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Community Newsletter: Q&A: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup?
- 7/13/07 1:36 PM
Legal limit on antenna size and power
by unckybob1 - 7/9/07 8:30 AM In reply to: Do what I did, become a ham radio operator... by johnjewkesHi, I used to be a ham. I understand that you can't use these antennas for business purposes, and that includes browsing web-sites that contain ads. There must be some kind of legal limit on antenna size that can be used for citizen equipment. Can you tell me anything about this?
Bob
Re: Do what I did, become a ham radio operator...
by macibo - 7/12/07 11:54 PM In reply to: Do what I did, become a ham radio operator... by johnjewkesAre you using Echolink or PSK software to go online?
John, ki6icz
WiFi issues
by LostValley - 7/6/07 9:04 PM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
RF propagation issues are myriad. Type of construction, thickness of walls, inside, out and between. WiFi is inherently not secure. Granted newest version (11g?) has 128bit encryption but strong signals can and will be seen nearby. Interference comes from any electrical device, wiring and perhaps the space aliens. Some of the worst signal disruptors are refrigerators, older they get, stronger the buzz. Fluorescent light ballasts also impact signals, same as fridges. Directional antenna after signal boost will give you the best speed. CNET requests complete and detailed answers but that is not really possible due to sheer volume of information available. Strongly suggest checking manufacturers website and read their knowledge base concentrating upon your particular model and home construction. FYI: stucco walls very bad, silver backed insulation, any electrical shorts. Good luck.
Upside Down
by fruehaw - 7/8/07 5:09 PM In reply to: WiFi issues by LostValleyI didn't see this tidbit in a quick survey of responses, but I've heard that a good trick is to install a wireless router in a basement pointing up or an attic or high shelf in a top story pointing down. The idea (apparently) is that although the signal radiates outwards, there is also a directional component...so point the antennas in the general direction of the equipment.
E.G. if the router is in an corner room, orient the device so you can point the antennas towards the center of the house.
Also, in systems with multiple antennas, pointing them AWAY from each other may give wider coverage but less distance (you're "de-focusing" the signal) which is good for row houses (and possibly your townhouse) but less so for a sprawling single-story ranch.
This is all completely unscientific and may be nothing more than urban myth, but thought it worth mentioning/asking about.
do this like a pro.
by back_water_tech - 7/6/07 10:30 PM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
John,
I am a partner in a Wireless internet venture here in Nebraska.
I will tell you I have read many of these posts and some of them even confuse me.
the easiest way to do what you want to do is this:
<hr>
step one:
get a wired router
step two:
put said wired router on the second floor near the central trunk of your house.
step three:
buy three access points. I would reccomend d-link for SOHO but there are many companies out there that sell AP's for about $100 a peice that are designed for what you are looking to do.
One place to look is www.highgainantennas.com . this is where i buy all my client radios and access points from. they are reasonable and have what you need. And you can call them and have them walk you through what you want to do.
you should stay away from routers at this point, just look for access points.
step four:
run three ethernet cables in your home from the router to your ap's. one to the first floor, one to the ap next to the router on the second floor and one up to the third floor.
I mentioned placing the router near the central core of your home because there is usually a small space that runs through the three floors for your A/C, water and power. just remember to give your cables atleast 12 inches of room between the power and ethernet cables.
step five:
connect your new access points to the ethernet cables you connected to the router. these access points should all be setup with the same ssid but on different channels. use 1 6 and 11. you can also use the same wpa or wep encryption on all the ap's so to keep things simple in your home.
<hr>
after doing this, you should have no problem connecting to your internal network from anywhere in your home.
This is how we have setup motels in the past and it plainly works better than messing with repeaters. repeaters cut your useable bandwidth to nearly half and really jump the rf noise in your home. more noise = less useable signal
I will tell you, Linksys radios are not very well built. We advise our clients not to use them due to how flakey they are. Linksys does make very good routers, but thier radios just are not worth the money.
I hope this gives you a good idea of what to do. One thing i have heard many times in this business is: RF is BM (Black Magic) I have seen things work that shouldn't and things not work that should.
Most Important thing: Whatever you decide to do, be sure to ditch any 2.4 GHz wireless telephone equipment you have. Get a 900 MHz or a 5.2 GHz phone. if you can, also buy new phones for you closest neighbors as well. the less rf interference the better this will work for you.
peace. 
Seriously?
by dnev6784 - 7/7/07 6:43 AM In reply to: do this like a pro. by back_water_techThe whole point of this post is to work with Wireless networks. If he wanted to have someone come out and wire his house, then what's the point. Sheesh 
I realize that the "best" way to do this is to have alot of AP's, but that's not realistic if you're trying to save a buck.
An often OVERLOOKED fact !!!
by MENINBLK - 7/6/07 11:10 PM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hello Lee,
You mentioned that you are living in a three story Townhouse
but you didn't mention the AGE of the Townhouse.
I am mentioning this because it is a very well OVERLOOKED fact
that in much NEWER homes, the EXTERIOR as well as the INTERIOR walls
are all INSULATED. The insulation carries a thin metal backing on it
that will shield each room from ANY signal, whether it is a cordless
phone, cellular phone, pager, Wireless Router, and just about
ANY wireless/cordless device.
Older homes do not have this problem and usually the compound
that the wall is made up of causes the signal degration.
Concrete walls will usually block most of your signals.
Plaster walls are not as bad. Sheetrock walls with WOODEN STUDS
are also not quite as bad as Plaster walls.
Sheetrock walls with METAL STUDS can cause lots of signal degration
and lots of transmission errors.
