Boosting range of wireless router

I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).

To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have resorted to
bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works, but more
often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.

Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?

In article <b0369$424be032$53f505f8$(E-Mail Removed)>,
"Trevor Appleton" (E-Mail Removed) says...
> I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).
>
> To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have resorted to
> bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works, but more
> often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.
>
> Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?
>
Google for "cantenna" or "pringles antenna"

"Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> In article <b0369$424be032$53f505f8$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> "Trevor Appleton" (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).
> >
> > To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have
resorted to
> > bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works, but
more
> > often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.
> >
> > Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?
> >
> Google for "cantenna" or "pringles antenna"

That's a bad idea. They are very directional antennas so the rest of the
house will lose connectivity. Probably best to get a high gain
omnidirectional antenna. You can get them for about £20. In fact, I've just
bought one from these guy
(http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-indoorantenna.htm). It even has a mag
mount to stick on my car roof.

> >
> Google for "cantenna" or "pringles antenna"

However both of these may be technically illegal since they are not licenced
and could cause interference with other systems.

If you look for legal antenna, which to be honest are slightly modified
versions of cantennas, then you will get the same effect and be legal (and
slightly lighter in the wallet!).

Paul DS.

"Trevor Appleton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:b0369$424be032$53f505f8$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).
>
> To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have resorted
> to bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works, but
> more often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.
>
> Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?

I went through this a while back and looked into the options (cantennas,
buying boosters, bridge links etc). I found that reception on my LAN varied
tremendously with small changes in aerial location.

In the end I solved my problem by dumping the PCI wireless NIC in the back
of my PC and bought an USB wireless adapter (linksys wireless-G) and a long
USB extension cable. This enabled me to move my receiver to the best
location within a radius of 4 m around my PC and has transformed reception
(zero to excellent).

I bought the USB extension in preference to a remote aerial with co-ax as I
read that the wireless signal suffers degradation quickly in a co-ax cable
of any length.

Of course if you already have a USB adapter on an extension then this has
been a waste of time.

Good luck

Chunkers

In article <d2grqn$e9c$(E-Mail Removed)>, "Treefrog"
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> "Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> > In article <b0369$424be032$53f505f8$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> > "Trevor Appleton" (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > > I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).
> > >
> > > To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have
> resorted to
> > > bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works, but
> more
> > > often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.
> > >
> > > Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?
> > >
> > Google for "cantenna" or "pringles antenna"
>
> That's a bad idea. They are very directional antennas so the rest of the
> house will lose connectivity.

So he just uses it when he's in the garden, and reverts to the
standard antenna the rest of the time. Directionality is a plus with
a high-gain antenna because you don't want to be broadcasting into
the street - someone with an antenna on their car roof might be
sniffing around.

"Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> In article <d2grqn$e9c$(E-Mail Removed)>, "Treefrog"
> (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > "Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> > > In article <b0369$424be032$53f505f8$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> > > "Trevor Appleton" (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > > > I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).
> > > >
> > > > To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have
> > resorted to
> > > > bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works, but
> > more
> > > > often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.
> > > >
> > > > Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?
> > > >
> > > Google for "cantenna" or "pringles antenna"
> >
> > That's a bad idea. They are very directional antennas so the rest of the
> > house will lose connectivity.
>
> So he just uses it when he's in the garden, and reverts to the
> standard antenna the rest of the time. Directionality is a plus with
> a high-gain antenna because you don't want to be broadcasting into
> the street - someone with an antenna on their car roof might be
> sniffing around.

lol.. fair point.

"Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> In article <d2grqn$e9c$(E-Mail Removed)>, "Treefrog"
> (E-Mail Removed) says...
>> "Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
>> > In article <b0369$424be032$53f505f8$(E-Mail Removed)>,
>> > "Trevor Appleton" (E-Mail Removed) says...
>> > > I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).
>> > >
>> > > To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have
>> resorted to
>> > > bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works, but
>> more
>> > > often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.
>> > >
>> > > Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?
>> > >
>> > Google for "cantenna" or "pringles antenna"
>>
>> That's a bad idea. They are very directional antennas so the rest of the
>> house will lose connectivity.
>
> So he just uses it when he's in the garden, and reverts to the
> standard antenna the rest of the time. Directionality is a plus with
> a high-gain antenna because you don't want to be broadcasting into
> the street - someone with an antenna on their car roof might be
> sniffing around.

Does a cantenna or directional aerial go on the router or my laptop?

"Trevor Appleton" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:70a06$424c421d$53f505df$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> > In article <d2grqn$e9c$(E-Mail Removed)>, "Treefrog"
> > (E-Mail Removed) says...
> >> "Rob Morley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:(E-Mail Removed) t...
> >> > In article <b0369$424be032$53f505f8$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> >> > "Trevor Appleton" (E-Mail Removed) says...
> >> > > I use a Drayteg Vigor 2600Gi on ISDN (no BB here).
> >> > >
> >> > > To get a signal in my garden (100 ft and two walls away), I have
> >> resorted to
> >> > > bacofoil to try and reflect the signal. Occasionally this works,
but
> >> more
> >> > > often than no I get comfortable out there and its not working.
> >> > >
> >> > > Any ways to boost the signal/increase reception?
> >> > >
> >> > Google for "cantenna" or "pringles antenna"
> >>
> >> That's a bad idea. They are very directional antennas so the rest of
the
> >> house will lose connectivity.
> >
> > So he just uses it when he's in the garden, and reverts to the
> > standard antenna the rest of the time. Directionality is a plus with
> > a high-gain antenna because you don't want to be broadcasting into
> > the street - someone with an antenna on their car roof might be
> > sniffing around.
>
> Does a cantenna or directional aerial go on the router or my laptop?

I would suggest that a directional antenna should be applied to both ends,
but a cantenna on a laptop doesn't seem very practical. It will probably be
fine just on the router. As you say you got sketchy connection using tinfoil
as a reflector, I'm sure that even a moddest omnidirectional antenna will
sort it out. Something like a cantenna is probably overkill but as Rob
pointed out, it'll help stop wardrivers... mind you, that depends on which
side of the house they drive along. ;o)

Also, maybe look into "long range" wireless cards for your laptop. Senao do
them that can kick out 200mW, although I think it's limited to 66mW over
here, but that might be firmware changable... Anyway, I'm ranting, it'll be
better range than most cards.

In article <d2hga0$ln6$(E-Mail Removed)>, "Treefrog"
(E-Mail Removed) says...
<snip>
> I would suggest that a directional antenna should be applied to both ends,
> but a cantenna on a laptop doesn't seem very practical. It will probably be
> fine just on the router. As you say you got sketchy connection using tinfoil
> as a reflector, I'm sure that even a moddest omnidirectional antenna will
> sort it out. Something like a cantenna is probably overkill but as Rob
> pointed out, it'll help stop wardrivers... mind you, that depends on which
> side of the house they drive along. ;o)
>
I noticed that Draytek offers a 5dB antenna as a replacement for the
standard 3dB one - I wonder if that would be enough gain to overcome
the problem.