Extend wireless range?

[Quam256]

I need to extend the range of my wireless connection .
I am using a Dlink DIR 615 router and was wondering if it is possible to use another in another part the house to act as a sort of repeater . Or are there any other options to extend the range.
I would only like to run a CAT5 as a last option.
Just reading up on it I think its called a wireless bridge.

[Aragorn]

I guess you must have a large house! N mode wireless is supposed to have a much better range than G. If it's a problem with solid walls, yes you could use a wireless bridge in repeater mode - Dlink appear to have a DAP-1353 - no idea what it's like though. If budget allows, you could also use Homeplug devices, although they tend to be quite slow, I've heard.

[Turkey Machine]

Parabolic reflector.

Repeaters sound like a good idea in principle, but in practice they halve the already strained bandwidth available on G networks.

[popper]

Originally Posted by Quam256

I need to extend the range of my wireless connection .
I am using a Dlink DIR 615 router and was wondering if it is possible to use another in another part the house to act as a sort of repeater . Or are there any other options to extend the range.
I would only like to run a CAT5 as a last option.
Just reading up on it I think its called a wireless bridge.

essentially for wireless to wireless bridging modes your extending the range, and you loose 1/2 your bandwidth.

forget about all the bridging PR advertising blerb, your after simple WDS mode (aka PR bridging) for ANY wireless router, basicly you put the second units MAC address into the first units WDS settings and the first units into the second so they can talk to each other on the same channel, and you disable one of the units DHCPd servers and match the router2 to the CM<>router1's LAN IP subnet 192.168.0.* or whatever and your away....

but i always advise you make it easyer for yourself long term by making that little extra effort and find a way of running that single ethernet cable to connect both (or more) wireless routers together instead.

as you dont then loose that precious router processing power doing everything over wireless and yet you still get your max data thoughput through the router to router rj45 wire rather than lossing 1/2 your available wireless bandwidth just talking to each other.

use the wireless section for that its best for, connecting all your diverse wireless devices, and push as much data off each onto the single ethernet wire while increasing your range....

do a search on generic WDS modes rather than bridging and you will find a lot more usable info.

---------- Post added at 16:36 ---------- Previous post was at 16:27 ----------

Originally Posted by Turkey Machine

Parabolic reflector.

Repeaters sound like a good idea in principle, but in practice they halve the already strained bandwidth available on G networks.

sure, as iv said and posted here before, make such a thing as the wind surfer and put it on your wireless routers arials, boosting your db by 3 in effect doubles the distance for a given signal strenth outdoors and slightly less if your indoors and getting/going through thick walls etc, foil back underlay is the real killer of wireless signals, so make sure your carpets etc dont have that as the signals are reflected back, hence a wired ethernet between floors and wireless routers is the better option anyway.

simple easy and quick when you point them to reflect in the direction of your devices/PCs etc.

http://revision3.com/systm/surfer
http://www.usbwifi.orconhosting.net.nz/

[Turkey Machine]

Parabolic reflector in my house, by the way, works fine. There's a big one on the router downstairs, and one on the receiver upstairs. It took the signal from 2 or 3 bars to 5 bars every time.

[Quam256]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

I guess you must have a large house! N mode wireless is supposed to have a much better range than G. If it's a problem with solid walls, yes you could use a wireless bridge in repeater mode - Dlink appear to have a DAP-1353 - no idea what it's like though. If budget allows, you could also use Homeplug devices, although they tend to be quite slow, I've heard.

Homeplugs were tried but they created problems of there own.

---------- Post added at 17:20 ---------- Previous post was at 17:14 ----------

Originally Posted by popper

essentially for wireless to wireless bridging modes your extending the range, and you loose 1/2 your bandwidth.

forget about all the bridging PR advertising blerb, your after simple WDS mode (aka PR bridging) for ANY wireless router, basicly you put the second units MAC address into the first units WDS settings and the first units into the second so they can talk to each other on the same channel, and you disable one of the units DHCPd servers and match the router2 to the CM<>router1's LAN IP subnet 192.168.0.* or whatever and your away....

but i always advise you make it easyer for yourself long term by making that little extra effort and find a way of running that single ethernet cable to connect both (or more) wireless routers together instead.

as you dont then loose that precious router processing power doing everything over wireless and yet you still get your max data thoughput through the router to router rj45 wire rather than lossing 1/2 your available wireless bandwidth just talking to each other.

use the wireless section for that its best for, connecting all your diverse wireless devices, and push as much data off each onto the single ethernet wire while increasing your range....

do a search on generic WDS modes rather than bridging and you will find a lot more usable info.

---------- Post added at 16:36 ---------- Previous post was at 16:27 ----------



sure, as iv said and posted here before, make such a thing as the wind surfer and put it on your wireless routers arials, boosting your db by 3 in effect doubles the distance for a given signal strenth outdoors and slightly less if your indoors and getting/going through thick walls etc, foil back underlay is the real killer of wireless signals, so make sure your carpets etc dont have that as the signals are reflected back, hence a wired ethernet between floors and wireless routers is the better option anyway.

simple easy and quick when you point them to reflect in the direction of your devices/PCs etc.

http://revision3.com/systm/surfer
http://www.usbwifi.orconhosting.net.nz/

It seems the best option is to run the ehternet cable as that cuts out a lot of the set up hassle and would always guarantee me a connection

[popper]

yep, and dont forget to use two totally seperate channels 5 channel No's apart as per the pic below when you do.

1/6/11 or other possible clear non overlapped combinations for your local position etc.


CM<>WAN-(wireless)router1-LANport1<ethernet>WANport-(wireless)router2 or
CM<>WAN-(wireless)router1-LANport1<ethernet>LAN1port-(wireless)router2

that way you dont introduce more local wireless interference with crossover talk.

the uk has only 3 totally seperate non overlapping channels in the b/g/n 24* Mhz wireless router freqs and thats a shame.

they, OFCOM etc, should open up a lot more unlicenced space, up the indoor radio power output allowance, and put in generic dual radio and generic OSS Auto radio channel Bonding and mesh firmware specs but they wont....

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/19...l#post34821698