Help wireless dilemma

Grawns

Hi

I currently have an irish broadband breeze connection and have been pretty unsuccessful getting a strong wireless signal to penetrate our house. Georgian 4 story (4000sg ft), private quarters and guesthouse accommodation. I purchased a linksys wireless g (WRT54GS) a few years ago and then bought a range expander for same. Could never get that to work properly and in the end abandoned it.

I need wireless for guest access ( top of the house) but I need wired for gaming at the bottom of the house. The wired broadband connection is currently in the middle of the house.

I am currently thinking of getting the UPC broadband as the fibre optic cables are now in place. For gaming purposes I was thinking of getting it wired in at the bottom of the house. They supply a router with a 50 metre range

My questions are if I switch to UPC and disconnect the breeze broadband

1. What are the chances of getting a reasonable wireless signal throughout the house with this option of the wired connection at the bottom of the house

What if I stay with irish broadband breeze?

3. Should I waste more money I don't have on a wireless N router? or persevere with the wireless g linksys system and range expander. RTFM again and again -only a thousand pages.

4. If so will the signal from the middle of the house ever be good enough for gaming?

The other option is to pay for both services - not really an option

Does anybody know of a good solution to this kind of issue. Many thanks!

ps. There is a dect phone and a wireless baby monitor in action around the house. Will this seriously effect the wireless signal?

NothingMan

These can work fairly well in a large or bad signal environment.

Basically plug one in near your router and attach a network cable and another anywhere within the same power grid and it uses your power cables as if there a network cable.

Grawns

Thanks but I think the house has several independent grids so this is not an option I think. Each floor is seperate zone according to junction box.

bhickey

It would be ideal if you could run a CAT5 cable to each floor in the house from your wired Internet point. Then on each floor that requires wireless, you can connect a wireless access point.

If cabling isn't an option then the way I'd tackle it would be to setup several wireless access points (or routers) in WDS mode. Preferraby the wireless access points should be from the same manufacturer or at least use the same firmware (for example DD-WRT firmware).

Grawns

Cabling not an option. I definitley don't have the expertise or money to set-up multi-access points.

bhickey

Grawns wrote: »

Cabling not an option. I definitley don't have the expertise or money to set-up multi-access points.

Okay well you're quickly running out of options then and will have to use what you've aready got there. You should try and get the range expander working as that will help you figure out what's possible. What make/model is the range expander?

It might very well be that moving the wireless router (possibly onto or towards the landing or stairway) will improve the overall wireless signal levels around the house. The range expander should then give you a wired point downstairs and with a bit of luck the improved wireless signal levels might even make upstairs work.

Switching to UPC isn't going to fundamentally change much as you still have to get the wireless signal throughout the rest of the house.

mickoneill30

NothingMan wrote: »

These can work fairly well in a large or bad signal environment.

Basically plug one in near your router and attach a network cable and another anywhere within the same power grid and it uses your power cables as if there a network cable.

I had exactly the same setup as Grawns.

I was with IBB and had a wireless router. UPC did a much faster speed for the same price so I moved.

Now I have the UPC router downstairs with a wireless network. I'm using plugs similar to those specified by Nothingman to send the signal through the mains to my old IBB router upstairs which is configured with a second wireless network. So now I've got a much bigger wireless network.

It is complicated to set up though so it's not for the faint hearted.

Also my UPC connection is 30Mb/s at the UPC router. By the time it goes through the mains it's 10Mb/s (the plugs are rated at 85Mb/s) so bear that in mind. It doesn't bother me as anything that benefits from the faster speed is using the UPC router, but it might bother you.

Grawns

bhickey wrote: »

Okay well you're quickly running out of options then and will have to use what you've aready got there. You should try and get the range expander working as that will help you figure out what's possible. What make/model is the range expander?

It's a linksys wireless G WRE54g range expander to partner with the linksys WRT54GS router

bhickey wrote: »

It might very well be that moving the wireless router (possibly onto or towards the landing or stairway) will improve the overall wireless signal levels around the house. The range expander should then give you a wired point downstairs and with a bit of luck the improved wireless signal levels might even make upstairs work.

Switching to UPC isn't going to fundamentally change much as you still have to get the wireless signal throughout the rest of the house.

I'm thinking the same myself. The only reason to change to UPC at this point is that afaik for gaming it's best to have a wired connection especially given the specs of the house. They would install ( complicated enough) a new cable at the back and bottom of the house . Doesn't a wireless signal travel up better than down?

ps. Another reason to change to UPC is cheaper and faster perhaps.

