brick walls

LPW wrote:
> I just set up a wireless network at home--I've got a Linksys Wireless
> G Speedbooster router and a Wireless G Speedbooster USB adapter for a
> second desktop. I also have a Dell notebook with a built-in Wireless
> B adapter.
>
> I get good signal strength in most parts of the house. But there are
> certain spots where the signal drops or dies altogether. And I think
> that may happen because of brick walls. My house has a brick exterior
> and one room with a brick wall interior. Whenever the PC or notebook
> is near a brick wall (so that the wall lies somewhere between the PC
> and the router) the signal strength weakens and often craps out.
>
> I've tested this all over the house, and it's consistent. Assuming
> this is the problem, are there any products I can buy (e.g., a range
> extender) that could help boost the signal to compensate for the
> brick walls?
>
> Thanks for your help.

Not always the brick walls.. Usually when they brick a wall, they put a
metal screen up with straps that go between the bricks (and are mortared in)
to keep the wall from falling.. It's usually the metal screen backing that
may be causing the problems. If not too big they make passive repeaters
(cheap, no power needed), one end goes in an open area, and the other in the
dead spot. Be real real careful, many "snake oil" products are out there
that don't work. Learn about smoothing out WiFi access at
http://www.vivato.com/ they have some good tutorials about the whole
process.

I just set up a wireless network at home--I've got a Linksys Wireless G
Speedbooster router and a Wireless G Speedbooster USB adapter for a second
desktop. I also have a Dell notebook with a built-in Wireless B adapter.

I get good signal strength in most parts of the house. But there are certain
spots where the signal drops or dies altogether. And I think that may happen
because of brick walls. My house has a brick exterior and one room with a
brick wall interior. Whenever the PC or notebook is near a brick wall (so
that the wall lies somewhere between the PC and the router) the signal
strength weakens and often craps out.

I've tested this all over the house, and it's consistent. Assuming this is
the problem, are there any products I can buy (e.g., a range extender) that
could help boost the signal to compensate for the brick walls?

Thanks for your help.

All sorts of things "can" affect wireless performance, i,e., wal
thickness, some cordless phones, microwaves, etc. Make sure, i
possible, that your current wireless router is set atop a high shelf o
other item, preferrably, in the center of your home. Try to keep i
away from other electronic devices. Make sure the antenna is pointin
straight up. If you still experience dropoffs, then I would recommen
that you purchase an access point. Many access points double a
repeaters, bridges and AP clients. Common sense would dictate that yo
use the same brand. Still, I'm a tinkerer and thus, don't follow tha
rule. Anyway, adding an AP should solve your dilemma. Take care

--
doug Jama
brought to you by http://www.wifi-forum.com

"Mark McIntyre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> You could also theoretically do (1) but using wireless instead of the
CAT5.
> This would require TWO extra APs over and above the one already mentioned,
> in repeater mode (I think thats what its called), talking only to each
> other, one linked to your existing AP with cable, the other to your new AP
> with more cable. This gets expensive. .
>
> --
> Mark McIntyre
> CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
> CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>
>
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Hmmmm...

Surely you could do this using just one new AP? I know the Netgear WG602
can (and does) function as a bridge and an AP at the same time (it's what I
use), and I'm sure other manufacturers have products that do the same thing.

Don't they?

Dan

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 13:42:38 -0500, in alt.internet.wireless , "LPW"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I've tested this all over the house, and it's consistent. Assuming this is
>the problem, are there any products I can buy (e.g., a range extender) that
>could help boost the signal to compensate for the brick walls?

You could run a length of CAT5 to somewhere else in the house and put a 2nd
AP in. Thats what I did. Works fine - XPPro even autoswitches between the
two APs when I'm walking around.

Or you could fit a directional antenna to the exising AP to focus the
coverage. For this to work you would need to put the AP in a corner or at
one end of the house.

You could also theoretically do (1) but using wireless instead of the CAT5.
This would require TWO extra APs over and above the one already mentioned,
in repeater mode (I think thats what its called), talking only to each
other, one linked to your existing AP with cable, the other to your new AP
with more cable. This gets expensive. .

--
Mark McIntyre
CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>

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Hi,

You might want to change the channel from the usual default of 6 to 1 or
11.

Sometimes there can be interference from other devices or ap's. Also the
wireless modem company claimed that somtimes the other channels put out
a little more power. maybe impedance differences.
I did that and gained an additional signal bar in a weak signal area.

