Wireless router with good range?

[Kelemvor]

Howdy,

Looking for a wireless router for a specific need.

We have a cabin in northern that has internet into it. We have another building that's probably 100-200 feet away that doesn't have internet. Between the two are some trees but it's not like it's in the middle of the woods. It's mostly just open area.

I'm looking for the best INEXPENSIVE router I can get that will afford the best distance. This will just be used for internet browsing so really fast downloads or super low pings don't matter. The range is my primary concern.

The PCs/Laptops connecting to it from the second building will be using 802.11G cards so the router has to support that. Does getting an N router that supports G have a better range than just a straight G router? Are there any that you can somehow configure to broadcast just in a certain direction for longer range?

Just looking for any ideas or advice.

Thanks.

 

[JackMDS]

I doubt that there is any "Miracle" Wireless Router (inexpensive, or expensive) that will work from inside a cabin through 100-200 mixed open/wood and the signal will be functional for a laptop inside a second building.

If anything will work, it would involved Wireless Bridging, if you do not have couple of hundreds $$ I doubt that it can be done.

 

[MustISO]

How about a point to point antenna system?

Here's an older post where someone wanted to do something similar.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2145517

 

[Kelemvor]

Do any standard routers allow you to control the power output to try to increase the range? I thought I saw that as an option in DD-WRT with my wrt54g that I use at home. I could look into something like that as well. I'd even consider putting one router on each and and configuring one as a bridge or something if that would help. There is a garage that is closer to the second building where I could put the 2nd router to bridge it or something maybe.

Or even using one of those range extenders. Not sure how well those work though.

 

[gsaldivar]

Get an older non-MIMO 802.11g router with removable antennas, and add one of these. If you are still having problems, you can try adding an additional router on the other side (bridge mode) with a second antenna pointed the at the first router. You'll lose some speed due to the bridging, but if you can spend some time with careful aiming, even a weak signal through the short expanse of trees should be relatively stable.

 

[JackMDS]

There is No "snake oil" solutions. Wireless is Not Helped by solution that are taking from the world of CPU Over Clocking and Video frame Pushing.

The most common solution is based on two directional Antennae placed facing one the another with clear line of sight.

The Antennae have to be connected to a Wireless devices with short coax (long coax, everything else should evolve around these Antennae.

Usually that means that at the source there is a secone Wireless Router/Access point that has to be conneted with a wire to a port of the Main Router and placed in the first facing Windows.

At the destination the second Antenna has to be connected according to the Needs there (depending on the environment at the destination might be that a regular omni directional Antenna can be OK).

Thus in many case it means that the whole network has to include 3 or 4 Wireless Routers, and at least one good Directional antenna. That will bring the cost to be in the $150-$300 range.