Thanks so much for your expertise in this

Grawns

bhickey wrote: »

Okay well you're quickly running out of options then and will have to use what you've aready got there. You should try and get the range expander working as that will help you figure out what's possible. What make/model is the range expander?

It might very well be that moving the wireless router (possibly onto or towards the landing or stairway) will improve the overall wireless signal levels around the house. The range expander should then give you a wired point downstairs and with a bit of luck the improved wireless signal levels might even make upstairs work.

Switching to UPC isn't going to fundamentally change much as you still have to get the wireless signal throughout the rest of the house.

mickoneill30 wrote: »

I had exactly the same setup as Grawns.

I was with IBB and had a wireless router. UPC did a much faster speed for the same price so I moved.

Now I have the UPC router downstairs with a wireless network. I'm using plugs similar to those specified by Nothingman to send the signal through the mains to my old IBB router upstairs which is configured with a second wireless network. So now I've got a much bigger wireless network.

It is complicated to set up though so it's not for the faint hearted.

Also my UPC connection is 30Mb/s at the UPC router. By the time it goes through the mains it's 10Mb/s (the plugs are rated at 85Mb/s) so bear that in mind. It doesn't bother me as anything that benefits from the faster speed is using the UPC router, but it might bother you.

Thanks but the electricity grid is seperated into isolated zones. 1st floor, 2nd floor basement, garden level etc. So I'm fairly sure that I waouldn't be able to send signals between the zones. I have an electrician friend though. Must ask him.

Well done on setting up such a network. I've always thought it would be worth studying this technology.

bhickey

Grawns wrote: »

It's a linksys wireless G WRE54g range expander to partner with the linksys WRT54GS router

Well dust it off and try getting it to work. There's plenty of info on the Internet about them. Maybe start here

Doesn't a wireless signal travel up better than down?

Aahh. No. Up, down, sideways, it's all the same.

Grawns

bhickey wrote: »

Well dust it off and try getting it to work. There's plenty of info on the Internet about them. Maybe start here





Aahh. No. Up, down, sideways, it's all the same.

Okey dokey then Any comment on whether its necessary to have wired connection for gaming. I kind of promised my husband I'd get this sorted for him but I can't leave my office without a decent connection.

bhickey

Grawns wrote: »

Okey dokey then Any comment on whether its necessary to have wired connection for gaming. I kind of promised my husband I'd get this sorted for him but I can't leave my office without a decent connection.

It's not necessary but it might be better (depending on the wireless connection speed & quality). Online gaming typically benefits more from low latency than increased bandwidth. UPC's connection might or might not be better in this respect - I'll leave that to UPC & IBB gamers in your area. The best thing to do for now might be :

1. Do whatever gaming tests that you can now while connected directly to the IBB broadband connection. If possible, compare the results to other IBB & UPC customers.

2. When you get the repeater working, connect the gaming computer to that and repeat the tests. The comparison may answer the question for you about whether, in your house, it's necessary to have a wired connection for gaming.

Grawns

Thanks for your helpful advice

Grawns

Interesting development as I had the UPC guys here to install tv tuners and was quizzing them about the broadband installation. It turns out no cabling is required as the fibre optic broadband is actually delivered over the Tv coaxial cabling. Now this runs throughout the house so theoretically I should be able to plug other routers into a split UPC tv point elsewhere and bring the signal throughout the house.

What do you think? Have you heard of this?

bhickey

Yes you could certainly have them connect other UPC routers but you would have to pay an individual subscription for each one ;(

If you were paying multiple monthly UPC subscriptions then the cost would quickly add up and you'd have been better off either running some CAT5 cable between the floors or getting extra wireless routers.

Grawns

Hmmm! Thought I would be able to do it myself with adapted routers. Oh well.

fr_ted

Hi Grawns,


Router needs to hear Laptop and laptop needs to hear Router.

Antenna's are very important.
http://wireless.gumph.org/articles/longrangelink.html

Then you could make your own.
http://wireless.gumph.org/articles/homemadeomni.html

If not you need to setup a WDS as mentioned by bhickey.
You already have a WRT54GS, If you got another one you could install dd-wrt on it and bounce the signal on from one to another, thus extending your network.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WDS_Linked_router_network#Setup_for_two_or_more_WRT54G_.2F_WRT54GS_.2F_WRT54GL_.2F_WTR54GS_boxes

Hope this helps


Hope this helps,
Ted

Grawns

Thanks Ted. That's very Helpful.