How to optimize signal range for router with extra (9dBi) external antenna?

I have three tenants in an appartment building 50 meters across the
street.
I have a Linksys WRT54GL router with DD-WRT firmware.
On that I added a Hawking Outdoor Hi-Gain 9dBi Omni-Directional
Wireless Antenna Kit.
I set the DD-WRT firmware on Xmit 50Mw.

The tenants on the front have a signal reception of about 20 - 30%
The tenants on the back of the building (40 meters deep) have a signal
reception of zero.

What am I doing wrong? Or: what can I do to optimize the signal?


Thanks in advance for your help!


WRT54GL DD-WRT
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...WRT54GL+DD-WRT

[HAO9SIP] Outdoor Hi-Gain 9dBi Omni-Directional Wireless Antenna Kit
http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/...D=58&ProdID=44

On 4 Jul 2006 03:38:15 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) wrote in
<(E-Mail Removed). com>:

>I have three tenants in an appartment building 50 meters across the
>street.
>I have a Linksys WRT54GL router with DD-WRT firmware.
>On that I added a Hawking Outdoor Hi-Gain 9dBi Omni-Directional
>Wireless Antenna Kit.
>I set the DD-WRT firmware on Xmit 50Mw.
>
>The tenants on the front have a signal reception of about 20 - 30%
>The tenants on the back of the building (40 meters deep) have a signal
>reception of zero.
>
>What am I doing wrong?

You're trying to punch signal through a building with multiple walls.


>Or: what can I do to optimize the signal?

You can try more antenna gain, being careful to keep enough beam width
to cover the target building, but I doubt that will be enough. You may
need to install a wireless client bridge connected to a wireless access
point to cover the other building, and even that might well have serious
problems with interior walls. Test it first by carrying your current
setup over to the other building.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_How_To>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

> You're trying to punch signal through a building with multiple walls.
>

Old Dutch building with non-iron walls ...

And I was told that a couple of 'wooden' / 'stone' walls at this
distance - 50 meters across and 40 meters deep - would not be a problem
for a standard WRT54GL. Let alone with a 9dBi omnidirectional Outdoor
antenna ...

> You can try more antenna gain, being careful to keep enough beam width

50 Mw to f.i. 85 Mw ?

> to cover the target building, but I doubt that will be enough. You may
> need to install a wireless client bridge connected to a wireless access
> point to cover the other building, and even that might well have serious

Could you explain that to me. What (Linksys) hardware woudl I need to
add to what I have now?

> problems with interior walls. Test it first by carrying your current
> setup over to the other building.

Can't do ...

It's plugged into my ADSL outlet in the wall in my appartment. :-)

Or do I understand you wrong?

> > You're trying to punch signal through a building with multiple walls.
>
> Old Dutch building with non-iron walls ...

Stone, masonry, stucco and the like can be very effective at blocking
signals. Try setting a laptop in the window of a unit facing the antenna,
then go behind the wall and note the signal loss.

> And I was told that a couple of 'wooden' / 'stone' walls at this
> distance - 50 meters across and 40 meters deep - would not be a problem

Told by whom? I'd certainly have warned against trying to get the signal to
penetrate a multi-dwelling structure, even more so since the signal would
already have to travel 150 feet.

> > You can try more antenna gain, being careful to keep enough beam width
> 50 Mw to f.i. 85 Mw ?

Antenna gain is different than the radio output power. Check what vertical
and horizontal beam width angles your antenna claims to deliver. Then draw
a diagram showing how those angles cover the desired target. Some antenna
have very small (8 to 12 degree) vertical beam angles. Make sure you've got
an antenna that covers properly.

> > problems with interior walls. Test it first by carrying your current
> > setup over to the other building.
> Can't do ...
> It's plugged into my ADSL outlet in the wall in my appartment. :-)

Sure you can, take the access point and put it in a unit with only the
standard antenna attached to it. Then see how well that signal penetrates
the structure. You don't need the adsl connection to check signal strength.

-Bill Kearney

Bill Kearney schreef:

> Stone, masonry, stucco and the like can be very effective at blocking
> signals. Try setting a laptop in the window of a unit facing the antenna,
> then go behind the wall and note the signal loss.

Just got this answer from hawking this morning:

We advise you to buy the HAO14SDP. This antenna has a range of 2 miles
and can go through walls, but metal will conflict.

> Told by whom? I'd certainly have warned against trying to get the signalto
> penetrate a multi-dwelling structure, even more so since the signal would
> already have to travel 150 feet.

I'm going to build me a 'bridge'. See end of posting.

> Antenna gain is different than the radio output power. Check what vertical
> and horizontal beam width angles your antenna claims to deliver. Then draw
> a diagram showing how those angles cover the desired target. Some antenna
> have very small (8 to 12 degree) vertical beam angles. Make sure you've got
> an antenna that covers properly.

