Low Wi-Fi Signal

[andy04]

I have my Linksys Router downstairs in my study and have a desktop with a linksys PCI card (Both G) on the 1st floor almost at the other end of the house... Ofcourse getting medium quality signals. will these antennas help? Planning to put one at each end...

Edit: here's the ebay item # in case the link above does not work - 190252994553

 

[Ksyder]

We tried something like that at my house and it had minimal to no effect. I suspect the old house with very dense wood was blocking the signals. Perhaps you should try seeing if there is a 3rd party firmware for your router? With the tomato or ddwrt (i think its called) you get an option to boost the signal strength a good deal beyond the default, although I think if you turn it up too much the router gets too hot.

Also , getting medium on a different part of the house isn't too bad. I've been in the same room as the router and gotten less than that.

 

[spidey07]

Change channels to 1, 6, 11 to see what works best. Make sure the antennas on your router are pointing straight up and down.

 

[Lemon law]

It seems to me you are forgetting basic troubleshooting principles. You are willing to invest money in a better antenna before establishing your antenna is the problem. Move the problem computer to a line of sight distance to the router first, if the signal improves, and the amount of connection thruput does too, then and only then you can basically conclude a better antenna might help. But the experience of krwilsonn should somewhat already make that only maybe point. And spidey07 also has some valid suggestion to try. I would add trying moving the wireless router around some and maybe using some metal jury rigged reflectors to see if the signal can be reflected in some way and made to turn corners rather than go through thick wood or masonry.

 

[Ksyder]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
It seems to me you are forgetting basic troubleshooting principles. You are willing to invest money in a better antenna before establishing your antenna is the problem. Move the problem computer to a line of sight distance to the router first, if the signal improves, and the amount of connection thruput does too, then and only then you can basically conclude a better antenna might help. But the experience of krwilsonn should somewhat already make that only maybe point. And spidey07 also has some valid suggestion to try. I would add trying moving the wireless router around some and maybe using some metal jury rigged reflectors to see if the signal can be reflected in some way and made to turn corners rather than go through thick wood or masonry.

Thats a good point, the reflectors...
http://www.maximumpc.com/artic...ur_hardware?page=0%2C3
http://www.maximumpc.com/artic...ur_hardware?page=0%2C5
Scroll down on the page to find the information I'm suggesting....

The first link pertains to the tomato firmware, the second to the parabolic reflector for the antenna. If you try any of these let us know, I'd love to hear how it works.

 

[JackMDS]

The Antenna that you link to is Omni 3dbi.

If an Antenna can help it has to be High gain Directional Antenna installed on the Computer PCI card.

Example, http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833164110