I'm helping a friend set up a wireless home network using a Linksys WRT110 router. The remote wireless computer is a good distance from the router, but not so far as to be unworkable (100 - 150 feet). There are, however, a number of walls to pass through.

Anyway, we are having touble connecting to the network.

My question is, would it be better to upgrade the router to a Wireless N router, or to try a wireless extender somewhere between the present router and the remote computer?

Wireless N will still have to go the same distance and through the same walls. 100-150 feet through walls actually IS fairly far for a home level wireless router, mainly because of the walls, so it will be tough.

Now, some Wireless N routers *may* work, but not because they are specifically "N" but because they are newer and may have better signal handling and power capabilities, so don't let that deter an upgrade.

Is there any way to relocate the existing router to be more centralized? Or to have it travel through 1 or more less walls? A wireless extender will work, but if we can save him from having to spend the money, I am all for that.

wow, that is a pretty big house. I can usually maintain a 54mbps connection from 50-60ft from downstairs to upstairs in our ranch home. I can also pick up the neighbors wireless from further away, but it is not consistant.

I assume this is a laptop? Can you temporarily move closer to see if your able to connect? Do you actually "see" the network as an available wireless network, but just can't connect?

The remote computer can see the network but not connect. The remote computer is actually a desktop but I'm in the process of moving it into the room with the router to see if we can connect there. I'll report back.

In the room with the router, connection is 100%. At least I know I have both the network and the wireless computer card in the remote computer set up correctly. The issue must be distance and walls.

Way to go Jack! Hope you can come up with a solution that will work...

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. We're going to examine all options and see what we think is the best way to go.

I'd probably go with an extender of some sort. You may also be able to get gonzo huge antennae for that thing--I know the WRT54Gs had removable/replaceable antennae and you could get long distance ones.

I'm open to any recommendations of make and model for either extender or router.

Does the desktop use a USB dongle or a PCI card for it's wireless. If it is a PCI card you can get stronger antennas for them, at least the older ones I had you could. They made a weak to non existent signal in my house actually work at 54MBPS.

There are also other alternatives to wireless, one such system is powerline ethernet but it would be cheaper to just run a wireless repeater.

Yup...

It's a brand new D-link DWA-556 PCI express card with 3 antennas (shouldn't that be antennae?)

As far as an extender or access point, it's usually easier to set up if everything is the same brand. I've had good luck with D-Link, but Linksys should be fine, too. If you can run a Cat 5e or 6 wire to a central location and add an A/P, the problem will probably go away.

Actually, there are antennae that are designed specifically for this type of problem. Since you have been to my house, you'll understand that the wireless router is in the upstairs office and the wireless signal gets to the basement home theater.

Initially, my signal was weak. Did the research you are doing and ended up getting some high gain antenna replacements for the Linksys router. Worked a treat (except for streaming video). In fact, the guy across the street mentions that my signal is stronger than his (of course I DID drink out of Darth Vader's cup once). Note that the 3 antennae on the D-Link are probably disappointingly short (Mark can help you understand this, so they don't spew a long/strong signal (again, Mark can help)

Anyhow, Radio Shack can give you some replacements that you could return if they don't yield any remarkable results. Search on the router name and add "increasing signal strength" to see if anyone has solved using antennae as the answer. Cheapest and quickest.

2nd choice is a range extender. Go to Newegg, type in range extender for a search and on "Sort by", choose Best Rating. Pick the price you like.

3rd choice. Powerline networking. Some plugins that turn a wireless into a wired network using the house electrical lines. Newegg again and Netgear seems to be leading the pack. These things don't seem to have any middle ground - fabulous or failure. Never figured Worth a look. Frankly, I'd start here, but I am ranking from least expensive to most expensive.

4th choice. Pay the bucks and wire the house. Sometimes wireless just isn't the answer. No matter how much time you spend polishing a turd, it is still a turd.

OK, my work here is done.

So that's what she call it.

Yeah, found this D-Link ANT24-0230 Xtreme N 2.4GHZ Indoor Antenna which could replace the short antennae on the network card. It receives very mixed reviews. The long wire is the killer here (there is a woman involved in this decision )


There are no external antennae on the router so replacements are not an option.


Hadn't thought about the powerline networking. I'll have to investigate that more.

Best option at this point seems to be an extender but I am still concerned about all the walls and the distance. I have found an acceptable option at Best Buy which is priced as low as the lowest online price I could find. Good thing about that is, if it doesn't do the job, we can easily return it.



X = Router
Y = Remote Computer
a, b, c, & d are potential spots for an extender.
red lines approximate walls

a & b would be kitchen coutentertop height, d would be on the floor, and c, which is intriguing, would be about 8, 9, feet off the gound atop the wall represented by the red line between b & c. That wall stops short of a vaulted ceiling leaving a space open to the next area which is the entryway foyer. There is an electrical outlet up there. Placement here would eliminate the b to c wall entirely.

I would get a non-wireless router (or disable the wireless on the router since non-wireless routers seem to be getting scarce) and then put a wireless access point at a. This requires an ethernet cable to be run from X to a.

I use the Cisco RVS4000 router and the Cisco WAP4410N access point. But I work for Cisco so you should also take a look at other manufacturer's equivalent products.