Can I Improve my WiFi?

Aeneas

In an effort to upgrade the WiFi coverage in my home I recently bought a new Huwai 556a wireless modem (Vodafone's standard modem) from Vodafone, my service provider. I found that reception in parts of the house was worse than with my old BT Voyager 2110, so I reverted to that. This works reasonably well but the signal is still weak in some rooms, and occasionally fails. Recently I read that modem technology has not changed much, whereas routers have been improving radically. This has set me thinking that the way forward might be to buy a more powerful wireless router and link it to my Voyager via an Ethernet cable rather than go for a new modem/router combo. This way the Voyager would be the modem, and my new purchase the router. My questions are:
1) is this technically possible?
2) would the radio signal from the Voyager interfere in some way with the signal from my new router, and, if so, can I switch off the router part of the Voyager
3) I have been looking at a Belkin N600 at my local Click store but is has had some negative reviews. Would something like the Linksys EA3500 do a better job?
4) would it be better to write off the Voyager and Huwai and go for a completely new Modem/Route combo from someone like Netgear or Linksys?
5) in either event will I have to reconfigure all of my ten plus wireless devices to work with the new router or modem/router combo.? The guy in the store told me that with the Belkin I just connected it to the modem and I wouldn't have to reconfigure my devices separately. But I wonder.
6) could there be compatibility problems between the old Voyager modem and a new router, for example because the Voyager is on the old "b/g" standard while the new device is on the more up to date "n". I have read in another post that if both devices don't support the most advanced standard that the system operates on the lowest common denominator.

advertsfox

1 - Yes
2 - Yes, you just need to turn off the Wi-Fi on the Voyager (192.168.1.1 > Advanced > Wireless)
3 - If possible, always go for a Linksys.
4 - You can do that as well, just get a nice DSL Linksys router like the excellent WAG160N (excellent for Wi-Fi).
5 - That's with the WPS method (protected setup) but it's a pain because not everything supports it. Just set a new SSID and password (WPA-PSK2 AES+TKIP) and reconnect, it only needs to be done once.
6 - Not because of 2, you couldn't have the two wireless networks enabled - you would just have a LAN from the Voyager to the WAN port of your cable router which will then dish our the IP address's on the new wireless network (make sure the range is not 192.168.1.x for conflictions).

Best bet though - get the Linksys from Amazon and stop using the dated Voyager and rubbish Huawei, you will love the Linksys and all it's settings / range / HD compatability options and only have to worry about one box being plugged in.

Torqay

advertsfox wrote: »

3 - If possible, always go for a Linksys.

The ASUS RT-AC66U is currently the best consumer-grade WLAN router. Price around €130.

The Linksys you recommend has no external aerials, these routers are suitable for rather small places such as student accomodations.

advertsfox

Torqay wrote: »

The ASUS RT-AC66U is currently the best consumer-grade WLAN router. Price around €130.

The Linksys you recommend has no external aerials, these routers are suitable for rather small places such as student accomodations.

Completely agree regarding the Asus but I was going for a bit more of an everyday affordable one - I've used the Linksys WAG150N and it work's very well once configured correctly, I'm quite suprised by the Amazon reviews on the 160.

Now a Linksys WRTxxxN model with DD-WRT would be my idea of a good setup.

Torqay

advertsfox wrote: »

Now a Linksys WRTxxxN model with DD-WRT would be my idea of a good setup.

The ASUS too is compatible with DD-WRT and TomatoUSB.

Aeneas

Thanks for the info and advice. I think it will be clear from my first post that I'm not very knowledgeable about all this stuff and I'm a bit worried about the "once it's configured correctly" comment on the Linksys. Some of the stuff on Amazon is along this line too. eg it does't come with security configured and you have to set up your own. Plus it looks like it dates back to at least c2008. Am I right in thinking that the Asus is a router only and would need a separate modem? Would it work ok with the Voyager, if I switched off the Voyager's wireless? I know the Voyager is old but my understanding is that modem technology has not advanced very much, unlike WiFi.
My overall inclination is to look for a good modem/router combo like the Linksys but if the Voyager would work with the Asus I would think about that too. Finally I notice that the Asus is the new "ac" standard. I imagine it's backward compatible and that all my devices would work with it.
P.S I see that the Asus is selling on Amazon for 165 sterling which is a pretty hefty price tag for a router only. For that kind of money I imagine I would get a pretty good combo?

