extending range of wireless network

I wonder if anyone could advise on this. I have a simple wireless
network - desktop and laptop. The desktop is wired to the belkin
wireless router/modem which is plugged into the adsl master socket. So
it's not easy to move any of this.

The laptop (centrino) can see the desktop from the next room. This is
fine, with an excellent signal; I can share files and internet.

However I want to move the laptop further away - upstairs and several
walls away. I knew this would be unlikely to work, and it doesn't. The
signal drops to very low.

I believe it's possible to extend the range of the wireless network,
possibly by adding some sort of extender or booster between the two.
Could anyone suggest what I might do? Please understand I have no
knowledge of networking so need answers based on words of one or
possibly two syllables.

Many thanks.
--
Trevor Wright

On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 08:24:46 +0000, Trevor Wright
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Please understand I have no
>knowledge of networking so need answers based on words of one or
>possibly two syllables.

buy an access point
wire it to Belkin ethernet socket
place it near to where laptop will be

also try again on Channel 1 with aerials tilted and with the laptop at
different angles, you never know.

What model Belkin thingy do you have

Phil
--

Usenet spam eaten by a Hamster http://www.tglsoft.de/
No more cable clowns :-))
Please do not feed or re-quote the trolls.

"Trevor Wright" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I wonder if anyone could advise on this. I have a simple wireless
> network - desktop and laptop. The desktop is wired to the belkin
> wireless router/modem which is plugged into the adsl master socket. So
> it's not easy to move any of this.
[snip]
> However I want to move the laptop further away - upstairs and several
> walls away. I knew this would be unlikely to work, and it doesn't. The
> signal drops to very low.

It may be possible (depending on the router and its location) to replace the
aerial with a more directional one. Alternatively, you could wire an access
point (AP) to the router and configure it to use a different channel. The
channel number will need to differ by at least 5 for minimal interference
between the AP's and router's transmissions.

Alex

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Phil Thompson
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 08:24:46 +0000, Trevor Wright
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Please understand I have no
>>knowledge of networking so need answers based on words of one or
>>possibly two syllables.
>
>buy an access point
>wire it to Belkin ethernet socket
>place it near to where laptop will be
OK, but..

If I have to wire the access point to the router, and place it near the
laptop... what's the point of having a wireless network? (I'm not
challenging your advice - I know nothing; I'm just trying to
understand).

--
Trevor Wright

On 09/12/2005 Trevor Wright wrote:

> If I have to wire the access point to the router, and place it near
> the laptop... what's the point of having a wireless network? (I'm
> not challenging your advice - I know nothing; I'm just trying to
> understand).


I had the same frustrations with my wireless network!

The signal transmitted is very weak (it's controlled by legislation)
and it's at 2.4GHz so it is really only effective when the 2 aerials
are in line of sight, if the signal has to go through anything solid it
will be weakened.

I did something similar to what Phil suggested, I ran a cable into the
loft and put the WAP up there, this is a bungalow so I get a good
signal in every room now. You may be able to use a separate aerial but
it's still going to mean a cable run.

It's a pain but once it's dome it's done! You need to think as much in
terms of wireless transmission/reception as you do in terms of computer
networks.

--
Jeff Gaines - Damerham Hampshire UK
Using XanaNews 1.17.6.5

On Fri, 9 Dec 2005 13:16:54 +0000, Trevor Wright
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>If I have to wire the access point to the router, and place it near the
>laptop... what's the point of having a wireless network? (I'm not
>challenging your advice - I know nothing; I'm just trying to
>understand).

if the range of wireless is less than that of a wire, which it is in
this case, then by adding wired extensions to wireless APs you can
cover a large area with wireless signals.

The end user is still wireless, which "is the point of having a
wireless network", and can roam around.

A single wireless device should happily cover a 4 bedroom house.

There are wholly wireless solutions, using WDS (Wireless Distribution
System) and I am using those at the moment. The downfall is that very
few (if any ??) of the combined ADSL modem/router/wireless boxes
support it.

Phil
--

Usenet spam eaten by a Hamster http://www.tglsoft.de/
No more cable clowns :-))
Please do not feed or re-quote the trolls.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Trevor Wright
says...
> I wonder if anyone could advise on this. I have a simple wireless
> network - desktop and laptop. The desktop is wired to the belkin
> wireless router/modem which is plugged into the adsl master socket. So
> it's not easy to move any of this.
>
> The laptop (centrino) can see the desktop from the next room. This is
> fine, with an excellent signal; I can share files and internet.
>
> However I want to move the laptop further away - upstairs and several
> walls away. I knew this would be unlikely to work, and it doesn't. The
> signal drops to very low.
>
> I believe it's possible to extend the range of the wireless network,
> possibly by adding some sort of extender or booster between the two.
> Could anyone suggest what I might do? Please understand I have no
> knowledge of networking so need answers based on words of one or
> possibly two syllables.
>
Routers or access points set up in repeater mode seldom work so avoid
that route.

The problem with stuff is usually down to antennas or the lack of them.
You can try using a PCMCIA WiFi card with an external antenna which
will improve matters or get an access point and use it in Client mode,
hooking up to your laptop via RJ45 port.

--
Conor

"You're not married, you haven't got a girlfriend and you've never seen
Star Trek? Good Lord!" - Patrick Stewart, Extras.

"Trevor Wright" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I wonder if anyone could advise on this. I have a simple wireless
>network - desktop and laptop. The desktop is wired to the belkin wireless
>router/modem which is plugged into the adsl master socket. So it's not
>easy to move any of this.
>
> The laptop (centrino) can see the desktop from the next room. This is
> fine, with an excellent signal; I can share files and internet.
>
> However I want to move the laptop further away - upstairs and several
> walls away. I knew this would be unlikely to work, and it doesn't. The
> signal drops to very low.
>
> I believe it's possible to extend the range of the wireless network,
> possibly by adding some sort of extender or booster between the two. Could
> anyone suggest what I might do? Please understand I have no knowledge of
> networking so need answers based on words of one or possibly two
> syllables.
>
> Many thanks.


Use a homeplug,
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/defa...pID=61&Alt=Yes
- not affected by thickness of walls and easier to set up. You can plug an
access point into one near the laptop so you can still use the wireless if
you want.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> I wonder if anyone could advise on this. I have a simple wireless
> network - desktop and laptop. The desktop is wired to the belkin
> wireless router/modem which is plugged into the adsl master socket. So
> it's not easy to move any of this.
>
> The laptop (centrino) can see the desktop from the next room. This is
> fine, with an excellent signal; I can share files and internet.
>
> However I want to move the laptop further away - upstairs and several
> walls away. I knew this would be unlikely to work, and it doesn't. The
> signal drops to very low.
>
> I believe it's possible to extend the range of the wireless network,
> possibly by adding some sort of extender or booster between the two.
> Could anyone suggest what I might do? Please understand I have no
> knowledge of networking so need answers based on words of one or
> possibly two syllables.
>
Reception will depend a lot on the construction of the property - if you
have thick masonry walls and timber floors then placing the router in
the apex of the roof can improve coverage, if you have foiled
plasterboard walls and ceilings then nothing much is probably going to
help. If the laptop is normally used in a particular room then putting
the router in that room will obviously help, but you'll need to run
cables for the modem and the wired PC - you could put a wireless access
point in/near the room which would only require one cable back to the
router. Antenae are usually fairly omnidirectional - if your router has
a separate antenna you might be able to fit a directional antenna to
improve the signal where you need it but this can be something of a
black art.