code10

Can anyone help??

Background:-

I have NTL broadband at home on the main PC and have connected a wireless router to it.

I have a usb wireless adapter on another downstairs PC.

I have a pcmcia card in a laptop.

The problem:-

Everything works perfectly as long as I stay downstairs. If I go upstairs with the laptop I get no signal!!

The question:-

Does anyone know of a 'signal booster' that I can place at the bottom of the stairs (something that doesn’t need connecting it to a PC) that will boost the signal to up to the 2nd floor???

Any help gratefully received!

boxst

Hello

You can get a wireless bridge. Like this SMC one:



You may also find that repositioning the router may help to a more central place if you can.

Steve.

code10

Thanks for replying so quickly!

That device is £139 which is more than I paid for the wireless router, usb adapter & pcmcia card!!

I was ecpecting there to be a small device that just recieved a week signal and then send it on as a strong one.... this device looks like it does too much.

boxst

Hello

They are quite expensive. I would put them at about the same price as a "normal" Broadband router.

You could try fitting an aerial to either the wireless router or the PCMCIA card?

Steve.

User 1421

Put in the words Tin can booster , in google.

It should bring back some results about creating a direction power amplifier , with the rather technical looking empty dog food tin.

boxst

Hello

The problem with the dog food tin is that it's directional (as you say). What you really need is an omni-directional aerial.

Steve.

boxst

Hello

Looking around, some of the things from Solwise might help:

http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-indoorantenna.htm

Steve.

what would scooby do

I have 802.11b - my wireless router is upstairs though - and it works anywhere in the house without any degredation of signal!!

Unless you have very thick walls etc it should work just fine

TopBanana

I agree... you want a higher gain indoor antenna. Use a run of cable to mount it somewhere more central if possible.

code10

The walls in the house are a 2 brick widths at there smallest and 2 feet and the largest!

Its a well built house.

I have written to the manufacturer of the router to see if it can be used with an external aerial.

Thanks for the help so far!!


[Edited by code10 - 11/14/2003 3:16:16 PM]

jason4656

if you have something like a dlink or cheaper pcmcia card in teh laptop, then it could be the problem, you could try a more expensive 3com or something with better range, this is an issue with the university wireless network also, some of the more expensive cards work fine, but the cheaper ones just dont pick up signal in some places, but you can pay over 100 pounds for a decent pcmcia wireless network card

zhastaph

Hi Code10, I don't know if you've sorted your problem yet, you have ruled out interference haven't you?

Typical culprits are DigiSenders, baby monitors, dect phones.

My opinion is turn everything wireless off in your house then try it. If it springs to life you should find that you can change the channel number that your AP is running on so that it is away from the offending items.

Generally speaking if you have a unit in your house you should be able to access it everywhere with no problem at all


Edited to say that all wireless equipment uses the same Frequency (2.4ghz) however there are only 13 channels available on this frequency. Any device communicating on a channel WILL intefere with other devices communicating 2/3 channels above and below this. For example a device communicating on Channel 5 will intefere with devices on channel in the range of 2 to 8.

[Edited by zhastaph - 11/14/2003 9:04:25 PM]

zhastaph

Oh, and Flourescent lights, although they only cause a problem if the unit is mounted near them