I have a wireless connection set up in the house but it drops intermittently. I've tried the usual stuff - unplugging the microwave, changing the channel etc but to no avail. I have a spare wireless router hanging around, is it possible for me to set this router up to just boost the wireless signal, so I can position it halfway through the house? If so, how would I go about doing this?
Cheers,
Chris
My main one is a Linksys HR200, and my spare is an Origo FC-AL2014PW which I believe is just a generic rebranded router (Same as Zoom, Eusso etc). Sorry - not much use.
I'm not averse to buying another piece of hardware if my spare router can't do this, just want to make sure things will work before I do so.
Cheers,
Chris
Let people here help you by suppling Model name and/or number, and the firmware version of your router. I.E.: Linksys BEFW11S4, v3. No offense, just trying to help.
-- Louie Gainesville, FL (eat the flies to email)
"Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong." Dennis Miller
Well, the proceedure is the same for adding an "access point". Effectively, you disable the DHCP server and ignore the router section.
Your spare router can be converted into an access point by:
If running the cable half way through the house is unacceptable, there are alternatives, but they cost money. For example, a power line networking wireless bridge might be useful:
I've tried to find a Linksys HR200 user manual at Linksys, but no go. Do you still have your manual? Maybe Jeff L. would know, he's pretty much on top of things.
Is this your Origo FC-AL2014PW router
-- Louie Gainesville, FL (eat the flies to email)
"Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong." Dennis Miller
Thanks for the help, guys. This is actually a whole lot more complicated than I imagined it would be. Running cable anywhere in the house is something I want to avoid.
The Netgear wall-plugged product looks interesting. I've never seen it in any stores round here or indeed online so I'm unsure as to whether it's available in the UK.
Could somebody clarify the term 'repeater' for me? I see a lot of devices offering this function. Could this do what I need?
Regards,
Chris
I should add, I have seen sites showing a hack which can be applied to my Origo router that will somehow give it D-Link firmware and give it this 'repeater' functionality. Is this an option?
I can't help with your Origo router as I know nothing about it.
The proceedure for converting your router to an access point is quite simple and easy to do. 4 steps is not a major project (except for running the cable).
A repeater is also called a "range extender". It's a stand alone radio, that listens for any packets that have a specified SSID, and retransmit the packet. This is called "store and forward" type of repeating. It is commonly used to extend the coverage area of a wireless system.
However, there are problems. Many repeaters will only work with a small list of acceptable radios and access points. In general, the chipset used in the repeater has to be compatible (or identical) to that in the wireless router.
Repeaters also cause a 50% reduction in thruput because only one radio can transmit at a time (simplex operation). This should not be a problem if you have a good signal and a comparatively slow broadband connection (
If all your wireless clients on one side of the access point, consider a cheap do-it-yourself directional antenna, which can work wonders; e.g., .
The Netgear product isn't available in the UK but I've just had an email from Maplin with a special offer on a UK equivalent
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