Wireless coverage

I need to add PC3 onto my home network. Currently it is connected with a
trailing Cat5 for occasional use but it's untidy and difficult to hide
permanently.
I'd like to use wireless AP from the wired router to PC3 but that's from
the downstairs back to upstairs front of an old house. It would be an
expensive mistake to buy the kit and find the coverage is useless.


Question - I have a cordless (non digital) phone with the base in that
downstairs room that is clear in that upstairs room. Is that a good
guide that an AP would work or are the technologies different?

TIA

On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 09:54:40 +0100, Phil <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:


>I'd like to use wireless AP from the wired router to PC3 but that's from
>the downstairs back to upstairs front of an old house. It would be an
>expensive mistake to buy the kit and find the coverage is useless.

If by 'old house' you mean a house built before they started using foil lined
plasterboard (1960s?) I would imagine you'd be alright. I live in a typical 3
bed-roomed semi built in 1970 and cannot get reliable connectivity to the room
immediately above the router/AP (about 8 FT!) due to foil lined plasterboard in
the ceiling. My daughter is in a 4 storey victorian house for Uni and I've
carried out a quick survey using a laptop and get a strong signal all over the
house including the cellar with an AP on the top floor.
>
>Question - I have a cordless (non digital) phone with the base in that
>downstairs room that is clear in that upstairs room. Is that a good
>guide that an AP would work or are the technologies different?
>
Not really, different technology as you say. I based my initial buying decision
on the perfect operation of a 1.8 Ghz DECT phone in my house only to find that
Wireless is only allowed to use 1/10th of the power that DECT uses.

HTH - Andy

On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 09:54:40 +0100, Phil <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I need to add PC3 onto my home network.

Alternatively, look at some of the new mains-borne systems coming out like:

http://www.solwise.co.uk/net-powerline.htm

providing that your looking at linking only one PC this would not be much more
expensive that Wireless (and probably more secure). There is a post in the
Solwise Networking forum from someone who has used them successfully.

(I'm not connected with Solwise, I just deal with them.)

Andy

On Sat, 04 Oct 2003 11:52:52 +0100, Andy wrote:

>On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 09:54:40 +0100, Phil <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>I need to add PC3 onto my home network.
>
>Alternatively, look at some of the new mains-borne systems coming out like:
>
>http://www.solwise.co.uk/net-powerline.htm

Wow, have you seen the price.

Netgear market them on their US site, don't know the cost in the US
but I'll bet is is less than 176ukp for two devices.

Geoff Lane

On Sat, 4 Oct 2003 09:54:40 +0100, Phil <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I need to add PC3 onto my home network. Currently it is connected with a
>trailing Cat5 for occasional use but it's untidy and difficult to hide
>permanently.
>I'd like to use wireless AP from the wired router to PC3 but that's from
>the downstairs back to upstairs front of an old house. It would be an
>expensive mistake to buy the kit and find the coverage is useless.
>
>
>Question - I have a cordless (non digital) phone with the base in that
>downstairs room that is clear in that upstairs room. Is that a good
>guide that an AP would work or are the technologies different?

The product manufacturers tell us about all the good things but fail
to mention 'foil lined' plasterboard and other problems.

It might be useful to consider an Access Point that allows for an
extension aerial.

My own netgear AP and PC card installed in a laptop gets an 80pc
signal beyond one brick wall at the top of my garden whereas my
handheld dies just betond the same brick wall (20 feet away).

Geoff Lane