Many homes today are built with an option to be
"Technologically Friendly". Many of these homes are pre-wired
with ethernet jacks in each room. This make is super easy to connect
a network in any room. You place your Broadband Modem and Router
in the location where the broadband facilities access the property
and connect the router and/or hubs/switches to the spider's nest of
cables that run the length of the home. In the room that you need
to have wireless connectivity, you can simply plug in a Wireless
Access Point (WAP).
A WAP is cheaper than a Wireless Router, and can be easily changed
or upgraded when needed without disturbing your router.
So in your present home, your best bet is to first try and run around
the house with your cordless phone and see if there are areas where
the phone drops out. If the phone cannot get a singal in these areas
you are NOT going to get a wireless signal her either. Backup these
areas with your Cellular phone. If the cordless phone AND a cellular phone
both lose signals, chances are that the area you are in may be a room
that is surrounded with insulated walls and there is nothing you can do,
short of putting a WAP in that room for wireless access.
How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup?
by kmcnulty - 7/7/07 4:16 AM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
John, hopefully some of the previous suggestions solved your issue. If not there may be something wrong with the transmitter (wireless router) or receiver (card or antenna in your laptop). I had a linksys router for five years that transmitted anywhere in my 3000sq ft house in the states to include out on my deck. It continued to work as advertised in our concrete 3-story house in Germany to include out to my backyard picnic table. I now use a D-Link with like results in the concrete house in Germany--writing this from my laptop on the back deck (outside). Unless your house is lined with lead or copper you should be getting a strong if not excellent signal throughout. You may want to check router settings. Regardless, check out NetStumbler: http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/ I use it mostly while on travel, in hotels and airports--it helps me determine which service I chose while stuck in airports for hours on end. It will also show you where in your house signal strength is best and not so good. Software is very dependable--no adware or other junk in it and some of my IT friends that moonlight on the side swear by it. Another software option is: http://www.jiwire.com/jiwire-downloads.htm Good luck. kdm
Un Complicated Wi-Fi Setup
by Silvertop - 7/7/07 4:31 AM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Complicated answers for a simple problem???
Solution:
1. Get a good powerful router - Belkin wireless G plus (FSD7231-4)
2.Mount it as high as you can in your house.
3.You now have a 500-700 foot bubble to access the network.
4. Setup - WEP for security.
Simple, no complications - done!
SImple until it does not work
by waytron - 7/7/07 5:39 AM In reply to: Un Complicated Wi-Fi Setup by SilvertopI have installed hundreds of Wireless networks and about 90% of the time, it can be very simple for someone who does this all the time:
1. Plug Wireless Router into existing Cable or DSL Modem.
2. Connect Computer to Router.
3. Access the router and select type of internet connection, Change Default SSID, Change Default Passwords, setup Security.
4. Turn on Wireless Desktop or Laptop, select your network and enter the security code.
5. 10 minutes and Your Done!
However, about 10% of the time, things do not go so well and you have to move on to more complex troubleshooting and/or more involved installations.
Simple possibilty
by mikeLWN - 7/7/07 6:22 AM In reply to: SImple until it does not work by waytronMany of the answers go into depth about antenna directionality, multiple access points, etc, etc, to MAXIMIZE you signal.
However.
You just want access, right?
a 3-story townhouse, so it's tall and narrow. When you have a "normal" installation, router sitting on a shelf or something, antennas pointing up, it is oriented for a single floor. Flip the antennas so their horizontal, now they are oriented for vertical signal... like the townhose is shaped.
No, it's not guarranteed like multiple APs would be. but it's cheap, simple and it MIGHT be enough. Another easy and not too expensive item is a range extender. It ends up being slow, but do want max speed or do you just want access.
Same Problem: Solved
by jpulver - 7/7/07 7:13 AM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Here's what I did to solve the same problem: I standardized all my Wi-Fi hardware. I settled on Belkin, but I suspect any of the name brands would work fine.
In addition to my "g" router, I bought a universal Belkin repeater/access point. I placed the repeater in the room where the wireless laptop will be used most often, hooked it up and configured it and the router (and also connected two TiVo adapters, one upstairs and one downstairs), and all works fine. In fact, in the room with the repeater, I often get 90-100% signal strength.
Why spend money?
by The_Mad_Russian - 7/7/07 7:24 AM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I haven't gone through all of the replies here, but have you ever considered a Pringles Can Antenna?
We made a few in my MCSE class. They work great, and all for under $10 in hardware store parts (plus you get to eat a can of Pringles chips, any flavour, as a bonus for working so hard). We tested some of the ones we made up to several blocks away and they worked great. You should expect to see a 12-15db gain. Alright, they don't look hi-tech, but you can look like a real savvy guy who knows how to save money. Put some flashy lights on it if you want.
While I can't take claim for inventing them, I can provide you with a few links to sites that show the instructions. You can find more by Googling "pringles can antenna".
http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html
http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/PringlesCantenna
This also works if you need to steal your neighbours' wireless connections, but you didn't hear that from me!
Up High
by ludedude25 - 7/7/07 3:58 PM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'd put it up as high as you can get it. I only have a 2 story and put it up on a shelf next to the ceiling and get excellent reception just about everywhere. I even get strong signals in my neighbors house.
Like others say though results may vary depending on your house structure.
Also to note laptops get much better reception then desktops. Those towers have big metal boxes which like to block your reception.
The kitchen is the problem
by sernovitz - 7/8/07 1:40 PM In reply to: How can I improve the range on my Wi-Fi setup? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I live in a townhouse too. We had no wifi problems across all 4 floors.
Then we remodeled the kitchen.
There's no wifi on the floor below. Granite countertops + new steel appliances have created a perfect radio blocker.
Bring back my formica!
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