unplugged. I've thought about trying a 3rd party software setup on it. If I turn it into a blue brick, there's not much lost.

Something else to bear in mind for anyone considering 3rd party software. Most Linksys routers found in retail stores today are WRT54G or GS or N. These use a proprietary operating system I believe. The Linksys WRT54GL uses Linux for the OS and seems fairly easy to Mod and has 3rd party software available.


HTH

Curt

[Dan Mages]

If you have a Linksys router, you can get high gain antennas for it from CDW or other computer stores.

Dan

[Matt Meiser]

No heat problems on mine, but I only bumped up the power a little bit. Mine is about vintage 2002 so it readily accepted the 3rd party firmware (DDWRT).

I have one of the antennas turned off and the other has been replaced with a DLink directional antenna. This makes for a very solid connection, which I was not getting with the same antenna on a DLink PCI wireless-G adapter installed in the PC, and I needed a way to connect a hard-wired camera anyway.

[Randal Stevenson]

Hi Matt

Did You run into any heat issues increasing the transmit power? I have a several year old Linksys WRT54G that occasionally locks up and has to be unplugged. I've thought about trying a 3rd party software setup on it. If I turn it into a blue brick, there's not much lost.

Something else to bear in mind for anyone considering 3rd party software. Most Linksys routers found in retail stores today are WRT54G or GS or N. These use a proprietary operating system I believe. The Linksys WRT54GL uses Linux for the OS and seems fairly easy to Mod and has 3rd party software available.


HTH

Curt

I know the G series after the 5.0 firmware went to another OS, but I thought the GS went back to Linux for a time. (don't know what it is now).
My understanding however, was Linksys rolled back the booster tech, into their router line, after it was so popular, but I believe it was only in the speedbooster line.

Still have a G based router that is capable of the mod, but haven't had the time, or a laptop, to use it with (got a deal on one).

[Greg Narozniak]

I had a similar issue and I simply added a High gain Antenna and it fixed all of my coverage issues. The D link one I added was $25

[Chris Parks]

Boost the signal too far and it becomes very usable for others who have no right to use your network. I deliberately limit the range of mine by refusing to update.

[Tony Sade]

I decided to switch out routers and found a Belkin N at a reasonable price. (The current router with the coverage issue is a Belkin-G.) I'll post back when I get the new one set up. First on the list is an upgrade to Leopard.

Thanks for the tips.

[Pete Jordan]

Make sure when you upgrade to Leopard you have at least a gig processor or it won't work. I really like Leopard.

[Jim Becker]

Boost the signal too far and it becomes very usable for others who have no right to use your network. I deliberately limit the range of mine by refusing to update.

Not if you are running a secure network. You can even hide the SSID. Secure and invisible means it's highly unlikely that anyone is going to jump on your AP.

[Brian Weick]

My girl Friend has her router and modem on the 1st floor write next to her kitchen and she is having a connection problem - randomly. she also has problems with cell calls in the kitchen area, the call will drop if your in the kitchen area in certain spots. I am wondering ,since the router is close to the fridge- about 3' away and down low on the a Ottoman shelf- could this location be causing the problem. It doesn't matter if she is upstairs or down stairs in the family room next to the kitchen- the connection will fail -randomly. She has a new lab top with the windows Vista OS. Now I have a fairly new lab top 8 months old with Windows XP and we both have the same routers, I got hers for her birthday but I have had absolutely no problems - could it also be something in Vista as well, or is it the location of her router?
thanks
Brian

[Matt Meiser]

Brian, does she have a 2.4GHz cordless phone?

[Randal Stevenson]

Believe it or not, there were reports of some light bulbs, that interfered with the 2.4GHz spectrum. Trying to remember where I read it (something like two years ago), because if I remember correctly they weren't a standard lightbulb. They were either halogen (like in a Torchiere) or some of the environmentally friendly, florescent.

[Tony Sade]

I decided to switch out routers and found a Belkin N at a reasonable price. (The current router with the coverage issue is a Belkin-G.) I'll post back when I get the new one set up. First on the list is an upgrade to Leopard.

Thanks for the tips.

As promised, I'm posting to report that the new router did the trick. Plenty of signal strength to reach every corner of the house.

Thanks again for the tips.

[Dick Strauss]

Brian,
I kept having problems with my D-link WBR-2310 router dropping output in both wireless and wired (ethernet) modes at least once a day. I liked all of the options available through the D-link software but I got tired of resetting it so often. I went through at least 30 hours of Level 3 tech support before they finally agreed to RMA the router. Unfortunately the two replacement routers sent had more problems than the original. Finally I contacted my local Best Buy and did an exchange for the Linksys.

Matt,
What type of third party software is available for the WRT54g to boost the output? Can you tell me what it costs? With what operating
system(s) does it work?


Thanks,
Dick

[Randal Stevenson]

Brian,
I kept having problems with my D-link WBR-2310 router dropping output in both wireless and wired (ethernet) modes at least once a day. I liked all of the options available through the D-link software but I got tired of resetting it so often. I went through at least 30 hours of Level 3 tech support before they finally agreed to RMA the router. Unfortunately the two replacement routers sent had more problems than the original. Finally I contacted my local Best Buy and did an exchange for the Linksys.

Matt,
What type of third party software is available for the WRT54g to boost the output? Can you tell me what it costs? With what operating
system(s) does it work?


Thanks,
Dick

You might examine the routers software first. Second you will need to know what version of the router you have (very important to not brick it). Sveasoft and a few others (open wrt, dd-wrt, etc), are software that was written to expand the capabilities of this originally (and now some versions) Linux based router. I believe the power boost, is the option to effect range, and that was incorporated from the third party software (released under the GPL, at least at the time, I don't know all the licenses they currently use).

[Peter Stahl]

As promised, I'm posting to report that the new router did the trick. Plenty of signal strength to reach every corner of the house.

Thanks again for the tips.

Tony,

Did you upgrade the PC's ethernet cards to a the the N type also?

[Matt Meiser]

Dick, I'm using the DD-WRT (http://dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv2/index.php) firmware in my WRT54G. It is completely free and nothing is required on the PC. You install the new firmware like you are installing an update to the router. My WRT54G is pretty old--I got it about 2003 but I think you can now buy new ones (labeled WRT54GL) that the open source firmware will work on.

Another option would be to buy one on Ebay with the firmware alread installed.