WiFi Signal - Extender HELP NEEDED

jmcc99_98

Hi there,

Im in need of some advice and/or help. My mate lives in a big old house which has big thick walls. At one end of the house he has a small office and has WiFi in there and it works fine - However the signal will not extend into the main house.

What is the best way of solving this?

(a) Buy some of those extender things?
(b) Run a phone line from the back of the existing wireless router into the main house and attach it to another wireless router
(c) Some other way?

I would be really really grateful of any help

chin_grin

Homeplugs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug

jmcc99_98

Thanks @Chin_Grin - Are these devices commonly available? Like could I pick these things up in PC World? and are they easy to set up (Im sorry Im not great when it comes to networks and WiFi)

Any other ideas

chin_grin

jmcc99_98 wrote: »

Thanks @Chin_Grin - Are these devices commonly available? Like could I pick these things up in PC World? and are they easy to set up (Im sorry Im not great when it comes to networks and WiFi)

Any other ideas

Ah yeah you can get them there. Some come with network cables so make sure when you're buying them that that's the case!

These are just signal boosters that one plug goes in to a power socket and a network cable goes in to the router, then on the pc side the same thing. Network cable in to the back of the pc/laptop and it in to the wall.

So in essence it's a wired connection on both sides, just the signal is boosted from one plug to the other (it's not connecting via wifi).

jmcc99_98

chin_grin wrote: »

Ah yeah you can get them there. Some come with network cables so make sure when you're buying them that that's the case!

These are just signal boosters that one plug goes in to a power socket and a network cable goes in to the router, then on the pc side the same thing. Network cable in to the back of the pc/laptop and it in to the wall.

So in essence it's a wired connection on both sides, just the signal is boosted from one plug to the other (it's not connecting via wifi).

Ah Ok, Im looking to have WiFi in the main part of the house. My mate wants to be able to use the Laptop around the house, so just wants the WiFi signal that is in the office somehow extended to be strong in the main house also.

chin_grin

jmcc99_98 wrote: »

Ah Ok, Im looking to have WiFi in the main part of the house. My mate wants to be able to use the Laptop around the house, so just wants the WiFi signal that is in the office somehow extended to be strong in the main house also.

Well to boost the wifi signal you'd either have to move the router to a better position or buy a new one.

See here for more options:

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelessfaqs/f/extendwifirange.htm

reposition your router (or access point) to avoid obstructions and radio interference. Both reduce the range of Wi-Fi network equipment. Common sources of interference in residences include brick or plaster walls, microwave ovens, and cordless phones. Additionally, consider changing the Wi-Fi channel number on your equipment to avoid interference.

upgrade the antenna on your router (or access point). Wi-Fi antennas on most wireless base stations can be removed and replaced with more powerful ones.

add another access point (or router). Large residences typically require no more than two APs, whereas businesses may employ dozens of APs. In a home, this option requires connecting your primary wireless router (access point) to the second one with Ethernet cable; home wireless routers and/or APs don't normally communicate with each other directly.

add a bi-directional Wi-Fi signal amplifier to wireless devices as needed. A Wi-Fi signal amplifier (sometimes called "signal booster") attaches to a router, access point or Wi-Fi client at the place where the antenna connects. Bi-directional antennas amplify the wireless signal in both transmit and receive directions. These should be used as Wi-Fi transmissions are two-way radio communications.

add a Wi-Fi repeater. A wireless repeater is a stand-alone unit positioned within range of a wireless router (access point). Repeaters (sometimes called "range expanders") serve as a two-way relay station for Wi-Fi signals. Clients too far away from the original router / AP can instead associate with the WLAN through the repeater.

ScumLord

You could move the router into the attic so it only needs to go through timber floors instead of big walls.

I've used the power plug adapters and they do the job really well. If your not getting any signal from the wifi router in the rest of the house it should be safe enough to use an adapter and a second wireless access point for the rest of the house.

Most other half measures don't work. I've tried bigger aerials, they don't make any significant improvement, even more powerful routers aren't necessarily going to help. A thick brick wall can be a permanent barrier to a wireless signal it's much better in the long run to use wires to get around those kind of obstacles. AS far as I'm concerned wifi is a convenience thing not a replacement for wires.

jmcc99_98

Thanks @Chin_Grin and @ScrumLord

I popped down to PC World at lunchtime and came across this http://www.pcworld.ie/Product/DEVOLO-dLAN-200Mbps-AV-Powerline-Adapter-Wireless-Starter-Kit/304193/7.16

This uses the electrical wires and also gives WiFi at the other end. So Plug it in to Elec Socket in office and connect to Modem, then plug the other one into the living room for example and it emits the signal wirelessly. This seems to answer my question? I think, have either of you any experience with these things?

Other idea is (and this might be stupid) The phone line in the office is the same as the phone line in the house. In the house there is also phone sockets (Operating off the same phone number) could it be as easy as just adding another wireless router to an existing phone socket within the house?

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