John Dann wrote:
> I'm curious about how much signal atenuation one might expect by solid
> walls. Does anyone know of published figures anywhere that might give
> some hint as to likely attenuation?
"Walls" vary tremendously, as you and others have posted here....I'm
sure that there are some type of reference materials available which
have researched this, on this very large Internet.
> My own house has some _internal_ walls consisting of 9"thick solid
> concrete block walls. I'm struggling to get consistent 802.11b
> reception (from a Linksys AP to a generic laptop PC card) even through
> one such wall.
Regarding wireless signals of ALL types in the US, the one thing to keep
in mind always is this fact: If you require SOLID, GUARANTEED
reception, of ANY kind, IT WILL require an FCC license, and it WILL BE
expensive. WiFi was designed to be NEITHER of those two. WiFi cards are
currently being sold starting at about ten bucks. So much for the
expensive part. And you certainly don't need an FCC license to buy or
use it.
Now, that said, WiFi CAN be dependable in many if not most uses. But
that doesn't always mean in the standard, stock method of purchase or
use. In your case, without having seen the layout nor materials, what I
would suggest, generically, is this: Ensure that your Access Point will
accept an external antenna. Then, purchase the pigtail, antenna
extension cable, and either an OMNIdirectional or a directional antenna,
and mount this on the highest point in the attic, or even better, on the
roof. This makes the path of least obstruction to the antenna to be
"UP", from any room in the house except the basement.
Of course, if you wish to simply purchase product, and have guaranteed
access by merely plugging it in, then you CAN buy this kit......But it
is NOT called WiFi, and CERTAINLY is not available at ANY price
approaching what WiFi kit costs.....:-( And of course there would be
the small issue of the necessary license.
The easiest quickest solution, if feasible, is simply to install your AP
in the attic, without the additional equipment. Make sure that IF the
WiFi card which you're connecting with, uses a built in antenna, and you
use the card in a horizontal orientation, then when you install the AP
in the attic, ensure that the orientable antenna on the AP is
"horizontal" as well. You always want to ensure that the "polarization"
of your signals remains the same. Example: Most PCCard based solutions
contain a built in antenna, and slide into a laptop in the horizontal
position. These transmit and receive their RF signals in "horizontal
polarization". In this case, you'd want to orient the movable antenna/s
on the AP into the horizontal position as well, relative to the PCCard.
> In practice what I'm trying to judge is whether I should be able to
> achieve usable reception under these conditions or whether even one
> thick wall is enough to make reception marginal or whether I might
> have an hardware problem. I do sort of wonder whether WiFi wasn't
> developed more for large open-plan areas or at least for communication
> between rooms with only plasterboard-type (stud) partition walls.
> Maybe what I really need is an extended aerial/antenna distribution
> system that runs throughout my house with a simple AP in almost every
> room that I'm likely to want to work in?
>
> Anyone have any thoughts please?
>
> John Dann
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