Torqay

Aeneas wrote: »

Am I right in thinking that the Asus is a router only and would need a separate modem?

Would it work ok with the Voyager, if I switched off the Voyager's wireless?

I notice that the Asus is the new "ac" standard. I imagine it's backward compatible and that all my devices would work with it.

Yes and yes and yes.

riclad

GO into wireless settings ,change the wifi channel to another channel.
it may improve the range ,eg
you may be getting interference from your neighbours router, on channel 5 ,so change to channel 10.

TRY changing it to 3 different channels,test it,each time, for range, signal strentgh, see does it make any difference,
in my experience a routers wifi has a range of 20ft-30FT approx.
IT can be effected by walls too.

http://community.eircom.net/t5/Broadband/Improve-Your-Wireless/td-p/6181

Look on your broadband provider,s website for more help,info router setup.

Aeneas

The main problem is 1) in a downstairs room about 30ft, and 3 mass concrete walls, away from the router, and 2) in an upstairs bedroom about the same distance and 2 mass concrete walls away. The Huwai 556a is useless, constantly dropping out in these two rooms, and inferior to the Voyager elsewhere. With the Voyager I can get reception in the two rooms (one level on that WiFi shell thingy), but it occasionally drops out. My hope, if I were to buy either a new router or a new combo, would be a) to improve reception in these rooms, and b) upgrade the router to the "n" or new "ac" standard. My understanding is that with the Voyager even devices capable of the later standards are dragged down to the earlier "b" and "g". Although I'm not entirely sure what the practical consequences of this are.

riclad

http://www.maplin.co.uk/buy-networking/powerline-over-the-mains/200mbps-powerline-adaptors-and-kits

see here,
powerline extender kits ,
plug sender in to the router,using ethernet cable.
PUT reciever in one or both rooms.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/200mbps-powerline-and-n300-wi-fi-range-extender-single-socket-626149

You can get a reciever unit with ethernet,out,
or ethernet out,
and wifi out on it on the reciever unit.

OF course both reciever and sender need to on,
to recieve an improved signal,
Ethernet unit gives you perfect signal in any room .

MAYBE buy 1 sender ,i reciever and see how it goes

I don,t know if any new router would improve the signal,
OVER a range of 30ft and 2 concrete walls

last time i checked 1sender /1 reciever ethernet pack was 50-60 euro in brick mortar shops ,approx

it might be worth it,
to just run 2 ethernet cables to bedroom, other room,
from the router,
ITS like running a tv cable.

Drained_Empty

are those plug things any use. i have a million different sockets around my house i think it desimaintes the signal

KAGY

Could the voyager be used as a wifi repeater/Bridge upstairs? I.e pick up the signal from the modem and create its own wifi network. No need to buy new hardware.
I'd it can't do it wirwlessly id say you could connect it through one of the power line adapters

Aeneas

Thanks, Kagy. I think I read somewhere that when you do this (fit a repeater) it halves the radio output on the WiFi signal.

banie01

It sounds a wee bit silly but I was having wifi issues with my own router(UPC Thomson)
And luckily enough it had external antenna, so I used a template from here to make some simple waveguide antennae, that according to before Db readings with InSSiDer made a significant difference to my Wifi strength and in everyday use eliminated deadspots in my house and garden.

KAGY

Aeneas wrote: »

Thanks, Kagy. I think I read somewhere that when you do this (fit a repeater) it halves the radio output on the WiFi signal.

Possibly only on the box doing the repeating, but it will be closer to where you need it so mightnt matter. Or use power line adapters - but there's probably a better solution if you're buying hardware e.g. Power line adaptors with a built in Wifi

Ron Burgundy II

Sorry OP if I'm hijacking your thread.

I have the standard eircom grey wifi box, but the signal isn't great. Can I just replace this box with a better one to increase range (if so which one) or do I have to buy adapters etc to achieve this?

Doing an online course and only room in the house where I can get a good reception is in the kitchen where the wifi box is located. (which is also the room that has the most traffic)

Thanks

Ron