Extending Wireless Network Range

[ThapeloP]

I hope someone can help me with the following.

I have a wireless network that I set up a while ago and it has been working very well except for the very poor range of the wireless network. The wireless network has been set using a Telkom Mega 100WR router which is hooked up to my desktop which is located in my study.

My main problem is that there are many walls between my study where the Telkom 100WR router is currently located and other areas in the house where I would like to use my laptop. I have a Apple MacBook for a laptop and I recently bought an Apple Time Capsule 1TB machine primarily to backup my Macbook but since it also came with an Wireless Type N Router installed, I was hoping to have my wireless network range boosted now that I have 2 routers.

I have been trying to extend the range of the wireless network but have not received good and easy to follow advice to date. My wireless network signal is way too weak and I lose it as soon as I am about 7m away from the 100WR router.

I am very keen to get assistance on how I can practically boost my wireless network range. I am not sure if this has to do with how I have connected the time capsule onto my existing wireless network. Unfortunately I have not been able to get any form of assistance from either Apple representatives in RSA or Telkom. Am wondering if there is anyone who can assist me in getting to extend my wireless network range given the above scenario. Someone mentioned that I need an Access Point and an Ethernet cable but they could not really explain in a manner I could follow on what to do with those.

 

[Imoe]

WHy not try something like the "Billion B-2073N Wireless-N HomePlug AV 200 Wall Plug". Works great

 

[ChilliGirl]

you need a wireless repeater of somekind.

Both the distance & the number of walls inbetween router & location will determine what you use.

If the distance is not big you could get away with replacing your router's external antenna with a stronger one. That is if your router allows for that.

 

[Peon]

Also try dropping down to 11Mbps

 

[sand_man]

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...Time-Capsule&p=4247017&highlight=#post4247017

We heard you the 1st time...

 

[Guantanamo]

I'm also looking to do this. That Billion homeplug device, will that still work as a booster if my other router does not support WDS? So if I juts plug it in in my kitchen and it picks up a faint (1 bar) signal will it be able to amplify it so that it reaches the other part of my house which isn't covered by my original router?

 

[ThapeloP]

My apologies, I was not sure if I had posted my question in the right topic.

 

[bdt]

Also try dropping down to 11Mbps

That would be going to wireless-b: you sacrifice speed for range which, hopefully you get - I have my doubts here ..all those walls the OP mentions. Besides which, he's got access to wireless-n (maybe even on both bands!). Which therefore raises the question for ThabeloP: which model MacBook do you have? Specifically, that is.

I'm also looking to do this. That Billion homeplug device, will that still work as a booster if my other router does not support WDS? So if I juts plug it in in my kitchen and it picks up a faint (1 bar) signal will it be able to amplify it so that it reaches the other part of my house which isn't covered by my original router?

Handy as they can be, the dirty secret these homeplug devices have is that they can't jump circuits: the two (or more) plug points you want to use have to all be on the same breaker on the distribution board. In a small house/flat/etc. this shouldn't be much of a problem. In large or old ones, this gets entertaining...

 

[ThapeloP]

T Which therefore raises the question for ThabeloP: which model MacBook do you have? Specifically, that is.
.

I use the MacBook Pro

 

[wetkit]

remember that WiFi is a 2 way street.
Just by boosting your AP you could detect it 4km away, but now what about your Laptop signal? How you gonna boost that?
Get some CAT5 and put the Apple tingy somwhere else in the house. Now you will have 2 points to connect to.

 

[bdt]

I use the MacBook Pro

*sigh* you've already said that; the question is which machine, specifically, do you have: 13/15/17", new/old - which? The question goes to confirming which wireless tech you have in your laptop. Reason for asking: I (and likely the majority) aren't THAT au fait with which Mac has what WLAN module.

Or you could ignore the questions you get asked to assist you and get nowhere.

