best option for increasing wireless signal strength?

[mitchie]

I have a d-link DI-614+ wireless router sitting in my finished basement. Signal strength on the ground floor is inconsistent. Its fine in the dining and living rooms but in my bedroom, depending on which direction I have the laptop situated, strength drops to 20%.

Is this a case where buying a repeater or a a supplemental antenna would help? Either can be had from D-Link for about $70. If I get a repeater or antenna, where would I install it, basement or ground floor?

Thanks.

 

[JackMDS]

There is no Best Way, you will have to experiment.

On Extending Entry level Wireless coverage.

Extending the range of Entry Level Wireless depends on many Environmental variables, thus there is no one simple solution. These solutions need additional work and material (i.e. more money) in top of the initial buying of the Entry Level hardware.

Scenario 1: One floor house, the living room has a cathedral ceiling, and all the rest of the house is basically around the Living room.

A Ceiling Antenna is installed few feet bellow the Apex of the ceiling; it covers the whole house and 60' around the outside. (The Wireless Router is near the computer, the Antenna is connected with extension coax).

Scenario 2: In an other setting, a "normal" two floors house. The AP sits on a high pedestal near the staircase in the hallway. The AP is connected to a Wired Router with long CAT5 cable and covers most of the House and almost nothing outside. Initially when it was placed in the computer room it covered only the Computer room and direct rooms next to it sideway and above.

Repeater solution - This solution is similar to Scenario 2. However by using a Repeater you do not have to connect the WAP via CAT5 to the Wireless Source.

What is a Repeater? Link: Wireless Network - Configuration Modes.

Repeater actually cuts the Bandwidth by half. (Since it has to Flip-Flop between Transmit, and Receive with a single Radio).

However if used correctly it increase the Distance.

The following is for illustration purpose, actual numbers in your settings could be totally different than the following.

Let say you get 1Mb/sec. (1Mb/sec. is probably the limit for Internet surfing) at 80'.

Assuming that the bandwidth at 60' is 2Mb/sec. You put a Repeater at 60', it cuts the bandwidth but it will transmit for another 60-80' so all together you will get the 1Mb/sec. at about 150'.

 

[PCHPlayer]

I just experimented with my wireless setup. I have a one story house. The D-Link DWL-900AP+ was at one side of the house. The signal would degrade as you left the room where the AP is and would get worse the farther away you got (more walls... less signal). I would get 90% in the same room and 50% at the furthest point. I moved the AP into the attic, right in the center of the house. I got a constant 70-80% throughout the house. In addition I had a signal strength of 50% two doors down the street. I was not able to leave the yard with the old placement.
Moral: Play around with the placement or the router and see what works.

 

[Torghn]

I agree, experimenting will produce the best results. I would recommend picking up a DWL-900AP+, it will run in either WAP mode or repeater mode. Since you are already using the DI-614+ you can use Dlinks proprietary 4x settings.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I'd consider one of the many hi-gain and/or directional antennas, they can make a significant difference.

 

[mitchie]

gunrunner...where would the antenna go? Directly on the router?

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Depending on the specific antenna you pick, some connect right on the router, others have a mounting bracket and a short cable. Keeping the cable short is a good idea, since there's signal loss in the cable. I'd also consider trying to get the router located centerally on the ground floor, so it's as close to the center of the house as possible.