Wifi range at home

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TiBones

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Hi, noob - so excuse any questions that may have arisen in the distant past.

My Wifi access at home is very limited, although my house is not very big. I have been battling in the past to get decent wifi reception through to the bedroom using an old telkom mega105 modem/router. Being the gullable person that I am, I was convinced by a salesman that a b/g/n modem router would be better and bought a netgear unit (TWO antennae!!!) although my laptop doesn't have n wireless. My Galaxy Tab does however. I am not getting any better transmission from the new router and would like to hardwire the new router to the old mega105 over a distance of maybe 20 m and use the mega as an AP. Do I need a crossover network cable? and do I need any other software/hardware to make this configuration work? Would I simply use a lan port either side as a switch?
My networking knowledge is near non-existant so any help would really be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Strange that your new router doesn't improve signal on the "n" device. I upgraded from a b/g to the Netgear DGB2200 a while back and it made a big difference. Receiving acceptable signal now upstairs. Maybe ensure that you are using 5Ghz range rather than the more ubiquitous 2.4Ghz range?

Something else, the router will "downgrade" to g speed if you laptop is connected. Didn't you get a USB n dongle with the router that you can use?
 
I was under the impression that the 5Ghz frequency has a far lower range but is not prone to interference...?
 
straight cable will work. Disable WAN on the mega105 and also disable the DHCP server. I also have 2 wireless APs (good old wrt54gl) on each end of the house with exactly the same SSID, channel and security settings so that my devices will automatically associate with the best one.
 
Dade, thanks! I am no techno fundi but that seems to make sense! One question though... Why disable WAN on the 105? Could I not leave the wireless active on both routers so that I have wifi access in the lounge and in the bedroom?
 
TiBones said:
Dade, thanks! I am no techno fundi but that seems to make sense! One question though... Why disable WAN on the 105? Could I not leave the wireless active on both routers so that I have wifi access in the lounge and in the bedroom?
Click to expand...

By WAN I meant stop it from also dialing your PPPOE.

EDIT:
Both should have wireless still enabled :)
Just remove your adsl account settings from the one (105).
 
Thanks SiriS, that would seem like a much quicker and easier solution. My only hassle is that even my phone and tablet don't connect very well in the bedroom albeit that they both have 'n'. Therin my thinking about a second AP
 
DJ... said:
I was under the impression that the 5Ghz frequency has a far lower range but is not prone to interference...?
Click to expand...

I think so yes, but in my experience the signal was much stronger. I suspect interference on 2.4 outweighed the larger range of it then.

Like the OP I also went from a one to two antenna router - that should also account for a positive difference.

I'm finding myself at the limits of my knowledge now. :)
 
Gotcha - thanks. Will try this evening, leaving a trail of cabling down the passage and annoying my wife, just until I know that it works:whistle:
 
That's weird. I have the Netgear DG834G (108mbps) modem and it gives me clear signal throughout the house (about 160sqm) and the immediate outside premises. Not sure how your house was built, but if there's any metal in the walls it could dissipate signal quite easily. Try putting the wireless unit in your roof (run the phone line you use to connect ADSL to it to there as well as some power) and see if it helps?
 
Thanks - no metal in the walls that I am aware of, and no strange architectural designs. Weird that I have battled so much. The signal has to pass through 4 walls though..... maybe a directional antenna down the passage?
 
TiBones said:
Hi, noob - so excuse any questions that may have arisen in the distant past.

My Wifi access at home is very limited, although my house is not very big. I have been battling in the past to get decent wifi reception through to the bedroom using an old telkom mega105 modem/router. Being the gullable person that I am, I was convinced by a salesman that a b/g/n modem router would be better and bought a netgear unit (TWO antennae!!!) although my laptop doesn't have n wireless. My Galaxy Tab does however. I am not getting any better transmission from the new router and would like to hardwire the new router to the old mega105 over a distance of maybe 20 m and use the mega as an AP. Do I need a crossover network cable? and do I need any other software/hardware to make this configuration work? Would I simply use a lan port either side as a switch?
My networking knowledge is near non-existant so any help would really be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Lift the router up higher...
Best situation put it centrally in your roof and make sure both aerials are pointing straight up.
Also try changing the channel, you might have some interference on the channel you're using.

like Siris says though if your laptop only has g, the signal broadcast would be downgraded to g for all connected devices once your laptop connects.
 
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