Mike42
03-19-2005, 02:01 AM
My home wireless network consists of a PC connected directly to a wireless router/cable modem, and a Power Mac 20' away in another room connected via wireless PCI card. The trouble is I'm getting a weak, fluctuating signal on the Mac (around 30-35 on iStumbler), due I think to some intervening metal appliances.
I've been told that the way to overcome this problem is to put the router as high up as possible and use an external antenna for the Mac. Moving the router up high was no problem at all, but unfortunately, the only external antennas that are available have a cable length of 3-5 feet, and I need at least 6 feet in order to place the antenna above the height of the appliances and on top of some furrniture. Currently I'm using a D-Link ANT24-0400 4dB antenna, but it only reaches up to the height of the desk above the Mac (around 3 feet), and the signal is actually worse than it was with the built-in antenna.
My question is: would it make any sense to attach a 3 or 4 foot extension to this 4dB antenna in order to reach above the appliances, or would the signal loss be too great? I've found a 4' SMA female to male cable assembly which could extend the length of the antenna to the necessary height, but again, I'm not certain if it would be worth it or whether it would even be safe to attempt given possible differences in cable types.
BTW, it seems ridiculous to me that everyone recommends gettting the wireless part of a home network up high out of the way of things, but then there are basically no antennas that can reach above 5 feet, which obviously is well below the ceiling of most homes.
I've been told that the way to overcome this problem is to put the router as high up as possible and use an external antenna for the Mac. Moving the router up high was no problem at all, but unfortunately, the only external antennas that are available have a cable length of 3-5 feet, and I need at least 6 feet in order to place the antenna above the height of the appliances and on top of some furrniture. Currently I'm using a D-Link ANT24-0400 4dB antenna, but it only reaches up to the height of the desk above the Mac (around 3 feet), and the signal is actually worse than it was with the built-in antenna.
My question is: would it make any sense to attach a 3 or 4 foot extension to this 4dB antenna in order to reach above the appliances, or would the signal loss be too great? I've found a 4' SMA female to male cable assembly which could extend the length of the antenna to the necessary height, but again, I'm not certain if it would be worth it or whether it would even be safe to attempt given possible differences in cable types.
BTW, it seems ridiculous to me that everyone recommends gettting the wireless part of a home network up high out of the way of things, but then there are basically no antennas that can reach above 5 feet, which obviously is well below the ceiling of most homes.