how to expand router in dead spot of house?

I have a main router and the other computers have wifi in my home. In the
far bedroom I get only spotty reception as a couple walls appear to block
the reception. Is there either a better antenna to put on the main router
or a repeater I can buy to put in between the router and the far bedroom
wifi to enhance range? Any info appreciated.

You can use either an antenna or repeater.
I chose to use a repeater, just make sure what ever you use, it will work
with your router.
Check on your manufacturer's website for a list of products that will work
with your specific router.
If you wish further assistance, please advise what router you are using
including the model number.

Gene

http://www.ejmconsulting.org
"snow" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ZVYSg.3852$Dq3.1135@trndny06...
> I have a main router and the other computers have wifi in my home. In the
> far bedroom I get only spotty reception as a couple walls appear to block
> the reception. Is there either a better antenna to put on the main router
> or a repeater I can buy to put in between the router and the far bedroom
> wifi to enhance range? Any info appreciated.
>
>

"snow" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>I have a main router and the other computers have wifi in my home. In the
>far bedroom I get only spotty reception as a couple walls appear to block
>the reception. Is there either a better antenna to put on the main router
>or a repeater I can buy to put in between the router and the far bedroom
>wifi to enhance range? Any info appreciated.

Install a reflector on the wireless router:
http://www.freeantennas.com


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "snow" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:
> >I have a main router and the other computers have wifi in my home. In the
> >far bedroom I get only spotty reception as a couple walls appear to block

> Install a reflector on the wireless router:
> http://www.freeantennas.com

If it works at all, the free reflector should help.
I like the EZ-12 "Windsurfer".
http://www.rahul.net/dold/clarence/EZ12-windsurfer.jpg

--
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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

snow <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I have a main router and the other computers have wifi in my home. In the
> far bedroom I get only spotty reception as a couple walls appear to block
> the reception. Is there either a better antenna to put on the main router
> or a repeater I can buy to put in between the router and the far bedroom
> wifi to enhance range? Any info appreciated.

If it's the walls, neither antenna reflector nor repeater will help much
unless you can place the repeater so that the dogleg line of sight goes
around the walls. Your best shot is to run a cable past the walls to
connect an access point to your router.

Axel Hammerschmidt <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> If it's the walls, neither antenna reflector nor repeater will help much
> unless you can place the repeater so that the dogleg line of sight goes
> around the walls. Your best shot is to run a cable past the walls to
> connect an access point to your router.

The key is that it already works. The signal is getting there. A
reflector will help. The signal needn't bore through the wall, either.
My best line of WiFi from my living room is down the hall, not directly
through a couple of outside walls in line with the router. If I'm
outdoors using a cantenna on the laptop, the best signal is not directly
from the router, but through a nearby window.

VNC or Remote Desktop, running between a PC at the router and a PC at the
desired location, can be used to monitor the signal strength while
adjustments are made in router positioning and reflector orientation.

The router should probably be up high.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

(E-Mail Removed) wrote in alt.internet.wireless:

> Axel Hammerschmidt <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> If it's the walls, neither antenna reflector nor repeater will help
>> much unless you can place the repeater so that the dogleg line of
>> sight goes around the walls. Your best shot is to run a cable past
>> the walls to connect an access point to your router.
>
> The key is that it already works. The signal is getting there. A
> reflector will help.

Reflectors are for longish distance and clear line of sight. The presence
of some weak signal could be because of spurious reflections.

> The signal needn't bore through the wall, either.
> My best line of WiFi from my living room is down the hall, not
> directly through a couple of outside walls in line with the router.
> If I'm outdoors using a cantenna on the laptop, the best signal is not
> directly from the router, but through a nearby window.

Better for OP to lower fregmentation and RTS/CTS.

> VNC or Remote Desktop, running between a PC at the router and a PC at
> the desired location, can be used to monitor the signal strength while
> adjustments are made in router positioning and reflector orientation.

Wireless is for portables and that means you have to deal with changing
locations.

> The router should probably be up high.

Yes.

Axel Hammerschmidt <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>(E-Mail Removed) wrote in alt.internet.wireless:
>> The signal needn't bore through the wall, either.
>> My best line of WiFi from my living room is down the hall, not
>> directly through a couple of outside walls in line with the router.
>> If I'm outdoors using a cantenna on the laptop, the best signal is not
>> directly from the router, but through a nearby window.

>Better for OP to lower fregmentation and RTS/CTS.

I beg to differ.

Packet fragmentation is only useful for dealing with interference. The
idea is that smaller packets will have a higher probablity of arriving
than larger packets. The OP's original complaint was lack of signal
(i.e. dead spots) for which smaller packets will do nothing.

CTS/RTS is only useful for dealing with "hidden nodes" otherwise known
as collisions with client radios that can't hear each other. My
guess(tm) is that the threshold for using CTS/RTS flow control is
about 10 clients. Setting the actual threshold (minimum packet size
to fragment) is somewhat tricky as you need to know the average packet
size being used. This varies by type of traffic. Flow control
tweaking isn't going to do anything for lack of signal.

Just to be complete, there's also a problem with setting the speed
control. That's in the access point and is usually set to "auto".
When the access point starts seeing interfernce, collisions, and weak
signals, it slows down in order to improve the receive sensitivity and
thereby improve the BER (bit error rate). However, if it's
interference that's causing the problem, it will have interference at
any speed, and end up at the very slowest speed of 1Mbit/sec. Dumb,
methinks.

The problem is that 100% packet delivery at 1Mbit/sec is much slower
than perhaps a 30% probability of delivery at perhaps 12Mbits/sec.
I've been fixing the system speed for one of the slowest OFDM speeds
(6, 9, or 12Mbits/sec) depending in internet connection speed, and
getting much better results than leaving it at auto. This tweak also
isn't going to do much for lack of signal.

So, what does one do for dead spots? In order starting with my
favorite:
1. Bigger or better antennas.
2. Additional access point with CAT5 wire backhaul to main router.
3. Better technology (MIMO).
4. Powerline, phone line, or CATV bridging.
5. WDS bridge.
6. Repeater.
7. Bi-directional amplifier.
8. Dead Spot Remover:
| http://www.doityourself.com/stry/blood
Out damn spot, out I say...

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

snow wrote:
> I have a main router and the other computers have wifi in my home. In the
> far bedroom I get only spotty reception as a couple walls appear to block
> the reception. Is there either a better antenna to put on the main router
> or a repeater I can buy to put in between the router and the far bedroom
> wifi to enhance range? Any info appreciated.
>
>
Hi,
Placing router in a better spot is not an option?

Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Axel Hammerschmidt <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:
>
> >(E-Mail Removed) wrote in alt.internet.wireless:
> >
> >> The signal needn't bore through the wall, either.
> >> My best line of WiFi from my living room is down the hall, not
> >> directly through a couple of outside walls in line with the router.
> >> If I'm outdoors using a cantenna on the laptop, the best signal is not
> >> directly from the router, but through a nearby window.
>
> >Better for OP to lower fregmentation and RTS/CTS.
>
> I beg to differ.
>
> Packet fragmentation is only useful for dealing with interference. The
> idea is that smaller packets will have a higher probablity of arriving
> than larger packets. The OP's original complaint was lack of signal
> (i.e. dead spots) for which smaller packets will do nothing.

Low signal to noise is also interference. Anyway, we do not know
anything about the OP's environment. And it's worth trying fragmentation
(and RTS/CTS) before the OP starts to annoy any neighbours with a
stronger signal.