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Thread: Wireless Antenna

  1. #1
    Senior Member just_laze's Avatar
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    Wireless Antenna

    Hello,

    I have a problem.

    I'm unable to get a reliable wireless connection in my bedroom. I believe the problem's poorly wired/insulated electrics within the walls.

    Signal wise, I'm consistently at 5 bars, but while downloading my speed fluctuates between 1000ksec and 5ksec though the signal strength remains 'excellent' at all times.

    Outside my room the problem does not occur.

    What I'd like to do is run an antenna from my wireless card outside my room.

    I don't know a great deal about wireless atenna's, can I make my own? Or would it be cheaper to buy an atenna that comes with an exceptionally long cable, or a removal cable that I can replace with a larger one?

    Please advise, heh.

    laze.
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  2. #2
    Not Very Senior Member RavenNight's Avatar
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    try a home-made parabolic first, they work great, template here: http://www.freeantennas.com/projects...te2/index.html
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  3. #3
    RIP Evy mroz's Avatar
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    Does your wired network include a switch? Wouldn't it be easier to install a second access point in the problem area via a cable connection & run it in bridged mode?

    Edit: Too expensive an option?

    Edit 2: Um, RavenNight's option is certainly cheaper
    Last edited by mroz; 04-08-2007 at 06:50 PM.

  4. #4
    Senior Member just_laze's Avatar
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    Hey,

    I'm connected via the electrical cabling in my house at the moment using a HomePlug solution and although it's consistent, my download speed never tops 500ksec. Again, I think the cabling is to blame struggling to carry the data.

    The wireless, when it works, will allow me to download @ 1000ksec+. The guarenteed solution is to install an atenna outside my room I'm just not sure what the best route to take is or if there's any pre-existing solutions on the market.

    Access points are very expensive.

    laze.
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  5. #5
    RIP Evy mroz's Avatar
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    Ah, ok. Never used networking over mains before. Nice idea though if the bandwidth limitations aren't an issue & you're not worried about security.

    Yeah, APs are comparitively expensive. I was just thinking about using general purpose equipment as it would be of use if/when you move to another location. You'd be looking at about £40, for example, for the AP.

    The roll your own antenna sounds like a good idea in that it's quick, easy & very cheap to try.

  6. #6
    Senior Member just_laze's Avatar
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    Essentially, whatever device is receiving the wireless signal will need to be OUTSIDE my room.

    If I were to get an additional access point, I'd still need cabling from within my room, to the AP outside my room... In which case, a long cabled atenna would essentially perform the same task.

    Signal isn't the problem, it's the interference from within my room.

    laze.
    Last edited by just_laze; 04-08-2007 at 11:04 PM.
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  7. #7
    RIP Evy mroz's Avatar
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    Do you only need access within that one room? If not, surely moving the antenna into the room will make it difficult to receive a signal anywhere else?

    Edit: Sorry, I think I had your intentions back to front. I didn't realise you were talking about the antenna on the bedroom equipment; I thought you were talking about moving the antenna on the device at the other end of the link.

    If your problem is a poor signal/interference, why not apply RavenNight's suggestion to boost the signal you're trying to receive?

    Alternatively, as you're talking about running a cable from your device in the bedroom, why not just run a network cable all the way to the opposing device? Obviously that depends on where that is.

    Lastly, my original idea wasn't to install another AP outside your room & a cable from it to your equipment in the bedroom, but rather to connect an AP in the bedroom by cable to the network outside the bedroom, thus bridging the region of interference & extending the region over which your wireless network covers.
    Last edited by mroz; 05-08-2007 at 12:19 AM.

  8. #8
    Senior Member chrestomanci's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mroz View Post
    Yeah, APs are comparitively expensive. I was just thinking about using general purpose equipment as it would be of use if/when you move to another location. You'd be looking at about £40, ....
    I found a cheap edimax access point on scan's website. It is frequently on today only for £19+Vat. It only has one wired ethernet port, but for what I am trying to do that is enough. It will work in Station Mode (AP Client Mode). I brought it so that I could connect a networked mp3 player to my wireless network.

  9. #9
    Senior Member just_laze's Avatar
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    If I were to install a wireless access point in my bedroom and then cable all the way to my router, that'd defeat the purpose of having wireless...

    My computer (with wireless network card) is about 2 metres from my bedroom door. Surely the best solution would be to place an AP or an extended antenna outside my bedroom, connected to my PC via wiring so it's able to speak to my router without the interference incurred inside my bedroom?

    I'm likely going to buy the AP chestomanci suggested and employ the above solution.

    Thanks for everyones' input.

    laze.
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  10. #10
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    Would a new aerial on your wireless router and/or wireless card not help?

    Something like this to boost it to 9dB?

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/9db-2-4GHz-Rubber-Duck-ReSMA

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