Wireless Distance Challenge - help required

[yam_r1]

Hi Everyone,

Apologies this message is abit long.

I need some expert guidance over a wireless range problem I have.

I live in on the top floor (3 levels) of a new apartment complex in Bristol, UK. The development is an L shape with my flat at the bottom right of the L.

I have a wireless network setup already for my personal use (which I am really happy with) but I want to allow a couple of my neighbours access to the network.

I have a Netgear 614 router located in my small bedroom / office at the back of the flat which connects to 1meg Blueyonder Broadband.

I can access the web from anywhere in the flat using my Fujitsu Lifebook laptop.

One of my neighbours can access the network using his laptop with a Netgear PCMCIA 802.11b card. His laptop is located about 3 flats away (approx 28 metres) again on the top floor in the back of his flat. He gets about 40% signal strength. His flat is the bottom left of the L shape.

Wanted to get my second neighbour connected so purchased a Netgear Me101 bridge as it has a 4 dBi detachable antenna.

He lives again top floor at the top of the L shape. Line of sight from the front of my flat to his is approx. 50 metres. His desktop PC is located in the front of his flat.

The problem - we have failed to get a connection.

The signal needs to travel from the back of my flat through about three walls to the front of the flat then about 50 metres over to his.

Now wondering what to do - I understand I have a number of options but wondered whether anyone here could help??

Should I move the bridge to the front of my flat and wire it back to the router then install a PCI card with antenna in his desktop machine?

or

purchase a more powerful antenna????

or

etc etc...


H E L P . . . . . . .

Regards

Yam

[Greenstead]

Thats quite a distance, but the walls are the main problem. Cannot you get a line of sight between your windows.

Your neighbour may be better with USB adapter which will have an aeriel he can position with more freedom or change for a higher gain.

Note, ISPs do not always allow sharing of the internet service. Also you will liable for any abuse of the service. Check your conditions.

[yam_r1]

Thanks for the advice.

Have spent the last couple of days doing the research so have decided to :-

1. Purchase a WG601 Netgear 802.11g access point with
detachable antenna.
2. Purchase a 9dbi omni-directional antenna and locate
both the AP and the new antenna in the loft.

This should increase coverage and signal strength.

Will let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Yam

[Haydn]

Yam_r1

I had difficulty getting sufficient range to connect to one of the PCs in my houshold that is some 40' away, but one floor up and through two 9" brick walls plus ceiling/floor and wooden staircase. Despite having 54G router and trying 54G PCI cards in the PC, I've found that using an 'old-hat' 11Mbs Belkin USB adapter works best because I use it with a 4.3m USB cable (the maximum I think) allowing ariel to be positioned to achieve an adequate signal, still in same room as PC, but some distance from it. So Greenstead's suggestion is valid in my experience.
By contrast when I tried PCI cards (even 54G ones), they inevitably have the ariel on the 'wrong' side of the PC relative to the router and the ariel in my case is also further away.

Downside is have to have mixed 54Mbs/11Mbs (802.11g/b) network, but at least it gives range required. I also already had a pair of these USB adapters from old peer-to-peer ICS network that always gave me hassle, hence move to 54G and a router.

Be warned however that they need either a USB2 port or a powereed hub (USB1 or 2) to work as an unpowered USB1 port just doesn't have the amps to drive the adapter.

I would prefer to go to all 54G so will be interested to learn how much success you have with the ariel extension because I am still toying with getting one but not sure how good they are.

Cheers, also from Bristol

NB: I've replaced one of the USB adapters in my Signature with a 54G D-Link DWL-G520 PCI apapter which provides a faster and more stable connection where range is less of an issue (distance 15' and only one 9" wall and ceiling/floor getting in way).

[JackMDS]

Solving Distance problem is very much depending on envioroment. External Antenna might work in one setting but not in the other.

On Extending Entry level Wireless coverage.

Extending the range of Entry Level Wireless depends on many Environmental variables, thus there is no one simple solution. These solutions need additional work and material (i.e. more money) in top of the initial buying of the Entry Level hardware.

Scenario 1: One floor house, the living room has a cathedral ceiling, and all the rest of the house is basically around the Living room.

A Ceiling Antenna is installed few feet bellow the Apex of the ceiling; it covers the whole house and 60' around the outside. (The Wireless Router is near the computer, the Antenna is connected with extension coax).

Reasonable prices here: http://www.hdcom.com/2.4ghzantennas.html

Scenario 2: In an other setting, a "normal" two floors house. The AP sits on a high pedestal near the staircase in the hallway. The AP is connected to a Wired Router with long CAT5 cable and covers most of the House and almost nothing outside. Initially when it was placed in the computer room it covered only the Computer room and direct rooms next to it sideway and above.

Repeater solution - This solution is similar to Scenario 2. However by using a Repeater you do not have to connect the WAP via CAT5 to the Wireless Source.

What is a Repeater? Link: http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Modes.html

Repeater actually cuts the Bandwidth by half. (Since it has to Flip-Flop between Transmit, and Receive with a single Radio).

However if used correctly it increase the Distance.

The following is for illustration purpose, actual numbers in your settings could be totally different than the following.

Let say you get 1Mb/sec. (1Mb/sec. is probably the limit for Internet surfing) at 80'.

Assuming that the bandwidth at 60' is 2Mb/sec. You put a Repeater at 60', it cuts the bandwidth but it will transmit for another 60-80' so all together you will get the 1Mb/sec. at about 150'.

Note* Since the price of Wireless Routers is much lower than the price of Access Points, many people extend the coverage by connecting a second Wireless Router to the one connected to the modem, and put it in a second location at the site.

Link to: http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html