update on my efforts to extend network: maybe useful info forpeople

Hi all -

Just wanted to pass on some developments from my efforts to extend my
wifi network, which may help others.

Background: I have a Linksys wireless access point/router (BEFW11S4) on
the 2nd floor of a house. I wanted to extend the range to use it on my
laptop on the porch. I bought two (nondirectional) replacement antennas, and
the Linksys booster, none of which helped. I also tried to make a home-brew
reflector based on instructions on the web. Didn't work...

So, I decided to try to make a repeater, to sit on the edge of the
signal and broadcast it outwards. I called Linksys tech support and asked
them if their wireless APs could do it. They said YES, if the firmware was
new. I went to CompUSA, and bought one (since mine was very old, and I've
had problems upgrading firmware in the past). It did not work, so I called
them back. Good news was, they pick up the phone 24*7 (I got them 10pm on
4th of July!). Bad news was, the original person was wrong - it does not do
wireless repeating!

But, I decided to try the new AP instead of my old one - just replaced
it, in the same location. My existing router was so old it had no version
number on it at all. The new one was v4! Weird, since the linksys website
only mentioned v3 as the latest one. I thought I'd be lucky to find v2 in
the store shelves. I figured it couldn't hurt to try it. Anyways, the end
result was that the range was extended enough to solve my problem! The newer
hardware must have a better range.

Hope my ordeal at least dredged up some useful info for others facing
the same issues.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Just done a lot of research looking for this answer. To extend the
range of a wireless network check out this link (below). It
essentially mentions the procedure for creating an extension using a
linksys WET11 (Bridge) and WAP11 (access point) and of course your
original router.. Further if you look into the help file for the WAP11
it describes how to configure the Access Point in Client Mode using
the Wireless MAC address of the next Access Point in the chain all the
way back to the router.

Hope this is useful to you or any others.
Tommie

http://kb.linksys.com/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=1808584&QuestionText=befw11s 4%20wap11&SelectName1=&advquery=%5bs%5d%5bRank%2c% 2050%3a%5bSum%3a%20befw11s4%20wap11%5d%5bMerge%3a% 20%5bThesaurus%3a%20befw11s4%20wap11%5d%5d%5d&info base=linksysrev.nfo&record={44D}&softpage=IKW_ENU_ JDocView

Mike Levin <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<BB2C2FB8.10B2B%(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Hi all -
>
> Just wanted to pass on some developments from my efforts to extend my
> wifi network, which may help others.
>
> Background: I have a Linksys wireless access point/router (BEFW11S4) on
> the 2nd floor of a house. I wanted to extend the range to use it on my
> laptop on the porch. I bought two (nondirectional) replacement antennas, and
> the Linksys booster, none of which helped. I also tried to make a home-brew
> reflector based on instructions on the web. Didn't work...
>
> So, I decided to try to make a repeater, to sit on the edge of the
> signal and broadcast it outwards. I called Linksys tech support and asked
> them if their wireless APs could do it. They said YES, if the firmware was
> new. I went to CompUSA, and bought one (since mine was very old, and I've
> had problems upgrading firmware in the past). It did not work, so I called
> them back. Good news was, they pick up the phone 24*7 (I got them 10pm on
> 4th of July!). Bad news was, the original person was wrong - it does not do
> wireless repeating!
>
> But, I decided to try the new AP instead of my old one - just replaced
> it, in the same location. My existing router was so old it had no version
> number on it at all. The new one was v4! Weird, since the linksys website
> only mentioned v3 as the latest one. I thought I'd be lucky to find v2 in
> the store shelves. I figured it couldn't hurt to try it. Anyways, the end
> result was that the range was extended enough to solve my problem! The newer
> hardware must have a better range.
>
> Hope my ordeal at least dredged up some useful info for others facing
> the same issues.
>
> Mike