Wireless dropping - use spare router to strengthen connection?

I have a wireless connection set up in the house but it drops
intermittently. I've tried the usual stuff - unplugging the microwave,
changing the channel etc but to no avail. I have a spare wireless
router hanging around, is it possible for me to set this router up to
just boost the wireless signal, so I can position it halfway through
the house? If so, how would I go about doing this?

Cheers,

Chris

"Chris Ashley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> I have a wireless connection set up in the house but it drops
> intermittently. I've tried the usual stuff - unplugging the microwave,
> changing the channel etc but to no avail. I have a spare wireless
> router hanging around, is it possible for me to set this router up to
> just boost the wireless signal, so I can position it halfway through
> the house? If so, how would I go about doing this?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Chris
>

Let people here help you by suppling Model name and/or number, and the
firmware version of your router. I.E.: Linksys BEFW11S4, v3. No offense,
just trying to help. <g>
--
Louie
Gainesville, FL
(eat the flies to email)

"Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Dennis Miller

Louie wrote:
>
> Let people here help you by suppling Model name and/or number, and the
> firmware version of your router. I.E.: Linksys BEFW11S4, v3. No offense,
> just trying to help. <g>
> --
> Louie
> Gainesville, FL
> (eat the flies to email)
>
> "Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
> Dennis Miller

My main one is a Linksys HR200, and my spare is an Origo FC-AL2014PW
which I believe is just a generic rebranded router (Same as Zoom, Eusso
etc). Sorry - not much use.

I'm not averse to buying another piece of hardware if my spare router
can't do this, just want to make sure things will work before I do so.

Cheers,

Chris

"Chris Ashley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
<snip>

> My main one is a Linksys HR200, and my spare is an Origo FC-AL2014PW
> which I believe is just a generic rebranded router (Same as Zoom, Eusso
> etc). Sorry - not much use.
>
> I'm not averse to buying another piece of hardware if my spare router
> can't do this, just want to make sure things will work before I do so.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Chris
>

I've tried to find a Linksys HR200 user manual at Linksys, but no go. Do
you still have your manual? Maybe Jeff L. would know, he's pretty much on
top of things.

Is this your Origo FC-AL2014PW router
http://www.gamebanshee.com/forums/ar...p/t-52142.html from
Tanstaafl states "This link says your router is the same as the SR-8400"
http://adsltech.com/portal/forum/for...ts.asp?TID=714 has a pic. Had no
luck with manual as well. Sorry I couldn't help more.
--
Louie
Gainesville, FL
(eat the flies to email)

"Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Dennis Miller

On 20 Nov 2005 14:10:18 -0800, "Chris Ashley"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a wireless connection set up in the house but it drops
>intermittently. I've tried the usual stuff - unplugging the microwave,
>changing the channel etc but to no avail. I have a spare wireless
>router hanging around, is it possible for me to set this router up to
>just boost the wireless signal, so I can position it halfway through
>the house? If so, how would I go about doing this?

Well, the proceedure is the same for adding an "access point".
Effectively, you disable the DHCP server and ignore the router
section.

Your spare router can be converted into an access point by:
1. Setup the IP address of the spare router to be in the same class c
IP block as the main router, but to not duplicate its IP address. For
example, if the main router is 192.168.1.1, setup the spare router as
192.168.1.2.
2. Disable the DHCP server. IP addresses will be served by the DHCP
server in the main router.
3. Do not connect anything to the WAN (internet) port. It's not
used.
4. Connect an ethernet cable between one of the LAN ports on the main
router, to one of the LAN ports on the spare router.

If running the cable half way through the house is unacceptable, there
are alternatives, but they cost money. For example, a power line
networking wireless bridge might be useful:
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WGXB102.php

I'm not familiar with either of your boxes. However, if one or both
of them support WDS, the same thing can be done using the spare router
acting as a repeater, using wireless to connect back to the main
router. No cable half way through the house required.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> Your spare router can be converted into an access point by:
> 1. Setup the IP address of the spare router to be in the same class c
> IP block as the main router, but to not duplicate its IP address. For
> example, if the main router is 192.168.1.1, setup the spare router as
> 192.168.1.2.
> 2. Disable the DHCP server. IP addresses will be served by the DHCP
> server in the main router.
> 3. Do not connect anything to the WAN (internet) port. It's not
> used.
> 4. Connect an ethernet cable between one of the LAN ports on the main
> router, to one of the LAN ports on the spare router.
>
> If running the cable half way through the house is unacceptable, there
> are alternatives, but they cost money. For example, a power line
> networking wireless bridge might be useful:
> http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WGXB102.php

Thanks for the help, guys. This is actually a whole lot more
complicated than I imagined it would be. Running cable anywhere in the
house is something I want to avoid.

The Netgear wall-plugged product looks interesting. I've never seen it
in any stores round here or indeed online so I'm unsure as to whether
it's available in the UK.

Could somebody clarify the term 'repeater' for me? I see a lot of
devices offering this function. Could this do what I need?

Regards,

Chris

Chris Ashley wrote:
> Could somebody clarify the term 'repeater' for me? I see a lot of
> devices offering this function. Could this do what I need?
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris

I should add, I have seen sites showing a hack which can be applied to
my Origo router that will somehow give it D-Link firmware and give it
this 'repeater' functionality. Is this an option?

On 21 Nov 2005 01:45:35 -0800, "Chris Ashley"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Chris Ashley wrote:
>> Could somebody clarify the term 'repeater' for me? I see a lot of
>> devices offering this function. Could this do what I need?

>I should add, I have seen sites showing a hack which can be applied to
>my Origo router that will somehow give it D-Link firmware and give it
>this 'repeater' functionality. Is this an option?

I can't help with your Origo router as I know nothing about it.

The proceedure for converting your router to an access point is quite
simple and easy to do. 4 steps is not a major project (except for
running the cable).

A repeater is also called a "range extender". It's a stand alone
radio, that listens for any packets that have a specified SSID, and
retransmit the packet. This is called "store and forward" type of
repeating. It is commonly used to extend the coverage area of a
wireless system.

However, there are problems. Many repeaters will only work with a
small list of acceptable radios and access points. In general, the
chipset used in the repeater has to be compatible (or identical) to
that in the wireless router.

Repeaters also cause a 50% reduction in thruput because only one radio
can transmit at a time (simplex operation). This should not be a
problem if you have a good signal and a comparatively slow broadband
connection (<1.5Mbits/sec) but does become a problem for higher speed
broadband, and for client to client file transfers.

A WDS bridge is a specific type of repeater, that is pre-configured
for the access points and wireless routers that it repeats. The
advantage is that the remote WDS bridge box can be simultaneously used
as an access point (for wireless clients) and a bridge (for plugging
ethernet connected clients directly into the WDS box). As with all
repeaters, WDS bridges work best with identical chipsets, and
compatible hardware.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <(E-Mail Removed). com> on 20 Nov 2005
14:10:18 -0800, "Chris Ashley" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a wireless connection set up in the house but it drops
>intermittently. I've tried the usual stuff - unplugging the microwave,
>changing the channel etc but to no avail. ...

If all your wireless clients on one side of the access point, consider a cheap
do-it-yourself directional antenna, which can work wonders; e.g.,
<http://www.freeantennas.com/>.
--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

> The Netgear wall-plugged product looks interesting. I've never seen it
> in any stores round here or indeed online so I'm unsure as to whether
> it's available in the UK.
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris
>
The Netgear product isn't available in the UK but I've just had an email
from Maplin with a special offer on a UK equivalent
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...494&T=11757317

Chris R