Wireless internet question

[Soccerman06]

Now I have a Linksys Wireless Modem and Router and have a question about the modem: Do those big antennas that I can buy at say BB or CompUSA actually work or is it just a bunch of bs? I have a laptop maybe 100ft + away have tried wireless range extenders (something that basically copies the signal and broadcast a stronger one to extend range) and from my experience, they stop working after 2 weeks or so. So do the giant antenni work?

 

[Soccerman06]

(crickets)

Does anyone ever look at the Networking forum? Only 6 people have actually look this in an hour...

 

[JackMDS]

Extending the Coverage of a Wireless Network is very specific to the envioroment.

These are the general possibilities.

Read them and decide which one is suitable to your specific envioroment.

Link to: Extending the Distance of Entry Level Wireless Network.

Link to: Wirelessly Bridging Home / Network.

Link to: Hi Gain Antenna for Entry Level Wireless.

:sun:

Should take less than an Hour to figure out.

 

[Soccerman06]

ok Im lazy, the wireless router is in my computer room in the basement atleast 100ft away. The laptop is in my kitchen and gets "very low" reception and often goes out because its just not close enough. Would the giant antenni give better reception or not, a simple yes or no will do.

 

[Fardringle]

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. As Jack said, every Wireless situation is different and the only one that can say if it will actually work is you. Unless you want to post the exact specifications of the entire environment (networking equipment, PC equipment, exact locations of the equipment, any other wireless devices such as phones, other electrical interference like microwaves and high powered appliances, physical composition and location of walls and floors in your home, location, size and composition of large furniture items in your home in the 'path' of the wireless signal, location and type of electrical lighting and wiring in the house, etc.), in which case we MIGHT be able to give you an honest answer.

For a 'short' answer, if the "giant antenni" you are referring to is a large dish antenna that looks like a satellite TV antenna, then it probably won't do anything for you inside the house since those are designed for line of sight connections outdoors. If you are referring to a standard high gain antenna, then the answer is maybe. Most of the time, the high gain antennas will not increase the range of your signal by more than a few feet, they only increase the quality of the signal within the existing range. The most reliable way to extend the range of a wireless network is to use a repeater of some sort (you can use devices specifically designed as repeaters, access points that simply forward the wireless signal, or a second wireless router set up as an access point). If you have tried repeaters in the past and they stop working after 2 weeks, then it sounds like you have either been using VERY cheap equipment, or something else is wrong that we don't know about...

 

[Soccerman06]

I dont know what equipment my dad used when he tryed the booster, but it was a linksys. I just want the internet to get decent reception so that I can surf the internet while Im waiting for lets say dinner. Yes there is a microwave near the computer but it that shouldnt matter unless its on, there are atleast 6 walls it has to go through and a floor/ceiling, and a couple wireless phones (do they really make a difference?). This is what Im talking about.

 

[nweaver]

You don't have time to wait for an answer, and you won't read Jacks (very nice) links.


Yes, wireless phones can affect 2.4 Ghtz networks, as can microwaves. That means B/G, and only if the phones are 2.4 (could be 900 mhz)

 

[Soccerman06]

I read them links but they didnt really help me that much (not sure which one is what and what they do). and the phones are 900mhz, but that shouldnt matter since they are never on (literally) because I use my cellphone as my home phone. Microwave should only disrupt the signal when ITS ON, not when its off.

 

[nweaver]

wireless can be a finiky thing. You might have it working fine, move the router 2 feet, and have it die. Things such as wiring in the walls and light fixtures MAY cause noise problems.

Use netstumbler to find an open channel (at least 4 channels away from any other AP) and to find the best channel (Look not at Signal strenght, but Signal to Noise, as it's more important)
Have netstumbler running, and have someone move the antenna and/or AP itself to see if you can get a decent gain from it.

Turn off any unused lights/appliances to check if they are causing noise.

IF you can get it working MOST of the time using these, then the High Gain antenna would probably bump it up to a more reliable connection.

 

[nweaver]

btw, the first link was very good info about extending wireless distance, at least imho

 

[c3p0]

Hey Soccerman06, go buy those d@mn "big antennas". If they work, keep them. If they don't, then return them. Problem solved.

c3p0
:beer:

 

[Soccerman06]

Its on most of the time (off mainly when the microwave is on) but the internet is maybe 1/3 the speed as my gaming or test rig is. So Ill try the antenni and if you guys care, keep you posted.