Extending wireless networks

Before you spend anything find out the scale of the problem, Netstumbler will give you an idea of how and where your signal drops off, depending on how much of a boost you need you have several options.


1) Move your AP/Router/PC - Dead spots are common, moving is often the cheapest solution though perhaps the least convenient
2) Parabolics - Simple and easy
3) Better antenna - upgrading will improve things a bit
4) An additional AP (due to the layout at a mates he has to use one AP at each end of the house - it was stupidly long and basically two big bungalows joined in the middle.
5) DD-WRT allows you to boost the power of your connection significantly and the hardware is cheap & widely available.
 
hi, 1)unfortunately, the hub is stuck pretty much where it is.
2) not quite sure what this is - a big areial?
3)+5) its a BT homehub, and after a quick, i dont tihnk u can get into the hub firmware, or really change any of the settings........

4) that leaves me thinking buying an AP with bridge / repeater mode?, if so can u recommend any good ones?

Thanks for the help
 
I'd consider getting getting a better quality wireless modem/router/AP - one of the newer ones with MIMO are ideally suited to your problem, often getting a decent quality signal where none was available before - it also means you will need a MIMO capable WNIC on your clients (PCs) to take advantage of the AP capabilities.

Also, if you wish to go down the repeater route, IIRC Buffalo Airstation are one of the few reasonable cost ones that allow both bridging and AP combined modes (where it both bridges to another AP and allows clients to connect) - other cheap models can often only operate as Bridge OR AP.

M
 
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Home hub ... Unlucky. If you search the forum you'll find a lot of people have issues especially with trying to secure the thing and wifi range. I understand it has two ethernet ports and i'm guessing it has the option to turn wifi off, if so then disabling wifi and buying an access point (turn off DHCP on A/P) and plugging it into the 2nd ethernet port should give you secure wifi with improved range and te option of a better antenna if required.
 
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