 

[ThapeloP]

*sigh* you've already said that; the question is which machine, specifically, do you have: 13/15/17", new/old - which? The question goes to confirming which wireless tech you have in your laptop. Reason for asking: I (and likely the majority) aren't THAT au fait with which Mac has what WLAN module.

Or you could ignore the questions you get asked to assist you and get nowhere.

I use an Apple MacBook 13" and it is new, I bought it a month ago. I assume that this is all you need to assist me, if not please let me know what is outstanding.

 

[Guantanamo]

Aslong as the Billion and my current router are on the same circuit in my house the Billion will pick up my ADSL details etc and start broadcasting wifi? If yes then a call to my electrician is in order.

 

[bdt]

Aslong as the Billion and my current router are on the same circuit in my house the Billion will pick up my ADSL details etc and start broadcasting wifi? If yes then a call to my electrician is in order.

Think {current router that gets adsl}-CAT5-{homeplug}->(power socket) ...(internal mains wiring)...(power socket)-{homeplug}-CAT5-{Billion} - the two routers are, if you will, clients to the homeplug boxes: they will get to see each other if the homeplug boxes can FIRST see each other.

So, on that score, you would want to take care of IP addressing: exempli gratia 10.0.0.1 on existing router and 10.0.0.5 on the Billion, with the Billion deferring to the original one as its gateway (and possibly deferring DHCP too (I'm not familiar with Billion capabilities)).

So how would you know if the homeplugs see each other? Lights, signal lights specifically: you may well see three on these things (as I have on the ones I've used before): power, connection and network activity. And you don't need an electrician for that: you're only plugging consumer devices into the available wall sockets - what you would need the sparky for is to establish what plugs in which rooms are on the same breakers ..enjoy!

 

[bdt]

I use an Apple MacBook 13" and it is new, I bought it a month ago. I assume that this is all you need to assist me, if not please let me know what is outstanding.

So that's the 13" MacBook with dual-band wireless-n - likely the BCM4322 (posted for techpr0n fetish gratification) - one can see why you'd want that to be your primary WLAN device: wireless-n *is* meant to give better coverage at extreme range - precisely your issue. So, you been through the manual? (admittedly it *looks* craptacular but then there's the on-screen wizard that doesn't show - you been through that at all?

But, off the top of my head, what it looks like to me is:

• jack the TC directly into your Mac (via Ethernet cable (it came with one, yes?))
• run the wizard and set it up with the same WLAN SSID and WPA (you *ARE* using WPA authentication aren't you?) data
• now the fun bit:
  assuming (which I hate, but anyway) your 100WR router is on default settings, its IP should be 10.0.0.2. Problem is it starts DHCP (giving out network addresses) from 10.0.0.3 and I forget how far up it goes but you're going to have to put the TC on an address the 100WR doesn't use (maybe 10.0.0.1?) AND then tell it to use 10.0.0.2 as the gateway.​
• Then you get the TC and the 100WR talking by linking them via a network cable - this can be 10cm short or all the way up to 100m long (goes to where you put the TC, it CAN be the other side of the building!)
• Then check if you've got WLAN access to your network

This is somewhat simplified but is the major steps ..and excludes what I would HAVE to do (to appease the howls of angry protest in my head if I don't). Still, it should get you there.

I have a wireless network that I set up a while ago and it has been working very well except for the very poor range of the wireless network. The wireless network has been set using a Telkom Mega 100WR router which is hooked up to my desktop which is located in my study.

The 100WR *does* have your ADSL feed, yes?

 

[UnUnOctium]

Switch to a lower WiFi channel (won't make much difference but every bit helps when we're talking about SNR).
Make sure if that the router's antenna(e) are almost perfectly vertical (with respect to the ground, not the router).
Move the router as close to a door as possible.
If necessary, make a small parabolic reflector (http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template/), put it on the antennae and point it at the door. It's better for the signal to 'bounce' through the corridors into other rooms than try to go through walls.

If all else fails, 2 routers/APs with a CAT5/6 link between them.