Gain9.0dBi
PolorizationLinear,Vertical
H-plane360°
E-plane15°

But this will be replaced by the HAO14SDP. And that has a vertical beam
of 30 Horizontal Plane 30 Vertical Plane.

> Sure you can, take the access point and put it in a unit with only the
> standard antenna attached to it. Then see how well that signal penetrates
> the structure. You don't need the adsl connection to check signal strength.

Never too old to learn! Gonna do that in a sec and - report back to the
bos ;-)

Thanks for your advice untill now Bill.

Maybe you can comment on another posting on this subject I just placed
in a DD-WRT group firmware for the the WRT54GL).

This one:


With good functioning WLAN - how to create a wireless 'bridge',
out-of-the-box, with a second WRT54GL

I have got a good working WLAN. There are also users in another house -
30 meters diagonal across the street - that use the WLAN. These users
live at the front of the building Others, that would like to use the
WLAN, can't receive a signal. They live at the back. The building is 40
meters deep.

My question is: one of the users at the back desperately needs a
connection by tomorrow-evening. So I am looking for a rather 'quick &
dirty' solution that works 'out of the box', rather than an optimal
solution.

Can someone advise me if the next presentation of what I think is OK
will work?

Current setup:
==========
1 x Alcatel STHome modem (not tweaked to Pro)
1 x WRT54GL (Firmware: DD-WRT v23 (12/25/05)
1 x Hawking Hi-Gain omnidirectional 9 dBi antenna

New setup:
========
1 x Hawking Hi-Gain directional 14 dBi antenna, to replace the
omnidirectional 9 dBi, to 'focus' the beam across
1 x WRT54GL extra for acroos the street, as AP/Bridge
The Hawking Hi-Gain omnidirectional 9 dBi antenna then goes on this
router

If this os so far 'correct' concerning the hardware, my questions then
is:
- can I leave the settings on the 1st WRT54GL like they are now (yes
please, because they're functioning)
- what will the settings in DD-WRT be for the 2nd WRT54GL?

I would rather like to work with firmware on both WRT54GL the same - so
the firmware of dec 2005. That would leave the old setpu like it is, in
case everyhting goes wrong. Unless someone can convicne me the newer
firmware will be better or necessary.

Things I am worried about that might confuse me when 'making the
bridge' with the 2nd WRT54GL are things like NAT, DHCP. If someone has
a configuration like this working, could he/she post the settings for
both WRT54GL 's ?


[HAO9SIP] Outdoor Hi-Gain 9dBi Omni-Directional Wireless Antenna Kit
http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/...D=58&ProdID=44

[HAO14SDP] Hi-Gain™ 14dBi Outdoor Directional Antenna Kit
http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/...=58&ProdID=267

On 6 Jul 2006 06:11:19 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) wrote in
<(E-Mail Removed) .com>:

>Bill Kearney schreef:
>
>> Stone, masonry, stucco and the like can be very effective at blocking
>> signals. Try setting a laptop in the window of a unit facing the antenna,
>> then go behind the wall and note the signal loss.
>
>Just got this answer from hawking this morning:
>
>We advise you to buy the HAO14SDP. This antenna has a range of 2 miles
>and can go through walls, but metal will conflict.
>
>> Told by whom? I'd certainly have warned against trying to get the signal to
>> penetrate a multi-dwelling structure, even more so since the signal would
>> already have to travel 150 feet.
>
>I'm going to build me a 'bridge'. See end of posting.
>[SNIP]
>I have got a good working WLAN. There are also users in another house -
>30 meters diagonal across the street - that use the WLAN. These users
>live at the front of the building Others, that would like to use the
>WLAN, can't receive a signal. They live at the back. The building is 40
>meters deep.
>
>My question is: one of the users at the back desperately needs a
>connection by tomorrow-evening. So I am looking for a rather 'quick &
>dirty' solution that works 'out of the box', rather than an optimal
>solution.
>[SNIP]

With the high-gain directional antenna on your end, it might be enough
to also get a better antenna for the user at the back; e.g.,
<http://www.freeantennas.com/>. For a simple commercial solution,
consider the Hawking HWU8DD
<http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/productlist.php?CatID=32&FamID=60&ProdID=280>

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_How_To>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

John Navas schreef:

> With the high-gain directional antenna on your end, it might be enough
> to also get a better antenna for the user at the back; e.g.,
> <http://www.freeantennas.com/>. For a simple commercial solution,
> consider the Hawking HWU8DD
> <http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/productlist.php?CatID=32&FamID=60&ProdID=280>

Thanks John.

The HAO14SDP will be delivered tomorrow morning.

The guy at the back already has this Hi-Gain™ USB Wireless-G Dish
Adapter, you 're pointing at with your URL.

So if all goes well my troubles will be over by tomorrow afternoon.

I'll let you know.

Thanks !