What is the best wireless router?

chimpy

Senior member
Aug 3, 2005
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The signal must be strong at atround 75-100 metres away. Is this possible? Thanks.
 

CheesePoofs

Diamond Member
Dec 5, 2004
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Wireless B or G?

Is that distance through walls or not? My guess is your best bet would be a singnal extender of some sort.
 

chimpy

Senior member
Aug 3, 2005
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Originally posted by: CheesePoofs
Wireless B or G?

Is that distance through walls or not? My guess is your best bet would be a singnal extender of some sort.

Um. I don't know. Here's the deal - my dad's work is around 80 metres away, and he has unlimited roadband. My desktop computer (specs in sig) receives broadband with a 2GB limit. We would like to use my dad's work broadband and send it to our house, obviously through walls.

So I take it I would need to buy a wireless router, a PCI wireless card and probably a signal booster? I'm a noob when it comes to all this wireless, so please assume I don't know anything about it (I don't!). I appreciate your help.
 

Imdmn04

Platinum Member
Jan 28, 2002
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Originally posted by: volrath
I have trouble making wireless work through walls at <10 meters.

Its possible, but the signal will be pretty weak, probably somewhere around 1 to 2mbps.

You can add a wireless repeater though.
 

DavidoFoo

Senior member
Nov 28, 2004
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Linksys WRT54G(S) with an aftermarket firmware(allowing you to boost transmission power) and directional antenna, preferably on the receiving end as well. 80 m with a line of sight is very doable. The router should be placed near or on a window as that will increase signal propagation.

There are online tutorials on how to make directional antennas out of pringle cans and such.
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
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Originally posted by: Imdmn04
Originally posted by: volrath
I have trouble making wireless work through walls at <10 meters.

Its possible, but the signal will be pretty weak, probably somewhere around 1 to 2mbps.

You can add a wireless repeater though.

Where's he gonna add a repeater? On top of somebody else's house or another business's building? Not to mention tapping into someone's power.

I think your best bet is going to lie with the new MIMO stuff....but even then it'll be tough. Just how urban of an area is this? How many buildings, much less walls, are you trying to go through? It sounds like you're trying to beam the 'net down an entire block.
 

chimpy

Senior member
Aug 3, 2005
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OK I don't understand a lot of this stuff! WTF is MIMO, for example? Sorry!

Hmm, well it's got to go through my dad's work wal (or window), through 1 house (a small one), across my back garden (small, maybe 12 metres), then through a wall to my sister's room, and another to my room (where my PC is). Around 70ish metres, I think. HOWEVER, all the walls are pretty thick, because the houses are barn conversions.
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
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Originally posted by: chimpy
OK I don't understand a lot of this stuff! WTF is MIMO, for example? Sorry!

Hmm, well it's got to go through my dad's work wal (or window), through 1 house (a small one), across my back garden (small, maybe 12 metres), then through a wall to my sister's room, and another to my room (where my PC is). Around 70ish metres, I think. HOWEVER, all the walls are pretty thick, because the houses are barn conversions.

MIMO is a new "standard" (that's not standard at all) You'll see such terms as MIMO, Pre-N, SRX (or something like that). It increases coverage, speed and reliability of the Wireless G standard (or something like that).

However, with all that you've mentioned....I dunno man. Are there trees in your backyard too to make all this even worse? At least I don't think barns are all THAT thick (compared to brick or concrete like in apt. complexes). You going to need some beefy equipment to get it done....and it's going to cost a good amount. Beyond that, I dunno much about boosting wirless signals and reception over distances. I'm sure there's more informed people around here who can chime in.
 

chimpy

Senior member
Aug 3, 2005
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So if it would be so hard to get a wireless connection from my dad's work to our house, would it be possible to get a wired connection? Or is a wireless connection easily possible?
 

chimpy

Senior member
Aug 3, 2005
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Sorry Gooberlx2, didn't see your post before posting. Could you link me to the best wireless router for my situation, along with the best PCI card? Obviously a lower price would be much better, but I wouldn't mind spending a little more if it would give me good results.

