Ok next problem - need suggestions.

[Rupp]

I completed my move to the wiring closet and I have run into another small problem. After moving my wireless router I'm having trouble getting a strong enough signal to the front of the house were I spend the most time on my laptop. What are the best ways to get the signal "boosted"? Should I look to buy an antenna or maybe a repeater? Suggestions. TIA.

I have a DI 713P D-Link Router.

[hlkc]

Rupp,

Before I add the Hawking Hi-Gain Antenna (15dbi 2.4 Ghz corner Antenna) some of the area in my house I only get good or poor. But after I add this antenna I have Excellent to very good now.

Thanks,
hlkc

[Stevech]

can you position the wireless router so that its antenna is as elevated as possible, and has as few walls as possible?

Before going to a repeater or directional antenna, I'd suggest this: Put the wireless router in the best spot - central, high. Maybe the attic. Run two CAT-5's to it. One carrying the WAN (cable/DSL), and the 2nd cable bringing back any of its LAN ports. That 2nd cable can go in the wiring closet and connect to a cheap ethernet switch ($10 these days). Into the switch, connect what used to connect to the Wireless router.

ALTERNATIVES

The RF boosters like the Linksys WSB24 can help a bit, but don't expect magic. And it's not 802.11g compatible.

Some access points like the WAP11 and D-LINK can act as repeaters - though these must be like-kind pairs.

The $100 wireless bridges can work - put it high and central, cat-5 cable it to a LAN port of your router. I do this, but I use a cheap wireless router configured as a bridge.

[zoomkat]

You may want to check the below site for some very simple directional antennas that might help.

http://www.freeantennas.com

[Ceer123]

Hey Rupp,
I had a simular problem with my wireless set up. Since I was on a limited budget all I did was buy another wireless router for the other side of my house. They were cheaper then other solutions such as an antenna. It works great now. The only problem is if you don't have a cable going to the other side.

Good Luck

[Rupp]

Ceer123,
Wouldn't this require another ipaddress from the ISP?

[axotis]

Hey Rupp,

There may be some suggestions / answers in this thread....

http://ubb.homeseer.com/eve/ubb.x?a=...794#1066033794

--

[Rupp]

stevech,
After reading a bit it seems like a wireless access point is what I need. Would this work?

[jrfuda]

Rupp, a WAP is a great way to go. I have a regular LInkSys Router in the house, and then have my WAP plugged into it. This way I can have the DSL Modem and my router in my equipment rack and the WAP in the center of the house... Actually, I have the Router & Modem with my HS box, I then have a single CAT5 run to my computer armoire where out daily use PC is. In this armoire is a LinkSys wired PrintServer/Switch that is wired to our printer, our daily-use PC and the WAP, with a port left for a guest PC.

In your case you could run a single CAT5 to a central place in your home and setup the WAP.

[Rupp]

Can I use a wap and a wireless router together? I already have the wireless router and could put a wap on the other side of the house. Could I then roam between them?

[jrfuda]

You'd have to place them on different channels and then setup your clients to automatically connect to both of them (and only them so yuo wont connect to a neighbor's, although - if I remember correctly - you're neighbors are out of range). The only problem that this might create, is that when you're in the fringe between them, your client may go back-and-forth between them.

[Rupp]

OK.
I may try this. Run a wire out of the back of my wireless router to the other side of the house and plug in a WAP. Now I have to figure out how to get my laptops to roam and automatically select the stronger signal.

[rocco]

Rupp, if your access points are set up right, your laptops should roam automatically without changing anything.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>ESS-ID (SSID) - Default SSID is the LAN MAC Address of the AirStation. Administrator can alter the SSID of the AirStation by entering an SSID of choice. Use up to 32 alpha-numeric characters for the ESS-ID (case sensitive).
■<span class="ev_code_RED">Note: Roaming - When multiple AirStations have an identical SSID, WEP, client computers may Roam between the AirStations.</span> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>This is a quote out of my Buffalo manual. It's important that the SSID and encryption be the same on all access points; XP then treats it as the same connection. If either SSID or WEP are different, when you roam XP drops the connection, and then creates a new one with the other access point. It closes explorer windows of net-shares and crashes applications that can't handle disappearing connections.

[jacw]

The choice of encryption type is important too. I had standard WEP on one installation that would regularly drop and auto-reconnect with all associated irritating messages despite being within 20 ft of the transmitter.

I would suggest use MAC exclusion and no encryption for speed and lower hassle.

[Stevech]

Multiple Access Points, all with the same SSID and encryption keys, are what all large enterprises use. I design systems with dozens and hundreds of APs per building. Some wire back with CAT-5 to a switch/router, others run unconnected as wireless non-root bridges (aka repeaters).

So all you have to do is get any cheap 11b access point ($30 or so). Plug it into the LAN port of your router. Follow the setup instructions (you may have to change your PC's IP address temporarily during setup). Enter SSID and WEP/WPA keys/setup. If you have a DHCP server in your router, as most do, just let the WAP use DHCP to get its address; or give the WAP a static IP. Clients reassociate to the best signal Wireless AP or Wireless Router. If both are in the same IP subnet, the hand off is automatic (or should be). The pro grade stuff does this well. The cheap-o stuff may/may not do handoffs between dissimilar brand names.

You can buy a repeater for Linksys, D-Link and maybe Netgear wireless routers (repeaters are brand-specific) - and just place it where it can hear the signal of the wireless router and the distant clients. Not as cheap as a WAP, but needs no CAT-5.

That's it.

(I would NOT run without at least Static WEP encryption. MAC addresses are trivial to spoof).