It's free to try.

Dave


LPW wrote:
> I just set up a wireless network at home--I've got a Linksys Wireless G
> Speedbooster router and a Wireless G Speedbooster USB adapter for a second
> desktop. I also have a Dell notebook with a built-in Wireless B adapter.
>
> I get good signal strength in most parts of the house. But there are certain
> spots where the signal drops or dies altogether. And I think that may happen
> because of brick walls. My house has a brick exterior and one room with a
> brick wall interior. Whenever the PC or notebook is near a brick wall (so
> that the wall lies somewhere between the PC and the router) the signal
> strength weakens and often craps out.
>
> I've tested this all over the house, and it's consistent. Assuming this is
> the problem, are there any products I can buy (e.g., a range extender) that
> could help boost the signal to compensate for the brick walls?
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
>

I had a similar situation with a WRT54G. I purchased the Linksys hy-gain
replacement antennas and everything is working much better.

Dave G

"LPW" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:tABCd.6660$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I just set up a wireless network at home--I've got a Linksys Wireless G
> Speedbooster router and a Wireless G Speedbooster USB adapter for a second
> desktop. I also have a Dell notebook with a built-in Wireless B adapter.
>
> I get good signal strength in most parts of the house. But there are
> certain
> spots where the signal drops or dies altogether. And I think that may
> happen
> because of brick walls. My house has a brick exterior and one room with a
> brick wall interior. Whenever the PC or notebook is near a brick wall (so
> that the wall lies somewhere between the PC and the router) the signal
> strength weakens and often craps out.
>
> I've tested this all over the house, and it's consistent. Assuming this is
> the problem, are there any products I can buy (e.g., a range extender)
> that
> could help boost the signal to compensate for the brick walls?
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
>

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 13:42:38 -0500, "LPW" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I just set up a wireless network at home--I've got a Linksys Wireless G
>Speedbooster router and a Wireless G Speedbooster USB adapter for a second
>desktop. I also have a Dell notebook with a built-in Wireless B adapter.
>
>I get good signal strength in most parts of the house. But there are certain
>spots where the signal drops or dies altogether. And I think that may happen
>because of brick walls. My house has a brick exterior and one room with a
>brick wall interior. Whenever the PC or notebook is near a brick wall (so
>that the wall lies somewhere between the PC and the router) the signal
>strength weakens and often craps out.
>
>I've tested this all over the house, and it's consistent. Assuming this is
>the problem, are there any products I can buy (e.g., a range extender) that
>could help boost the signal to compensate for the brick walls?
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
I had a bit of a problem of this nature and I think it is caused
by the aluminum skin on the roof sheathing. My access point is
upstairs and my wife's desktop computer is downstairs, in the
single story part of the house. The signal has to pass through
the downstairs roof, and this aluminum skin on the roof sheathing
attenuates the signal quite noticeably. The setup works, but the
signal to the downstairs computer is weak.

This roof sheathing I'm talking about is particle board (like
plywood) with an infra red reflecting aluminum skin on it. The
sheathing is covered by fibreglass/asphalt shingles.

Gordon, I can't attest for this but I've read many posts that suggested
that for, two story homes, one ought to place the AP on a high shelf on
the first floor making sure that the antenna(s) is/are pointing
straight up. The people who suggested this setup swears by its. Give
it a try. It can't hurt.


--
doug Jamal
brought to you by http://www.wifi-forum.com/

On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 22:58:12 +0100, in alt.internet.wireless , "Dan Curnow"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

(of using APs in bridge mode)

>Surely you could do this using just one new AP? I know the Netgear WG602
>can (and does) function as a bridge and an AP at the same time (it's what I
>use), and I'm sure other manufacturers have products that do the same thing.

According to the spec, the WG602 can indeed be used in repeater mode.
However I recall seeing reports that it was relatively useless like this.

If anyone has any experience of it, it might be interesting. I'm unaware
of any other (consumer) units offering this feature, tho there may be some
now.

Netgear US also now seem to do a Powerline version of this, which looks
quite cute - wireless AP at one end, plugged into the power ring,
powerline-to-ethernet bridge at the other.
The description is pretty minimal tho - f'rinstance it says its a 54Mb AP,
but I thought powerline networking was limited to 5Mb.... ????

--
Mark McIntyre
CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>