BTW, there are no trees in my garden, the only obstacles are the 2 walls in my house (maybe 15-230 cm each?), and possibly the corner of another house, though I'm not actually sure if that's in the way. I'm not at home right now so I can't check. Thank you.
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
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Originally posted by: chimpy
Sorry Gooberlx2, didn't see your post before posting. Could you link me to the best wireless router for my situation, along with the best PCI card? Obviously a lower price would be much better, but I wouldn't mind spending a little more if it would give me good results.

BTW, there are no trees in my garden, the only obstacles are the 2 walls in my house (maybe 15-230 cm each?), and possibly the corner of another house, though I'm not actually sure if that's in the way. I'm not at home right now so I can't check. Thank you.

I honestly wouldn't have any idea of what to go with. You'll probably be spending about $200 minimum for both the router and PCI card....unless there's some rebate deals..but that might actually be AFTER rebates anyway (just trying to remember prices off the top of my head from the last time I walked through a BB, CircuiCity, CompUSA, etc...)

I know that netgear, linksys, dlink and belkin all offer their own versions. Search the forums here for people's experiences with them.

Maybe check over at Tom's Hardware Guide or google for MIMO reviews or something. All I deal with is a simple Dlink wireless G router from my living room to my study maybe 15ft away.

Like I said, wireless signal over that kind of range is beyond my scope. Sorry.
 

CheesePoofs

Diamond Member
Dec 5, 2004
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You might want to either repost this in networking or ask to have it moved there. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on wireless stuff who post there.
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
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Originally posted by: CheesePoofs
You might want to either repost this in networking or ask to have it moved there. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on wireless stuff who post there.

Good call.
 

Unkno

Golden Member
Jun 16, 2005
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i don't think it's possible to have such a router...the signal would be very poor (if it can even reach to your house). As stated, posting this in the network fourm would get replies faster
 

Arye

Member
Aug 21, 2005
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i dont know whats the best but DO NOT GET DLINK! worse ive ever seen lol! screwed me over :)
 

Chrisped

Junior Member
Dec 31, 2004
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Either a Belkin Pre-N or one other WAP I have seen is ParkerVision. I know they claim 1 mile signal propagation but I know thats bunk as your PCMCIA wireless card can't transmit back that far. I have installed about 20 Belkin Pre-N's and they really have the best range. The Linksys WAP's have always been a little buggy for my taste. I am a partner in a company that installs strictly in high end residences and with plaster, glue lams and steelin the walls, and these Belkins do well.
Good Luck!
 

vtohthree

Senior member
Apr 18, 2005
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I was sitting at borders one day and decided to leech the magazine rack. Anyways, I can't remember which two magazines they were but they both had test reviews for wireless routers. Interestingly enough, the D-link Xtreme G 108 wireless router was rated number one for the longest and most stable range out of the other competitors. Personally, I own one now(because of the two articles) no problems, except that I don't use the wireless anymore, just the cord, found it to be easier, haha, go figure. Wireless can some times be a pain, when you reboot your rig or turn it on, sometimes it gives you trouble with connecting, or at least it did for me!
 

CreativeTom

Banned
May 10, 2005
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The Pre-N's offer advantages in range, the problem is that they are just what the name says Pre-N until they are standardized there is no guarantee that this technology will be the same at all when the N standard is released. Right now it's all proprietary.

i would do what someone else in here suggested with one of the WRT54G(S) routers from Linksys. I would buy that one and mod the firmware to be able to adjust the stregnth of signal and antenna direction, you can also build your own antenna booster or repeater as mentioned above.
 

chimpy

Senior member
Aug 3, 2005
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Hmmm.. it seems like it would be a hell of a lot of trouble IF I could get it working well (doubtful). All this talk of modding firmware, and using pringles cans etc makes me a bit O_O.

A long ethernet cable, eh? Would that be difficult to do? It would either have to run through a couple of other people's houses (and through their walls!), or through my dad's work's wall, across our neighbour's garden, across our garden and through our house wall, through my sister's room, through the wall to my room and round to the back of the computer.

Bit of a hassle to say the least...